LABOR CODE
CHAPTER 306. PROJECT RIO (REINTEGRATION OF OFFENDERS)
§ 306.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "Department" means the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice.
(2) "Institutional division" means the institutional
division of the department.
(3) "Project RIO" means the project for reintegration
of offenders.
(4) "State jail division" means the state jail
division of the department.
Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 269, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993. Amended
by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 262, § 92, eff. Jan. 1, 1996; Acts
1995, 74th Leg., ch. 321, § 3.016, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Renumbered from V.T.C.A., Labor Code § 217.001 by Acts 1995,
74th Leg., ch. 655, § 11.06, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
§ 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 a state jail
felony facility or the institutional division and persons committed
to the Texas Youth Commission.
Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 269, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993. Amended
by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 262, § 92, eff. Jan. 1, 1996; Acts
1995, 74th Leg., ch. 321, § 3.016, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Renumbered from V.T.C.A., Labor Code § 217.002 by Acts 1995,
74th Leg., ch. 655, § 11.06, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
§ 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, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993. Amended
by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 262, § 92, eff. Jan. 1, 1996.
Renumbered from V.T.C.A., Labor Code § 217.003 by Acts 1995,
74th Leg., ch. 655, § 11.06, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
§ 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, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993. Amended
by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 262, § 92, eff. Jan. 1, 1996.
Renumbered from V.T.C.A., Labor Code § 217.004 by Acts 1995,
74th Leg., ch. 655, § 11.06, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
§ 306.005. MEMORANDUM OF
UNDERSTANDING--CONTENTS. (a) The memorandum of understanding
between the department and the commission must establish the role
of:
(1) the institutional division and the state jail
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
pardons and paroles 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, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993. Amended
by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 262, § 92, eff. Jan. 1, 1996; Acts
1995, 74th Leg., ch. 321, § 3.018, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Renumbered from V.T.C.A., Labor Code § 217.005 and amended by
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 655, § 11.06, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, § 22.03, eff. Sept. 1,
1997.
§ 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, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993. Amended
by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 262, § 92, eff. Jan. 1, 1996.
Renumbered from V.T.C.A., Labor Code § 217.006 and amended by
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 655, § 11.06, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
§ 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 institutional division or the state jail division, 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 Texas Commission on
Alcohol and Drug Abuse 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 Department of
Economic Development 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 Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse;
(2) the Texas Department of Housing and Community
Affairs;
(3) the Texas Veterans Commission;
(4) the Texas Department of Human Services;
(5) the Texas Department of Economic Development; and
(6) the Texas Workforce Investment Council.
(c) The commission shall coordinate the development of the
memoranda of understanding and shall prepare an annual report
describing the number of ex-offenders in the preceding year
receiving services under each memorandum. The commission shall
file a copy of the annual report with the governor's office.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 611, § 2, eff. Aug. 28, 1995.
Renumbered from V.T.C.A., Labor Code § 217.007 and amended by
Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, § 22.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts
2003, 78th Leg., ch. 817, § 10.14, eff. Sept. 1, 2003; Acts
2003, 78th Leg., ch. 818, § 6.10, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
