1-1     By:  Homer (Senate Sponsor - Lucio)                   H.B. No. 2503
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 4, 2001;
 1-3     May 7, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Business
 1-4     and Commerce; May 11, 2001, reported favorably by the following
 1-5     vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 11, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to a career development center's assessment of the job
 1-9     skills of certain persons.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 2308, Government Code, is
1-12     amended by adding Section 2308.3123 to read as follows:
1-13           Sec. 2308.3123.  JOB SKILLS ASSESSMENT TEST. (a)  In this
1-14     section, "targeted recipient of public assistance" means a
1-15     recipient of public assistance whom a career development center in
1-16     a local workforce development area identifies as requiring a
1-17     general skills assessment before the center selects an appropriate
1-18     employment option or a specific employment position for the
1-19     recipient.
1-20           (b)  Each career development center in a local workforce
1-21     development area shall administer a job skills assessment test to a
1-22     targeted recipient of public assistance to assess the recipient's
1-23     job skills before referring the recipient to an employer for an
1-24     interview or job placement.  The center may administer a job skills
1-25     assessment test to another person on request.
1-26           (c)  The local workforce development boards shall ensure that
1-27     any assessment tests utilized shall be used as counseling tools.
1-28     Because a single assessment test provides only partial information
1-29     about future job performance, the centers shall also examine the
1-30     profile of the targeted recipient of public assistance in
1-31     determining the appropriate referral and job placement.  Each local
1-32     workforce development board shall ensure that the assessment tools
1-33     utilized result in no adverse impact for the individual being
1-34     tested.
1-35           (d)  A local workforce development board may apply for,
1-36     receive, and use state and federal funds to administer job skills
1-37     assessment tests through career development centers in the local
1-38     workforce development area.
1-39           (e)  A local workforce development board may collect data
1-40     from the job skills assessment tests to determine the effectiveness
1-41     of providers of workforce training and services.
1-42           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
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