BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 1714
By: Van de Putte
Veteran Affairs & Military Installations
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
The federal government, under Chapters 41 and 42, Title 38, United States Code, through the Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Services, funds the disabled veteran outreach program and local veteran's employment representative (DVOP/LVER) programs. The Texas DVOP/LVER programs are administered by the Texas Workforce Commission (commission).
Currently, DVOP/LVER staffers are state employees working at each local workforce development board. Current Texas statute specifies that block grant funding for local workforce development areas is not applicable for veteran employment programs. However, some people have attempted to bring the federal DVOP/LVER program staff under block grants in order to privatize the programs. Under the block grant programs, private contractors administer the local boards.
Privatizing the DVOP/LVER programs would allow the local boards to de-prioritize these important veterans programs. These programs were specifically exempted from block grant funding, at both the federal and state level, because the state needs to maintain its high prioritization of veterans.
As proposed, S.B. 1714 bolsters the original intent of the law by more specifically requiring that the DVOP/LVER programs be operated, rather than administered, by the commission, and that the staff of these programs be state employees and serve only veterans, as required by the terms of the federal grants.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 302.021, Labor Code, by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1), as follows:
(b) Deletes the requirement that the Texas Workforce Commission (commission) administer programs to enhance the employment opportunities for veterans of the armed services of the United States.
(b-1) Requires the commission, in addition to the programs consolidated under the authority of the commission under Subsection (a) and the programs and services administered by the commission under Subsection (b), to operate programs in this state, with services provided by state employees, that only enhance the employment opportunities of eligible veterans of the armed forces of the United States, including the employment program funded under Chapters 41 and 42, Title 38, United States Code.
SECTION 2. Amends, Section 302.062(g), Labor Code, to make a conforming change.
SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2005.