77R12105 KKA-D                           
         By Naishtat                                           H.B. No. 1004
         Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1004:
         By Naishtat                                       C.S.H.B. No. 1004
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the work or employment activities required under the
 1-3     temporary assistance for needy families program.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 301, Labor Code, is amended
 1-6     by adding Section 301.0675 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 301.0675.  WORK OR EMPLOYMENT ACTIVITIES FOR RECIPIENTS
 1-8     OF TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES. (a)  The commission by
 1-9     rule shall determine the work or employment activities in which a
1-10     person must participate to comply with Section 31.012, Human
1-11     Resources Code.
1-12           (b)  In adopting rules under this section, the commission
1-13     shall provide for a broad array of permissible work or employment
1-14     activities designed to:
1-15                 (1)  assist a person in entering the workforce and
1-16     becoming self-supporting;
1-17                 (2)  address and remove any barrier that prevents a
1-18     person from entering the workforce and becoming self-supporting;
1-19     and
1-20                 (3)  exercise all flexibility in permissible work or
1-21     employment activities authorized by federal law.
1-22           (c)  The rules must provide for at least the following
1-23     permissible work or employment activities:
1-24                 (1)  unsubsidized employment;
 2-1                 (2)  subsidized private or public sector employment;
 2-2                 (3)  work experience, including work associated with
 2-3     the refurbishing of publicly assisted housing;
 2-4                 (4)  on-the-job training;
 2-5                 (5)  job search and job readiness assistance, including
 2-6     activities designed to address and remove barriers to employment,
 2-7     such as counseling and other services relating to mental health,
 2-8     substance abuse, or family violence;
 2-9                 (6)  participation in a community service program,
2-10     including the VISTA program;
2-11                 (7)  participation in educational activities,
2-12     including:
2-13                       (A)  attendance in an elementary, secondary,
2-14     postsecondary, vocational, or technical school;
2-15                       (B)  attendance in a program leading to a high
2-16     school equivalency certificate;
2-17                       (C)  attendance in an adult education or literacy
2-18     program; and
2-19                       (D)  receipt of instruction in English as a
2-20     second language;
2-21                 (8)  training in job skills that are directly related
2-22     to employment;
2-23                 (9)  the provision of child-care services to a person
2-24     participating in a community service program; and
2-25                 (10)  another activity described by Section 31.0125,
2-26     31.0126, or 31.0135, Human Resources Code.
2-27           (d)  The commission shall permit a person younger than 20
 3-1     years of age to comply with Section 31.012, Human Resources Code,
 3-2     through participating solely in full-time educational activities
 3-3     authorized by Subsection (c)(7) for an unlimited amount of time.
 3-4           (e)  The commission, the Texas Department of Human Services,
 3-5     and the local workforce development boards shall perform agency and
 3-6     board duties related to requiring compliance with the work or
 3-7     employment activities requirements imposed by Section 31.012, Human
 3-8     Resources Code, in the least intrusive manner possible so that a
 3-9     person engaging in permissible work or employment activities:
3-10                 (1)  is not required to attend agency or board
3-11     appointments or take other action that interferes with the person's
3-12     work or employment activities; and
3-13                 (2)  is provided with appropriate information regarding
3-14     available employment services that the person may access without
3-15     interfering with the person's work or employment activities.
3-16           SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act a
3-17     state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
3-18     federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
3-19     the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
3-20     authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
3-21     waiver or authorization is granted.
3-22           SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001, and
3-23     applies to a person receiving financial assistance under Chapter
3-24     31, Human Resources Code, on or after that date, regardless of the
3-25     date on which eligibility for financial assistance was determined.