Sec. 2308.101. GENERAL DUTIES. (a) The council shall:

(1) promote the development of a well-educated, highly skilled workforce in this state;

(2) advocate the development of an integrated workforce development system to provide quality services addressing the needs of business and workers in this state;

(3) recommend to the governor the designation or redesignation of workforce development areas for the local planning and delivery of workforce development;

(4) identify and recommend to the governor incentives to encourage the consolidation, on a regional labor market basis, of:

(A) local boards, councils, and committees; and

(B) service delivery areas authorized under federal workforce legislation;

(5) review plans for local workforce development and make recommendations to the governor for approval;

(6) evaluate the effectiveness of the workforce development system;

(7) use the administrative records of the state's unemployment compensation program and other sources as appropriate in evaluating the workforce development system;

(8) encourage, support, or develop research and demonstration projects designed to develop new programs and approaches to service delivery;

(9) recommend measures to ensure that occupational skills training is:

(A) provided in occupations that are locally in demand; and

(B) directed toward high-skill and high-wage jobs;

(10) monitor the operation of the state's workforce development system to assess the degree to which the system is effective in achieving state and local goals and objectives;

(11) develop and recommend to the governor criteria for the establishment of local workforce development boards;

(12) carry out the federal and state duties and responsibilities of advisory councils under applicable federal and state workforce development laws or regulations;

(13) report periodically to the governor and the legislature; and

(14) provide annual reports to the governor and the legislature, including an annual report analyzing work development programs that focus on welfare to work initiatives.

(b) The council shall provide the information required to be reported under Subsections (a)(13) and (14) and Section 2308.104(a) to the Texas Workforce Commission. The Texas Workforce Commission shall include information provided under this subsection that relates to the administration and operation of the state's workforce development system with other information the commission provides to the public on the Internet.

(c) The members of the council shall develop and implement policies that:

(1) clearly separate:

(A) the policy-making responsibilities of the members of the council; and

(B) the management responsibilities of the executive director and the staff of the council; and

(2) provide the public with a reasonable opportunity to appear before the council and to speak on any issue under the jurisdiction of the council.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 5.81(a), eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 19.07(a), eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1472, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 704, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 818, Sec. 3.01, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.