1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to monitoring by the Texas Workforce Commission of the 1-3 long-term employment history of certain former recipients of public 1-4 assistance. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 302, Labor Code, is amended 1-7 by adding Section 302.009 to read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 302.009. MONITORING OF EMPLOYMENT HISTORY OF CERTAIN 1-9 FORMER RECIPIENTS OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE. (a) The division shall 1-10 develop and implement a system to monitor the long-term employment 1-11 history of persons who are former recipients of assistance under 1-12 employment programs operated by the division under: 1-13 (1) Chapter 31, Human Resources Code; and 1-14 (2) 7 U.S.C. Section 2015(d). 1-15 (b) In designing the system, the division shall cooperate 1-16 with the Texas Department of Human Services. 1-17 (c) For each former recipient of assistance, the system must 1-18 be designed to: 1-19 (1) establish a baseline earnings measure based on the 1-20 recipient's earnings on leaving the employment program; 1-21 (2) track the wage and employment outcomes of the 1-22 recipient for a period of up to but not more than three years; 1-23 (3) provide, to the extent possible, information 1-24 regarding the recipient's household composition and earnings; 2-1 (4) provide, to the extent possible, information 2-2 regarding additional training or education received by the 2-3 recipient; 2-4 (5) compute: 2-5 (A) the recipient's individual earnings as a 2-6 percentage of the federal poverty level; and 2-7 (B) if data is available, the recipient's 2-8 household earnings as a percentage of the federal poverty level; 2-9 and 2-10 (C) if data is available, the recipient's income 2-11 as a percentage of the federal poverty level adjusted for the total 2-12 value of any public assistance utilized by the recipient's 2-13 household, including, but not limited to, medical assistance, food 2-14 stamps, child care, transportation assistance, the federal earned 2-15 income tax credit, and job training activities; and 2-16 (6) compare the recipient's individual earnings to a 2-17 self-sufficiency standard similar to that required under 20 C.F.R. 2-18 Section 663.230. 2-19 (d) The commission shall report to the legislature not later 2-20 than January 1 of each odd-numbered year regarding the information 2-21 obtained from the system developed under Subsection (a). The 2-22 report required under this subsection may be made separately or as 2-23 a part of any other required report submitted to the legislature by 2-24 the commission. 2-25 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 2-26 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 2-27 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 3-1 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 3-2 Act takes effect September 1, 2001. _______________________________ _______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.B. No. 1243 was passed by the House on April 24, 2001, by a non-record vote; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. No. 1243 on May 24, 2001, by a non-record vote. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.B. No. 1243 was passed by the Senate, with amendments, on May 23, 2001, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0, 1 present, not voting. _______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: __________________________ Date __________________________ Governor