| TO: | Honorable Jane Nelson, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services |
| FROM: | Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB1226 by Zaffirini (Relating to the establishment of an employment-first policy and task force to promote competitive employment opportunities that provide a living wage for individuals with disabilities.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted |
The bill would amend Chapter 531 of the Government Code to require that the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) establish an interagency employment-first task force, or use an existing committee or task force, to promote competitive employment of individuals with disabilities. The task force would be required to prepare and submit a report to the governor and the legislature every other year regarding the task force's findings and recommendations. The bill would authorize the reimbursement of travel and related expenses for certain task force members. HHSC and the other health and human services agencies would be required to share responsibility for certain reimbursements and administrative support. The provisions of the bill would expire on September 1, 2017. The bill would take effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, otherwise the bill would take effect September 1, 2013.
HHSC assumes that an existing committee (Promoting Independence Advisory Committee) would be assigned to implement the provisions of the bill. The Department of Aging and Disability Services, the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, the Department of Family and Protective Services, the Department of State Health Services, HHSC, TEA, and TWC indicate that provisions of the bill could be implemented with existing resources.
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
School districts would be required to share information about education and training opportunities that aligned with employment-first policy; fiscal impact to school districts, if any, is not anticipated to be significant.
| Source Agencies: | 320 Texas Workforce Commission, 529 Health and Human Services Commission, 530 Family and Protective Services, Department of, 537 State Health Services, Department of, 538 Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, Department of, 539 Aging and Disability Services, Department of, 701 Central Education Agency
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| LBB Staff: | UP, CL, VJC, NB, KKR
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