HBA-TBM, MPM H.B. 477 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 477
By: Naishtat
Human Services
7/16/2001
Enrolled



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The Texas Department of Human Services indicated that its financial
assistance caseloads declined from 255,294 as of August 1995 to 119,350 as
of August 2000.  This reduction can be attributed to state and federal laws
that made welfare a time-limited benefit with work requirements.  The
clients who were more successful at transitioning into the workplace are
primarily those who needed minimal services. The remaining client
population includes those whose inadequate skills and personal hardships
inhibit success in the workplace.   This segment of the population requires
more intensive case management and workforce services to become
self-sufficient.  House Bill 477 requires the Texas Department of Human
Services and the Texas Workforce Commission to develop an interagency plan
to identify clients with higher levels of barriers to employment and
provide them with coordinated services to address the barriers and
transition into the workplace. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the Texas Department of Human Services
and the Texas Workforce Commission in SECTION 1 (Section 31.0128, Human
Resources Code) of this bill. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 477 amends the Human Resources Code to require the Texas
Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)
to jointly develop and adopt a memorandum of understanding, subject to the
approval of the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to establish
guidelines for a coordinated interagency case management plan to: 

 _identify each recipient of financial aid who has higher levels of
barriers to employment compared to other recipients; and 

 _provide coordinated services addressing the barriers to assist the
recipient in finding and retaining employment. 

DHS and TWC are also required to jointly develop and adopt an additional
memorandum of understanding, subject to the approval of HHSC, that
establishes a plan consistent with these guidelines using existing
resources and by rule implement it to the maximum extent possible no later
than January 1, 2002 through local DHS and TWC offices in local workforce
development areas where a local workforce board is not established. 

In a local workforce development area where no local workforce development
board is established, the bill requires TWC to require in its contract with
DHS that DHS, in cooperation with local department offices, develop and
implement the plan. 

DHS and TWC are required, by rule, to adopt both memoranda of understanding
and all revisions no later than January 1, 2002. 
 
Not later than December 1, 2002, DHS and TWC are required to jointly
prepare and submit to the legislature a report regarding any changes in the
law necessary to implement the interagency case management plan.   

EFFECTIVE DATE

May 22, 2001.