HBA-TBM H.B. 1175 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1175 By: Raymond Human Services 3/18/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Domestic violence harms families and households, and may also have an adverse effect on the victim's ability to find or keep employment. A financial assistance recipient (recipient) who is being victimized at home may not be able to successfully enter the workforce. House Bill 1175 requires a financial assistance counselor to receive four hours of domestic violence training and to determine if domestic violence is preventing a recipient from entering the workforce. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 1175 amends the Human Resources Code to require the Texas Department of Human Services (DHS), the Texas Workforce Commission, the office of the attorney general, and each local workforce development board to provide not less than four hours of training regarding family violence to employees whose duties relate to waivers for financial assistance requirements for victims of family violence or who assess employment readiness or provide employment services to a recipient of financial assistance. The bill prescribes that the training must include information relating to the potential impact of family violence on the safety of an individual seeking or receiving financial assistance and the ability of victims of family violence to enter the work force and attain financial independence. Before the application of a sanction or penalty based on the failure to cooperate with DHS or the office of the attorney general or to comply with the work or training requirements, the bill requires an employee who has received the family violence training to determine whether family violence contributed to the recipient's failure and, if so, to identify the types of services necessary to assist the individual in safely and successfully entering the workforce. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.