BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1147 By: Gmez Trade, Workforce & Economic Development Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill's author has informed the committee that a significant number of employees in Texas lack essential workplace soft skills needed for businesses and organizations to run efficiently, including core competencies that are increasingly expected in today's job market, such as workplace ethics, etiquette, effective communication, leadership, organizational abilities, and time management. H.B. 1147 seeks to address this shortage in workplace soft skills in Texas by requiring the Texas Workforce Commission to create and oversee a six-week soft skills pilot program in Cameron County, through which participants receive a certificate for successful completion of the course. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Workforce Commission in SECTION 1 of this bill. ANALYSIS H.B. 1147 amends the Labor Code to require the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to establish and administer a pilot program in Cameron County under which TWC's division of workforce development does the following: offers a six-week training course on workplace soft skills, including workplace ethics and etiquette, effective communication, leadership, organizational skills, and time management; and awards a certificate of completion for a participant's successful completion of the training course. The bill requires TWC by rule to establish curriculum requirements for the pilot program and eligibility criteria for a person to participate in the pilot program. H.B. 1147 requires TWC, not later than December 1, 2026, to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program at enhancing the workplace soft skills and employment outcomes of participants and report the results of the evaluation to the legislature. The report must include TWC's recommendation on whether the pilot program should be continued on a statewide basis. The bill's provisions expire September 1, 2027. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 1147
By: Gmez
Trade, Workforce & Economic Development
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 1147
By: Gmez
Trade, Workforce & Economic Development
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill's author has informed the committee that a significant number of employees in Texas lack essential workplace soft skills needed for businesses and organizations to run efficiently, including core competencies that are increasingly expected in today's job market, such as workplace ethics, etiquette, effective communication, leadership, organizational abilities, and time management. H.B. 1147 seeks to address this shortage in workplace soft skills in Texas by requiring the Texas Workforce Commission to create and oversee a six-week soft skills pilot program in Cameron County, through which participants receive a certificate for successful completion of the course.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Workforce Commission in SECTION 1 of this bill.
ANALYSIS H.B. 1147 amends the Labor Code to require the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to establish and administer a pilot program in Cameron County under which TWC's division of workforce development does the following: offers a six-week training course on workplace soft skills, including workplace ethics and etiquette, effective communication, leadership, organizational skills, and time management; and awards a certificate of completion for a participant's successful completion of the training course. The bill requires TWC by rule to establish curriculum requirements for the pilot program and eligibility criteria for a person to participate in the pilot program. H.B. 1147 requires TWC, not later than December 1, 2026, to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program at enhancing the workplace soft skills and employment outcomes of participants and report the results of the evaluation to the legislature. The report must include TWC's recommendation on whether the pilot program should be continued on a statewide basis. The bill's provisions expire September 1, 2027.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The bill's author has informed the committee that a significant number of employees in Texas lack essential workplace soft skills needed for businesses and organizations to run efficiently, including core competencies that are increasingly expected in today's job market, such as workplace ethics, etiquette, effective communication, leadership, organizational abilities, and time management. H.B. 1147 seeks to address this shortage in workplace soft skills in Texas by requiring the Texas Workforce Commission to create and oversee a six-week soft skills pilot program in Cameron County, through which participants receive a certificate for successful completion of the course.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Workforce Commission in SECTION 1 of this bill.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 1147 amends the Labor Code to require the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to establish and administer a pilot program in Cameron County under which TWC's division of workforce development does the following:
offers a six-week training course on workplace soft skills, including workplace ethics and etiquette, effective communication, leadership, organizational skills, and time management; and
awards a certificate of completion for a participant's successful completion of the training course.
The bill requires TWC by rule to establish curriculum requirements for the pilot program and eligibility criteria for a person to participate in the pilot program.
H.B. 1147 requires TWC, not later than December 1, 2026, to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program at enhancing the workplace soft skills and employment outcomes of participants and report the results of the evaluation to the legislature. The report must include TWC's recommendation on whether the pilot program should be continued on a statewide basis. The bill's provisions expire September 1, 2027.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2025.