77R11981 KLA-D                           
         By Homer                                              H.B. No. 2503
         Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2503:
         By Solis                                          C.S.H.B. No. 2503
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to a career development center's assessment of the job
 1-3     skills of certain persons.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 2308, Government Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Section 2308.3123 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 2308.3123.  JOB SKILLS ASSESSMENT TEST. (a)  In this
 1-8     section, "targeted recipient of public assistance" means a
 1-9     recipient of public assistance whom a career development center in
1-10     a local workforce development area identifies as requiring a
1-11     general skills assessment before the center selects an appropriate
1-12     employment option or a specific employment position for the
1-13     recipient.
1-14           (b)  Each career development center in a local workforce
1-15     development area shall administer a job skills assessment test to a
1-16     targeted recipient of public assistance to assess the recipient's
1-17     job skills before referring the recipient to an employer for an
1-18     interview or job placement.  The center may administer a job skills
1-19     assessment test to another person on request.
1-20           (c)  A career development center shall use the WorkKeys
1-21     assessment test developed by the American College Testing program
1-22     or another equivalent assessment test to assess a person's job
1-23     skills.  A center that uses the WorkKeys assessment test shall
1-24     become licensed as a  WorkKeys service center or contract with a
 2-1     licensed WorkKeys service center to administer the test.
 2-2           (d)  A local workforce development board may apply for,
 2-3     receive, and use state and federal funds to administer job skills
 2-4     assessment tests through career development centers in the local
 2-5     workforce development area.  If those funds are insufficient to pay
 2-6     the cost of the assessment tests, a career development center may
 2-7     charge a fee to an employer to whom the center refers a person for
 2-8     an interview or job placement for administering the test.
 2-9           (e)  A local workforce development board may collect data
2-10     from the job skills assessment tests to determine the effectiveness
2-11     of providers of workforce training and services.
2-12           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.