1-1     By:  Naishtat (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini)            H.B. No. 1004
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 3, 2001;
 1-3     May 4, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Health
 1-4     and Human Services; May 8, 2001, reported adversely, with favorable
 1-5     Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0;
 1-6     May 8, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1004                By:  Moncrief
 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-9                                   AN ACT
1-10     relating to the work or employment activities required under the
1-11     temporary assistance for needy families program.
1-12           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-13           SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 301, Labor Code, is amended
1-14     by adding Section 301.0675 to read as follows:
1-15           Sec. 301.0675.  WORK OR EMPLOYMENT ACTIVITIES FOR RECIPIENTS
1-16     OF TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES. (a)  The commission by
1-17     rule shall determine the work or employment activities in which a
1-18     person must participate to comply with Section 31.012, Human
1-19     Resources Code.
1-20           (b)  In adopting rules under this section, the commission
1-21     shall provide for a broad array of permissible work or employment
1-22     activities designed to:
1-23                 (1)  assist a person in entering the workforce and
1-24     becoming self-supporting;
1-25                 (2)  address and remove barriers that prevent a person
1-26     from entering the workforce and becoming self-supporting; and
1-27                 (3)  exercise all flexibility in permissible work or
1-28     employment activities authorized by federal law.
1-29           (c)  The rules must provide for at least the following
1-30     permissible work or employment activities within federal limits:
1-31                 (1)  unsubsidized employment;
1-32                 (2)  subsidized private or public sector employment;
1-33                 (3)  work experience, including work associated with
1-34     the refurbishing of publicly assisted housing;
1-35                 (4)  on-the-job training;
1-36                 (5)  job search and job readiness assistance, including
1-37     activities designed to address and remove barriers to employment,
1-38     such as counseling and other services relating to mental health,
1-39     substance abuse, or family violence;
1-40                 (6)  participation in a community service program,
1-41     including the VISTA program;
1-42                 (7)  participation in educational activities,
1-43     including:
1-44                       (A)  attendance in an elementary, secondary,
1-45     postsecondary, vocational, or technical school;
1-46                       (B)  attendance in a program leading to a high
1-47     school equivalency certificate;
1-48                       (C)  attendance in an adult education or literacy
1-49     program; and
1-50                       (D)  receipt of instruction in English as a
1-51     second language;
1-52                 (8)  training in job skills that are directly related
1-53     to employment;
1-54                 (9)  the provision of child-care services to a person
1-55     participating in a community service program; and
1-56                 (10)  another activity described by Section 31.0125,
1-57     31.0126, or 31.0135, Human Resources Code.
1-58           (d)  The commission shall permit a person younger than 20
1-59     years of age to comply with Section 31.012, Human Resources Code,
1-60     through participating solely in full-time educational activities
1-61     authorized by Subsection (c)(7) for an unlimited amount of time.
1-62           (e)  The commission, the Texas Department of Human Services,
1-63     and the local workforce development boards shall perform agency and
1-64     board duties related to requiring compliance with the work or
 2-1     employment activities requirements imposed by Section 31.012, Human
 2-2     Resources Code, in the least intrusive manner possible.
 2-3           SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act a
 2-4     state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
 2-5     federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
 2-6     the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
 2-7     authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
 2-8     waiver or authorization is granted.
 2-9           SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001, and
2-10     applies to a person receiving financial assistance under Chapter
2-11     31, Human Resources Code, on or after that date, regardless of the
2-12     date on which eligibility for financial assistance was determined.
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