By Naishtat H.B. No. 477 77R2161 KLA-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the establishment of an interagency plan for 1-3 coordinating case management services for certain recipients of 1-4 financial assistance. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, 1-7 is amended by adding Section 31.0128 to read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 31.0128. COORDINATED INTERAGENCY PLAN. (a) The 1-9 department and the Texas Workforce Commission shall jointly develop 1-10 and adopt a memorandum of understanding, subject to the approval of 1-11 the Health and Human Services Commission. The memorandum of 1-12 understanding must establish guidelines for a coordinated 1-13 interagency case management plan to: 1-14 (1) identify each recipient of financial assistance 1-15 who has, in comparison to other recipients, higher levels of 1-16 barriers to employment; and 1-17 (2) provide coordinated services that address those 1-18 barriers to assist the recipient in finding and retaining 1-19 employment. 1-20 (b) The department and the Texas Workforce Commission shall: 1-21 (1) jointly develop and adopt a memorandum of 1-22 understanding, subject to the approval of the Health and Human 1-23 Services Commission, that establishes a coordinated interagency 1-24 case management plan consistent with the guidelines established 2-1 under Subsection (a); and 2-2 (2) implement the plan through local department and 2-3 commission offices in local workforce development areas in which a 2-4 local workforce development board is not established. 2-5 (c) Each agency by rule shall adopt the memoranda of 2-6 understanding required by this section and all revisions to the 2-7 memoranda. 2-8 (d) In a local workforce development area in which a local 2-9 workforce development board is established, the Texas Workforce 2-10 Commission shall require in the commission's contract with the 2-11 board that the board, in cooperation with local department offices, 2-12 develop and implement a coordinated interagency case management 2-13 plan consistent with the guidelines established under Subsection 2-14 (a). 2-15 SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2002, the Texas 2-16 Department of Human Services and the Texas Workforce Commission 2-17 shall adopt the memoranda of understanding required by Section 2-18 31.0128, Human Resources Code, as added by this Act, and implement 2-19 the interagency case management plan required by Section 2-20 31.0128(b), Human Resources Code, as added by this Act. 2-21 SECTION 3. The change in law made by Section 31.0128(d), 2-22 Human Resources Code, as added by this Act, applies only to a 2-23 contract or other agreement between the Texas Workforce Commission 2-24 and a local workforce development board entered into on or after 2-25 September 1, 2001. A contract or agreement entered into before 2-26 that date is governed by the law in effect on the date the contract 2-27 or agreement was entered into, and the former law is continued in 3-1 effect for that purpose. 3-2 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.