| 3 | 5 | | |
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| 4 | 6 | | |
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| 5 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 9 | | relating to the establishment of a skilled labor task force by |
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| 8 | 10 | | certain local workforce development boards. |
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| 9 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 2308, Government Code, is |
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| 11 | 13 | | amended by adding Section 2308.321 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 14 | | Sec. 2308.321. ESTABLISHMENT OF SKILLED LABOR TASK FORCE BY |
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| 13 | 15 | | CERTAIN BOARDS. (a) This section applies only to a board |
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| 14 | 16 | | established in a county with a population of 400,000 or more that |
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| 15 | 17 | | borders the Gulf of Mexico. |
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| 16 | 18 | | (b) A board to which this section applies shall establish a |
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| 17 | 19 | | skilled labor task force consisting of 17 members from the board's |
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| 18 | 20 | | local workforce development area appointed by the board as follows: |
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| 19 | 21 | | (1) three members who are local government officials; |
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| 20 | 22 | | (2) three members representing public postsecondary |
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| 21 | 23 | | education and vocational education; |
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| 22 | 24 | | (3) one member representing a public school district; |
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| 23 | 25 | | (4) one member representing the district attorney's |
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| 24 | 26 | | office; |
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| 25 | 27 | | (5) five members who are local business leaders with |
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| 26 | 28 | | expertise regarding the local labor market; |
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| 27 | 29 | | (6) two members representing the public; and |
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| 28 | 30 | | (7) two ex officio nonvoting members who are members |
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| 29 | 31 | | of the legislature: |
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| 30 | 32 | | (A) one of whom is appointed by the lieutenant |
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| 31 | 33 | | governor; and |
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| 32 | 34 | | (B) one of whom is appointed by the speaker of the |
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| 33 | 35 | | house of representatives. |
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| 34 | 36 | | (c) A person may not serve on the board and skilled labor |
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| 35 | 37 | | task force concurrently. |
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| 36 | 38 | | (d) A board to which this section applies shall appoint a |
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| 37 | 39 | | member of the skilled labor task force to serve as the task force's |
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| 38 | 40 | | presiding officer. |
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| 39 | 41 | | (e) A skilled labor task force established under this |
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| 40 | 42 | | section shall study and develop recommendations for the legislature |
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| 41 | 43 | | and board regarding strategies for: |
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| 42 | 44 | | (1) improving the delivery of workforce education and |
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| 43 | 45 | | workforce training and services in the board's local workforce |
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| 44 | 46 | | development area; |
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| 45 | 47 | | (2) addressing current and future skills gaps in the |
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| 46 | 48 | | area; |
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| 47 | 49 | | (3) assisting at-risk teenagers and young adults in |
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| 48 | 50 | | preparing for career employment; and |
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| 49 | 51 | | (4) ensuring the area has a sufficiently trained |
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| 50 | 52 | | workforce to meet local industry needs. |
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| 51 | 53 | | (f) A skilled labor task force member is not entitled to |
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| 52 | 54 | | compensation or reimbursement for expenses. |
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| 53 | 55 | | (g) A board to which this section applies shall provide |
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| 54 | 56 | | administrative support to the board's skilled labor task force as |
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| 55 | 57 | | necessary to assist the task force in conducting meetings and |
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| 56 | 58 | | preparing reports required by this section. |
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| 57 | 59 | | (h) A skilled labor task force established under this |
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| 58 | 60 | | section shall meet not later than the 30th day after the date the |
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| 59 | 61 | | last initial appointment to the task force is made. The task force |
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| 60 | 62 | | shall meet at least quarterly as necessary at the call of the |
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| 61 | 63 | | presiding officer and may communicate regularly with the board to |
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| 62 | 64 | | provide information and make recommendations outside the task |
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| 63 | 65 | | force's biennial report under Subsection (i). |
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| 64 | 66 | | (i) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, a |
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| 65 | 67 | | skilled labor task force established under this section shall |
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| 66 | 68 | | submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the |
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| 67 | 69 | | house of representatives, and the board a written report of the task |
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| 68 | 70 | | force's findings and recommendations for legislative or board |
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| 69 | 71 | | action. |
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| 70 | 72 | | (j) A skilled labor task force established under this |
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| 71 | 73 | | section is abolished and this section expires September 1, 2029. |
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| 72 | 74 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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