By Homer                                              H.B. No. 2503
         77R2359 KLA-D                           
                                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)  Each career
 1-8     development center in a local workforce development area shall
 1-9     administer a job skills assessment test to a recipient of public
1-10     assistance to assess the recipient's job skills before referring
1-11     the recipient to an employer for an interview or job placement.
1-12     The center may administer a job skills assessment test to another
1-13     person on request.
1-14           (b)  A career development center shall use the WorkKeys
1-15     assessment test developed by the American College Testing program
1-16     or another equivalent assessment test to assess a person's job
1-17     skills.  A center that uses the WorkKeys assessment test shall
1-18     become licensed as a  WorkKeys service center or contract with a
1-19     licensed WorkKeys service center to administer the test.
1-20           (c)  A local workforce development board may apply for,
1-21     receive, and use state and federal funds to administer job skills
1-22     assessment tests through career development centers in the local
1-23     workforce development area.  If those funds are insufficient to pay
1-24     the cost of the assessment tests, a career development center may
 2-1     charge a fee to an employer to whom the center refers a person for
 2-2     an interview or job placement for administering the test.
 2-3           (d)  A local workforce development board may collect data
 2-4     from the job skills assessment tests to determine the effectiveness
 2-5     of providers of workforce training and services.
 2-6           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.