HBA-JLV, SEP S.B. 1656 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1656 By: Sibley Economic Development 5/10/2001 Committee Report (Amended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Since the creation of the Council on Workforce and Economic Competitiveness (council), both state and federal laws have been amended and repealed. As a result, the existing law contains outdated references and assigns duties to the council which no longer need to be performed. Senate Bill 1656 conforms the list of duties and responsibilities of the council to existing law. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS Senate Bill 1656 amends the Government Code to delete provisions requiring the Council on Workforce and Economic Competitiveness (council) to assume the duty to participate directly in the development of the state plan for career and technology education and recommend the plan to the Texas Education Agency, to ensure that the general revenue funds previously available to the Texas Literary Council are used to support the efforts of local literacy councils in a manner consistent with the state strategic plan, and to recommend to the State Board of Vocational Education the division of federal funds between secondary and postsecondary educational agencies under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act. The bill also deletes the provision that the council is required to assume the responsibilities assigned to the state advisory council under certain federal laws. In addition, the bill deletes the provision requiring the council to assume the responsibilities formerly exercised by the State Job Training Coordinating Council, the Texas Council on Vocational Education, and the Texas Literary Council. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001. EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS Committee Amendment No. 1 amends the definition of "workforce education" to specify that the careerpath programs are postsecondary career-path programs. The amendment also provides that one of the three voting members of the Council on Workforce and Economic Competitiveness represents workforce education rather than vocational education.