Highlights 77th Texas Legislature - Senate

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WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
77 th Texas Legislature
Providing for Hardship Exemptions from Federal Welfare Regulations - S.B. 45
by Senator Zaffirini
House Sponsor: Representative Naishtat
Requires the Texas Department of Human Services, Texas Workforce Commission, and Health and
Human Services Commission to jointly adopt rules prescribing circumstances that constitute a hardship for
purposes of exempting a recipient of financial assistance from the application of time limits imposed by
federal law on the receipt of benefits.
Requires the rules to include a broad range of circumstances that reasonably prevent recipients of financial
assistance from becoming self-supporting before expiration of the period specified by federal law.
Provides that if a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a federal agency is necessary
to implement of this Act, the agency must request the waiver or authorization and may delay implementing
until it is granted.
Transitional Support Services to Former Recipients of TANF Benefits - S.B. 161
by Senators Zaffirini and Lucio
House Sponsor: Representative Naishtat
Authorizes DHS and the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), subject to the availability of funds, to
provide transitional support services to a person who was receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy
Families (TANF) benefits but is no longer eligible to receive the assistance because the person's household
income has increased or the person has exhausted time-limited benefits. Such support services include
transportation assistance, emergency assistance, job coaches, education, housing-related assistance,
assistance in accessing child-care services, and other appropriate services.
Texas Workforce and Economic Competitiveness Funding - S.B. 429
by Senator Lucio
House Sponsor: Representative Solis
Although state law requires that the five Texas Workforce and Economic Competitiveness (TCWEC)
council agencies fund their activities proportionately, only three are complying.
Authorizes the establishment of a proportional funding formula.
Establishes two performance measures as part of the state’s performance-based budgeting and
accountability system for agencies with work force programs.
Authorizes the council to develop a new measure only if a gap in accountability or determination from at
least one state agency administering a workforce program cannot comply with certain measures before
September 1, 2001.
Senate Research Center 319