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