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. 1-43 * * * * *