1-1 By: Raymond, Naishtat (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini) H.B. No. 1175 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 23, 2001; 1-3 April 24, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Health 1-4 and Human Services; May 1, 2001, reported favorably by the 1-5 following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 1; May 1, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to minimum training regarding family violence for certain 1-9 state employees and other persons administering the financial 1-10 assistance program and to identification of and services for 1-11 certain victims of family violence. 1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-13 SECTION 1. Section 31.0322, Human Resources Code, is amended 1-14 by amending Subsection (e) and adding Subsections (f), (g), and (h) 1-15 to read as follows: 1-16 (e) The department, the Texas Workforce Commission, the 1-17 Title IV-D agency, and each local workforce development board, 1-18 using existing resources, shall provide not less than four hours of 1-19 training regarding family violence to each employee or other person 1-20 who on behalf of the department, commission, agency, or board: 1-21 (1) provides information relating to requirements 1-22 described by Subsection (a) and the availability of waivers or 1-23 modifications of those requirements to an individual seeking or 1-24 receiving financial assistance; 1-25 (2) recommends or grants waivers or modifications 1-26 authorized by this section of requirements described by Subsection 1-27 (a); 1-28 (3) recommends or imposes sanctions for noncooperation 1-29 or noncompliance with requirements described by Subsection (a); or 1-30 (4) assesses employment readiness or provides 1-31 employment planning or employment retention services to an 1-32 individual receiving financial assistance. 1-33 (f) The training required by Subsection (e) must: 1-34 (1) be developed in collaboration with at least one 1-35 organization with expertise in family violence issues; and 1-36 (2) include information relating to: 1-37 (A) the potential impact of family violence on: 1-38 (i) the safety of an individual seeking or 1-39 receiving financial assistance; and 1-40 (ii) the ability of that individual to 1-41 make a successful transition into the workforce; 1-42 (B) state laws and agency rules regarding 1-43 options available to an individual receiving financial assistance 1-44 for whom family violence poses a danger or impediment to attaining 1-45 financial independence; and 1-46 (C) statewide and local resources available from 1-47 state and local governmental agencies and other entities that could 1-48 assist a victim of family violence in safely and successfully 1-49 entering the workforce. 1-50 (g) Before the application of a sanction or penalty based on 1-51 an individual's failure to cooperate with the department or Title 1-52 IV-D agency, as required by Section 31.0031(d)(1), or failure to 1-53 comply with the work or participation requirements imposed by 1-54 Section 31.012, the agency recommending or applying the sanction or 1-55 penalty must make reasonable attempts to contact the individual to 1-56 determine the cause of the failure to cooperate or comply. If the 1-57 agency determines that family violence contributed to the failure, 1-58 the agency shall ensure that a person trained in family violence 1-59 issues in accordance with Subsection (e) interviews the individual 1-60 to identify the types of services necessary to assist the 1-61 individual in safely and successfully entering the workforce. 1-62 (h) In this section: 1-63 (1) "Family violence" has the meaning assigned by 1-64 Section 71.004, Family Code. 2-1 (2) "Title IV-D agency" has the meaning assigned by 2-2 Section 101.033, Family Code. 2-3 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 2-4 * * * * *