Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB455 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

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1	1	By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 455
2	2	(Minjarez)
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the operations of the Employment-First Task Force.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Sections 531.02448(b), (f), (g), and (j),
10	10	Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
11	11	(b) If the executive commissioner establishes a task force
12	12	for the purposes described by Subsection (a), the executive
13	13	commissioner shall determine the number of members on the task
14	14	force. The executive commissioner shall appoint at least the
15	15	following as members, subject to Subsection (e):
16	16	(1) an individual with a disability;
17	17	(2) a family member of an individual with a
18	18	disability;
19	19	(3) three representatives [a representative] of the
20	20	commission, one of whom represents the commission's behavioral
21	21	health services functions and one of whom represents the
22	22	commission's aging and disability services functions;
23	23	(4) [a representative of the Department of Assistive
24	24	and Rehabilitative Services;
25	25	[(5) a representative of the Department of State
26	26	Health Services;
27	27	[(6) a representative of the Department of Aging and
28	28	Disability Services;
29	29	[(7)] a representative of the Department of Family and
30	30	Protective Services;
31	31	(5) two representatives [(8) a representative] of
32	32	the Texas Workforce Commission, one of whom represents the Texas
33	33	Workforce Commission's assistive and rehabilitative services
34	34	functions;
35	35	(6) [(9)] a representative of the Texas Education
36	36	Agency;
37	37	(7) [(10)] an advocate for individuals with
38	38	disabilities;
39	39	(8) [(11)] a representative of a provider of
40	40	integrated and competitive employment services; and
41	41	(9) [(12)] an employer or a representative of an
42	42	employer in an industry in which individuals with disabilities
43	43	might be employed.
44	44	(f) A task force established under this section or an
45	45	existing committee or task force used for purposes of this section
46	46	shall:
47	47	(1) design an education and outreach process targeted
48	48	at working-age individuals with disabilities, including young
49	49	adults with disabilities, the families of those individuals, the
50	50	state agencies listed in Subsection (b), and service providers,
51	51	that is aimed at raising expectations of the success of individuals
52	52	with disabilities in integrated, individualized, and competitive
53	53	employment;
54	54	(2) develop recommendations for policy, procedure,
55	55	and rules changes that are necessary to allow the employment-first
56	56	policy described under Section 531.02447(b) to be fully implemented
57	57	and to provide guidance and assistance to a state agency in
58	58	implementing those changes;
59	59	(2-a) meet at least quarterly and at other times at the
60	60	call of the presiding officer; and
61	61	(3) not later than September 1 of each even-numbered
62	62	year, prepare and submit to the office of the governor, the
63	63	legislature, and the executive commissioner a report regarding the
64	64	task force's findings and recommendations, including:
65	65	(A) information that reflects the potential and
66	66	actual impact of the employment-first policy on the employment
67	67	outcomes for individuals with disabilities; and
68	68	(B) recommendations for improvement of
69	69	employment services and outcomes, including employment rates, for
70	70	individuals with disabilities based on the reported impact of an
71	71	employment-first policy under Paragraph (A) that may include:
72	72	(i) recommendations relating to using any
73	73	savings to the state resulting from the implementation of the
74	74	employment-first policy to further improve the services and
75	75	outcomes; and
76	76	(ii) recommendations developed under
77	77	Subdivision (2) regarding necessary policy, procedure, and rules
78	78	changes.
79	79	(g) A member of a task force established under this section
80	80	is not entitled to compensation. Members may be reimbursed for
81	81	expenses as follows:
82	82	(1) a member described by Subsection (b)(1) or (2) is
83	83	entitled to reimbursement for travel and other necessary expenses
84	84	as provided in the General Appropriations Act;
85	85	(2) a member appointed as a representative of a state
86	86	agency is eligible for reimbursement for travel and other necessary
87	87	expenses according to the applicable agency's policies; and
88	88	(3) a member described by Subsection (b)(7) [(b)(10)],
89	89	(8) [(11)], or (9) [(12)] is entitled to reimbursement for travel
90	90	and other necessary expenses to be paid equally out of available
91	91	money appropriated to the commission and to health and human
92	92	services agencies.
93	93	(j) A task force established under this section is abolished
94	94	and this [This] section expires September 1, 2021 [2017].
95	95	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect August 31, 2017.