By Zaffirini                                            S.B. No. 46
         77R501 KKA-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to minimum training regarding family violence for certain
 1-3     state employees and other persons administering the financial
 1-4     assistance program and to identification of and services for
 1-5     certain victims of family violence.
 1-6           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-7           SECTION 1. Section 31.0322, Human Resources Code, is amended
 1-8     by amending Subsection (e) and adding Subsections (f), (g), and (h)
 1-9     to read as follows:
1-10           (e)  The department, the Texas Workforce Commission, the
1-11     Title IV-D agency, and each local workforce development board shall
1-12     provide not less than four hours of training regarding family
1-13     violence to each employee or other person who on behalf of the
1-14     department, commission, agency, or board:
1-15                 (1)  provides information relating to requirements
1-16     described by Subsection (a) and the availability of waivers or
1-17     modifications of those requirements to an individual seeking or
1-18     receiving financial assistance;
1-19                 (2)  recommends or grants waivers or modifications
1-20     authorized by this section of requirements described by Subsection
1-21     (a);
1-22                 (3)  recommends or imposes sanctions for noncooperation
1-23     or noncompliance with requirements described by Subsection (a); or
1-24                 (4)  assesses employment readiness or provides
 2-1     employment planning or employment retention services to an
 2-2     individual receiving financial assistance.
 2-3           (f)  The training required by Subsection (e) must include
 2-4     information relating to:
 2-5                 (1)  the potential impact of family violence on:
 2-6                       (A)  the safety of an individual seeking or
 2-7     receiving financial assistance; and
 2-8                       (B)  the ability of that individual to make a
 2-9     successful transition into the workforce;
2-10                 (2)  state laws and agency rules regarding options
2-11     available to an individual receiving financial assistance for whom
2-12     family violence poses a danger or impediment to attaining financial
2-13     independence; and
2-14                 (3)  statewide and local resources available from state
2-15     and local governmental agencies and other entities that could
2-16     assist a victim of family violence in safely and successfully
2-17     entering the workforce.
2-18           (g)  Before the application of a sanction or penalty based on
2-19     an  individual's failure to cooperate with the department or Title
2-20     IV-D agency, as required by Section 31.0031(d)(1), or failure to
2-21     comply with the work or participation requirements imposed by
2-22     Section 31.012, a person who has received the training required by
2-23     Subsection (e) must interview the individual to:
2-24                 (1)  determine whether family violence contributed to
2-25     the failure; and
2-26                 (2)  if family violence contributed to the failure,
2-27     identify the types of services necessary to assist the individual
 3-1     in safely and successfully entering the workforce.
 3-2           (h)  In this section:
 3-3                 (1)  "Family violence" has the meaning assigned by
 3-4     Section 71.004, Family Code.
 3-5                 (2)  "Title IV-D agency" has the meaning assigned by
 3-6     Section 101.033, Family Code.
 3-7           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.