1-1 By: Naishtat (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini) H.B. No. 1004 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 3, 2001; 1-3 May 4, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Health 1-4 and Human Services; May 8, 2001, reported adversely, with favorable 1-5 Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; 1-6 May 8, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1004 By: Moncrief 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to the work or employment activities required under the 1-11 temporary assistance for needy families program. 1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-13 SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 301, Labor Code, is amended 1-14 by adding Section 301.0675 to read as follows: 1-15 Sec. 301.0675. WORK OR EMPLOYMENT ACTIVITIES FOR RECIPIENTS 1-16 OF TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES. (a) The commission by 1-17 rule shall determine the work or employment activities in which a 1-18 person must participate to comply with Section 31.012, Human 1-19 Resources Code. 1-20 (b) In adopting rules under this section, the commission 1-21 shall provide for a broad array of permissible work or employment 1-22 activities designed to: 1-23 (1) assist a person in entering the workforce and 1-24 becoming self-supporting; 1-25 (2) address and remove barriers that prevent a person 1-26 from entering the workforce and becoming self-supporting; and 1-27 (3) exercise all flexibility in permissible work or 1-28 employment activities authorized by federal law. 1-29 (c) The rules must provide for at least the following 1-30 permissible work or employment activities within federal limits: 1-31 (1) unsubsidized employment; 1-32 (2) subsidized private or public sector employment; 1-33 (3) work experience, including work associated with 1-34 the refurbishing of publicly assisted housing; 1-35 (4) on-the-job training; 1-36 (5) job search and job readiness assistance, including 1-37 activities designed to address and remove barriers to employment, 1-38 such as counseling and other services relating to mental health, 1-39 substance abuse, or family violence; 1-40 (6) participation in a community service program, 1-41 including the VISTA program; 1-42 (7) participation in educational activities, 1-43 including: 1-44 (A) attendance in an elementary, secondary, 1-45 postsecondary, vocational, or technical school; 1-46 (B) attendance in a program leading to a high 1-47 school equivalency certificate; 1-48 (C) attendance in an adult education or literacy 1-49 program; and 1-50 (D) receipt of instruction in English as a 1-51 second language; 1-52 (8) training in job skills that are directly related 1-53 to employment; 1-54 (9) the provision of child-care services to a person 1-55 participating in a community service program; and 1-56 (10) another activity described by Section 31.0125, 1-57 31.0126, or 31.0135, Human Resources Code. 1-58 (d) The commission shall permit a person younger than 20 1-59 years of age to comply with Section 31.012, Human Resources Code, 1-60 through participating solely in full-time educational activities 1-61 authorized by Subsection (c)(7) for an unlimited amount of time. 1-62 (e) The commission, the Texas Department of Human Services, 1-63 and the local workforce development boards shall perform agency and 1-64 board duties related to requiring compliance with the work or 2-1 employment activities requirements imposed by Section 31.012, Human 2-2 Resources Code, in the least intrusive manner possible. 2-3 SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act a 2-4 state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a 2-5 federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, 2-6 the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or 2-7 authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the 2-8 waiver or authorization is granted. 2-9 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001, and 2-10 applies to a person receiving financial assistance under Chapter 2-11 31, Human Resources Code, on or after that date, regardless of the 2-12 date on which eligibility for financial assistance was determined. 2-13 * * * * *