By: Lucio S.B. No. 429
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the funding and administration of certain activities of
1-3 the Council on Workforce and Economic Competitiveness.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subsection (b), Section 2308.065, Government
1-6 Code, is amended to read as follows:
1-7 (b) A state agency represented on the council shall provide
1-8 funds for the support of the council in proportion to the agency's
1-9 financial participation in the workforce development system. The
1-10 council, with the governor's approval, shall establish a funding
1-11 formula to determine the level of support each agency must provide.
1-12 SECTION 2. Section 2308.101, Government Code, is amended to
1-13 read as follows:
1-14 Sec. 2308.101. GENERAL DUTIES. (a) The council shall:
1-15 (1) promote the development of a well-educated, highly
1-16 skilled workforce in this state;
1-17 (2) advocate the development of an integrated
1-18 workforce development system to provide quality services addressing
1-19 the needs of business and workers in this state;
1-20 (3) recommend to the governor the designation or
1-21 redesignation of workforce development areas for the local planning
1-22 and delivery of workforce development;
1-23 (4) identify and recommend to the governor incentives
1-24 to encourage the consolidation, on a regional labor market basis,
1-25 of:
2-1 (A) local boards, councils, and committees; and
2-2 (B) service delivery areas authorized under [the
2-3 Job Training Partnership Act (29 U.S.C. Section 1501 et seq.) or
2-4 other] federal workforce legislation;
2-5 (5) review plans for local workforce development and
2-6 make recommendations to the governor for approval;
2-7 (6) evaluate the effectiveness of the workforce
2-8 development system;
2-9 (7) use the administrative records of the state's
2-10 unemployment compensation program and other sources as appropriate
2-11 in evaluating the workforce development system;
2-12 (8) encourage, support, or develop research and
2-13 demonstration projects designed to develop new programs and
2-14 approaches to service delivery;
2-15 (9) recommend measures to ensure that occupational
2-16 skills training is:
2-17 (A) provided in occupations that are locally in
2-18 demand; and
2-19 (B) directed toward high-skill and high-wage
2-20 jobs;
2-21 (10) monitor the operation of the state's workforce
2-22 development system to assess the degree to which the system is
2-23 effective in achieving state and local goals and objectives;
2-24 (11) develop and recommend to the governor criteria
2-25 for the establishment of local workforce development boards;
2-26 (12) carry out the federal and state duties and
3-1 responsibilities of advisory councils under applicable federal and
3-2 state workforce development laws or regulations;
3-3 (13) report periodically to the governor and the
3-4 legislature; and
3-5 (14) provide annual reports to the governor and the
3-6 legislature, including an annual report analyzing work development
3-7 programs that focus on welfare to work initiatives.
3-8 (b) The council shall provide the information required to be
3-9 reported under Subsections (a)(13) and (14) and Section 2308.104(a)
3-10 to the Texas Workforce Commission. The Texas Workforce Commission
3-11 shall include information provided under this subsection that
3-12 relates to the administration and operation of the state's
3-13 workforce development system with other information the commission
3-14 provides to the public on the Internet.
3-15 SECTION 3. Section 2308.104, Government Code, is amended to
3-16 read as follows:
3-17 Sec. 2308.104. STRATEGIC PLAN. (a) The council shall
3-18 develop and recommend to the governor and report to the legislature
3-19 a single strategic plan that establishes the framework for the
3-20 budgeting and operation of the workforce development system,
3-21 including school to careers and welfare to work components,
3-22 administered by agencies represented on the council. The council
3-23 shall annually report to the governor and the legislature on the
3-24 implementation of the strategic plan.
3-25 (b) The council shall engage in strategic planning by
3-26 selecting or developing two types of performance measures as
4-1 described by Subsections (c) and (d). To the fullest extent
4-2 possible, all measures must be selected from those already
4-3 developed and approved before September 1, 2001, by one or more
4-4 state agencies that administer workforce programs. The council may
4-5 develop a new measure only if the council:
4-6 (1) identifies a gap in accountability; or
4-7 (2) determines that at least one state agency
4-8 administering a workforce program cannot report under the measures
4-9 developed and approved before September 1, 2001.
4-10 (c) The first type of performance measure consists of formal
4-11 measures identifying outcomes that are essentially consistent
4-12 across all workforce programs. Job placement rates, job retention
4-13 rates, and wage rates may be included among those measures. The
4-14 council may develop or select not more than five formal measures.
4-15 The council shall develop or select each formal measure in
4-16 consultation with the state agencies required to report under this
4-17 subsection. Once approved by the governor and the Legislative
4-18 Budget Board, a formal measure becomes part of the state's
4-19 performance budget and accounting system and applies to each state
4-20 agency that administers a workforce program.
4-21 (d) The second type of performance measure consists of less
4-22 formal measures to provide information determined by the council to
4-23 be essential in development of the strategic plan under this
4-24 section. Employer participation rates, customer satisfaction
4-25 levels, and educational attainment may be included among those
4-26 measures. The council shall develop or select each less formal
5-1 measure with the approval of the governor and in consultation with
5-2 the state agencies required to report under this subsection. The
5-3 Legislative Budget Board shall provide technical assistance to the
5-4 council to ensure that the measures and associated reporting
5-5 criteria are consistent with the state's performance budget and
5-6 accounting system. The council may exempt a state agency that
5-7 administers a workforce program from any requirement to use a less
5-8 formal measure.
5-9 (e) In addition to the other requirements of this chapter,
5-10 the strategic plan recommended by the council must recognize and
5-11 address literacy and basic education as activities that are
5-12 critical to the well-being of individuals and the state without
5-13 regard to whether the training and education is directed at
5-14 preparing an individual for employment.
5-15 (f) [(c)] The council shall include in the strategic plan
5-16 goals, objectives, and performance measures for the workforce
5-17 development system that involve programs of all state agencies that
5-18 administer workforce programs [are represented on the council].
5-19 (g) [(d)] On approval of the plan by the governor, an agency
5-20 administering a workforce program [represented on the council]
5-21 shall use the strategic plan to develop the agency's operational
5-22 plan.
5-23 SECTION 4. Section 2308.151, Government Code, is amended by
5-24 adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
5-25 (c) The council shall establish, with the approval of the
5-26 governor, a funding formula to determine the level of support each
6-1 agency administering a workforce program must provide to operate
6-2 the automated follow-up and evaluation system required by this
6-3 section.
6-4 SECTION 5. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
6-5 (b) The Council on Workforce and Economic Competitiveness
6-6 and the Legislative Budget Board shall complete the development,
6-7 review, and approval, as appropriate, of the performance measures
6-8 required by Section 2308.104, Government Code, as amended by this
6-9 Act, on or before September 1, 2002.