CHAPTER 306. PROJECT RIO (REINTEGRATION OF OFFENDERS)

State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Texas > Labor-code > Title-4-employment-services-and-unemployment > Chapter-306-project-rio-reintegration-of-offenders

LABOR CODE

TITLE 4. EMPLOYMENT SERVICES AND UNEMPLOYMENT

SUBTITLE B. TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION; WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT;

EMPLOYMENT SERVICES

CHAPTER 306. PROJECT RIO (REINTEGRATION OF OFFENDERS)

Sec. 306.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:

(1) "Department" means the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

(2) "Correctional institutions division" means the correctional

institutions division of the department.

(3) "Project RIO" means the project for reintegration of

offenders.

Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 269, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.

Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 262, Sec. 92, eff. Jan. 1,

1996; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 321, Sec. 3.016, eff. Sept. 1,

1995. Renumbered from Labor Code Sec. 217.001 by Acts 1995, 74th

Leg., ch. 655, Sec. 11.06, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.

Amended by:

Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch.

1142, Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2005.

Sec. 306.002. PROJECT RIO. The project for reintegration of

offenders is a statewide employment referral program designed to

reintegrate into the labor force persons sentenced to the

correctional institutions division or committed to the Texas

Youth Commission.

Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 269, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.

Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 262, Sec. 92, eff. Jan. 1,

1996; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 321, Sec. 3.016, eff. Sept. 1,

1995. Renumbered from Labor Code Sec. 217.002 by Acts 1995, 74th

Leg., ch. 655, Sec. 11.06, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.

Amended by:

Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch.

1142, Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2005.

Sec. 306.003. ADMINISTRATION. The department, the Texas Youth

Commission, and the commission shall cooperate to maximize the

effectiveness of Project RIO. For that purpose, the commission

shall administer the project.

Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 269, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.

Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 262, Sec. 92, eff. Jan. 1,

1996. Renumbered from Labor Code Sec. 217.003 by Acts 1995, 74th

Leg., ch. 655, Sec. 11.06, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.

Sec. 306.004. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING--ADOPTION. (a) The

department, the commission, and the Texas Youth Commission shall

each adopt a memorandum of understanding that establishes the

respective responsibilities of each agency and of the divisions

within the department.

(b) The commission shall coordinate the development of the

memoranda of understanding. The department and the Texas Youth

Commission shall adopt rules as necessary to implement their

respective memoranda and may amend the memorandum and those rules

as necessary.

Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 269, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.

Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 262, Sec. 92, eff. Jan. 1,

1996. Renumbered from Labor Code Sec. 217.004 by Acts 1995, 74th

Leg., ch. 655, Sec. 11.06, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.

Sec. 306.005. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING--CONTENTS. (a) The

memorandum of understanding between the department and the

commission must establish the role of:

(1) the correctional institutions division in ascertaining and

encouraging an inmate's chances for employment by:

(A) providing vocational and educational assessment for the

person while incarcerated;

(B) developing a skills enhancement program for the person while

incarcerated, in cooperation with other governmental,

educational, and private entities, using available public or

private financial resources authorized by statute; and

person's parole officer or supervision officer;

(2) the community justice assistance division and the parole

division of the department in:

(A) encouraging and referring persons to the project; and

(B) ensuring that those persons participate in the project and

avail themselves of its services; and

(3) the commission in developing and maintaining a statewide

network for finding positions of employment that require the

skills possessed by project participants and in helping those

participants to secure employment.

(b) The memorandum of understanding between the Texas Youth

Commission and the commission must establish the roles of the

institutional and community services division in the Texas Youth

Commission and the role of the commission in the same manner the

roles of the department and commission are established under

Subsection (a).

Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 269, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.

Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 262, Sec. 92, eff. Jan. 1,

1996; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 321, Sec. 3.018, eff. Sept. 1,

1995. Renumbered from Labor Code Sec. 217.005 and amended by Acts

1995, 74th Leg., ch. 655, Sec. 11.06, eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended

by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 22.03, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.

Amended by:

Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch.

1142, Sec. 6, eff. September 1, 2005.

Sec. 306.006. PROJECT DIRECTOR. (a) The executive director

shall designate the director of Project RIO to coordinate the

efforts of the affected state agencies and expedite the delivery

of services to participants in the project, including prospective

employers.

(b) The project director shall:

(1) propose, for adoption by the commission, standards and

guidelines for the operation of the project;

(2) obtain information from appropriate state agencies and

offices affiliated with the project to determine any necessary

changes in the project;

(3) disseminate information statewide about the project; and

(4) train commission staff to assist in the operation of

affiliated services.

Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 269, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.

Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 262, Sec. 92, eff. Jan. 1,

1996. Renumbered from Labor Code Sec. 217.006 and amended by Acts

1995, 74th Leg., ch. 655, Sec. 11.06, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.

Sec. 306.007. PROVISION OF INFORMATION ON STATE SERVICES FOR

EX-OFFENDERS AND EMPLOYERS. (a) To assist in the reintegration

into the labor force of persons formerly sentenced to the

correctional institutions division or committed to the Texas

Youth Commission, the commission through Project RIO shall

provide:

(1) to those persons:

(A) information from local workforce development boards on job

training and employment referral services;

(B) information from the Department of State Health Services on

substance abuse treatment services;

Community Affairs on housing services;

(D) information from the Texas Veterans Commission on services

for veterans; and

(E) information on tax refund voucher programs under Subchapter

H, Chapter 301; and

(2) to the employers and potential employers of those persons:

(A) information from the Texas Economic Development and Tourism

Office on the enterprise zone program; and

(B) information from local workforce development boards on

services listed in Section 2308.304, Government Code.

(b) The commission shall adopt a memorandum of understanding

with each of the following agencies that establishes the

respective responsibilities of the commission and the agencies in

providing information described by Subsection (a) to persons

formerly sentenced to the institutional division or the state

jail division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, to

employers or potential employers of those persons, and to local

workforce development boards:

(1) the Department of State Health Services;

(2) the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs;

(3) the Texas Veterans Commission; and

(4) the Health and Human Services Commission.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 611, Sec. 2, eff. Aug. 28,

1995. Renumbered from Labor Code Sec. 217.007 and amended by Acts

1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 22.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts

2003, 78th Leg., ch. 817, Sec. 10.14, eff. Sept. 1, 2003; Acts

2003, 78th Leg., ch. 818, Sec. 6.10, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.

Amended by:

Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch.

1142, Sec. 7, eff. September 1, 2005.

Sec. 306.008. DATA SHARING. (a) To assist in the reintegration

into the labor force of persons formerly sentenced to the

correctional institutions division or committed to the Texas

Youth Commission, the commission, the Texas Youth Commission, and

the department shall establish a data interface that, at a

minimum, provides to the commission:

(1) detailed information about persons released from a

correctional facility who might benefit from post-release Project

RIO services, including:

(A) demographic and identifying information;

(B) the person's address on release;

release from the correctional facility, sentence discharge date,

and conditions of parole;

(D) assessment information;

(E) educational and work history;

(F) information related to participation in the work against

recidivism program operated by the department's manufacturing and

logistics division under the Texas Correctional Industries

office; and

(G) other services provided under this title before release from

the correctional facility; and

(2) referral information from the department and the Texas Youth

Commission necessary to implement the provision of post-release

employment services.

(b) The data interface established under Subsection (a) must be

designed to provide to a person's supervising officer on release

information about the person's participation in employment

services and entry into the workforce.

this section is confidential and is not subject to disclosure

under Chapter 552, Government Code.

Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch.

1142, Sec. 8, eff. September 1, 2005.

State Codes and Statutes

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