By Raymond, Naishtat H.B. No. 1175
77R10165 KKA-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to minimum training regarding family violence for certain
1-3 state employees and other persons administering the financial
1-4 assistance program and to identification of and services for
1-5 certain victims of family violence.
1-6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-7 SECTION 1. Section 31.0322, Human Resources Code, is amended
1-8 by amending Subsection (e) and adding Subsections (f), (g), and (h)
1-9 to read as follows:
1-10 (e) The department, the Texas Workforce Commission, the
1-11 Title IV-D agency, and each local workforce development board,
1-12 using existing resources, shall provide not less than four hours of
1-13 training regarding family violence to each employee or other person
1-14 who on behalf of the department, commission, agency, or board:
1-15 (1) provides information relating to requirements
1-16 described by Subsection (a) and the availability of waivers or
1-17 modifications of those requirements to an individual seeking or
1-18 receiving financial assistance;
1-19 (2) recommends or grants waivers or modifications
1-20 authorized by this section of requirements described by Subsection
1-21 (a);
1-22 (3) recommends or imposes sanctions for noncooperation
1-23 or noncompliance with requirements described by Subsection (a); or
1-24 (4) assesses employment readiness or provides
2-1 employment planning or employment retention services to an
2-2 individual receiving financial assistance.
2-3 (f) The training required by Subsection (e) must:
2-4 (1) be developed in collaboration with at least one
2-5 organization with expertise in family violence issues; and
2-6 (2) include information relating to:
2-7 (A) the potential impact of family violence on:
2-8 (i) the safety of an individual seeking or
2-9 receiving financial assistance; and
2-10 (ii) the ability of that individual to
2-11 make a successful transition into the workforce;
2-12 (B) state laws and agency rules regarding
2-13 options available to an individual receiving financial assistance
2-14 for whom family violence poses a danger or impediment to attaining
2-15 financial independence; and
2-16 (C) statewide and local resources available from
2-17 state and local governmental agencies and other entities that could
2-18 assist a victim of family violence in safely and successfully
2-19 entering the workforce.
2-20 (g) Before the application of a sanction or penalty based on
2-21 an individual's failure to cooperate with the department or Title
2-22 IV-D agency, as required by Section 31.0031(d)(1), or failure to
2-23 comply with the work or participation requirements imposed by
2-24 Section 31.012, the agency recommending or applying the sanction or
2-25 penalty must make reasonable attempts to contact the individual to
2-26 determine the cause of the failure to cooperate or comply. If the
2-27 agency determines that family violence contributed to the failure,
3-1 the agency shall ensure that a person trained in family violence
3-2 issues in accordance with Subsection (e) interviews the individual
3-3 to identify the types of services necessary to assist the
3-4 individual in safely and successfully entering the workforce.
3-5 (h) In this section:
3-6 (1) "Family violence" has the meaning assigned by
3-7 Section 71.004, Family Code.
3-8 (2) "Title IV-D agency" has the meaning assigned by
3-9 Section 101.033, Family Code.
3-10 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.