| TO: | Honorable David Dewhurst , Lieutenant Governor, Senate Honorable Tom Craddick, Speaker of the House, House of Representatives |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB2604 by Guillen (Relating to state-funded job training or employment assistance programs, services, and preferences available to veterans.), Conference Committee Report |
The bill would amend the Labor Code to provide to veterans a preference in job training or employment assistance programs and services if the veteran qualifies under Section 657.002(a) of the Government Code and if the veteran meets any minimum eligibility requirements to participate or enroll in the program or receive the service.
The bill also would amend the Government and Labor Codes to provide for the transfer of the employment program to enhance the employment opportunities of veterans of the armed forces funded under Chapters 41 and 42, Title 38, United States Code from the Texas Workforce Commission to the Texas Veterans Commission. The employment program includes 192.1 full-time-equivalent positions and federal funding estimated to be $13,244,362 in fiscal year 2006 and $12,381,545 in fiscal year 2007. The federal funding includes costs associated with travel, office space, equipment, capital expenditures, personnel, and grants to 28 Local Workforce Boards for operations.
The provisions of the bill would require the Texas Workforce Commission and the Texas Veterans Commission to establish a transition team to transfer the veterans employment programs from the Texas Workforce Commission to the Texas Veterans Commission and to enter into a memorandum of understanding regarding the transfer.
| Source Agencies: | 320 Texas Workforce Commission, 403 Veterans Commission
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, KJG, MS, NR
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