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
(C) referring the person on release to the project through the
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;
(C) information from the Texas Department of Housing and
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;
(C) a comprehensive state offense history, including the date of
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.
(c) Information received from the Texas Youth Commission under
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.