By Villarreal                                         H.B. No. 1243
         77R5462 PB-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 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 at least 12 months after leaving the employment
1-23     program, but not for more than five years;
1-24                 (3)  provide, to the extent possible, information
 2-1     regarding the recipient's household earnings;
 2-2                 (4)  provide information about the recipient's wage and
 2-3     employment changes over time;
 2-4                 (5)  provide information regarding additional training
 2-5     or education received by the recipient;
 2-6                 (6)  compute the recipient's individual and household
 2-7     earnings as a percentage of the federal poverty level; and
 2-8                 (7)  compare the recipient's individual and household
 2-9     earnings to a self-sufficiency standard similar to that required
2-10     under 20 C.F.R. Section 663.230.
2-11           (d)  The commission shall report to the legislature not later
2-12     than March 1 of each odd-numbered year regarding the information
2-13     obtained from the system developed under Subsection (a).  The
2-14     report required under this subsection may be made separately or as
2-15     a part of any other required report submitted to the legislature by
2-16     the commission.
2-17           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
2-18     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
2-19     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
2-20     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
2-21     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.