Bill Text: TX SB2066 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to state agency employment openings and aptitude assessments.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-21 - Referred to Business & Commerce [SB2066 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB2066-Introduced.html
| 88R6305 LRM-D | ||
| By: Bettencourt | S.B. No. 2066 | |
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| relating to state agency employment openings and aptitude | ||
| assessments. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 656.002, Government Code, is amended by | ||
| amending Subsections (b), (c), and (e) and adding Subsections (f) | ||
| and (g) to read as follows: | ||
| (b) The online system for listing state agency employment | ||
| openings maintained by the Texas Workforce Commission must allow an | ||
| applicant for employment to: | ||
| (1) complete a single state application and the | ||
| standardized aptitude test described by Section 656.028 online; and | ||
| (2) enter the application and the standardized | ||
| aptitude test into an online database from which the applicant may | ||
| electronically send the application and the standardized aptitude | ||
| test to multiple state agencies. | ||
| (c) The Texas Workforce Commission shall: | ||
| (1) prescribe a standard electronic format for the | ||
| online application and standardized aptitude test described by | ||
| Subsection (b); and | ||
| (2) ensure that the commission's online system allows | ||
| an applicant to submit and a state agency to receive an online | ||
| application and the standardized aptitude test for state agency | ||
| employment. | ||
| (e) This section does not prohibit a state agency from | ||
| accepting an application for an employment opening, the | ||
| standardized aptitude test, or a specialized aptitude test in a | ||
| manner other than the manner described by this section. | ||
| (f) The online system must inform an applicant that the | ||
| applicant is not required to complete the standardized aptitude | ||
| test to apply for an employment opening. | ||
| (g) The online system must list the classified positions for | ||
| which the standardized aptitude test will be accepted. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 656, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 656.028 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 656.028. APTITUDE ASSESSMENTS. (a) In this section: | ||
| (1) "Career education and training program" has the | ||
| meaning assigned by Section 2308A.001. | ||
| (2) "Specialized aptitude test" means an assessment of | ||
| the competencies and skills needed for a specific state agency | ||
| position that are not measured by the standardized aptitude test, | ||
| including a skills demonstration, skills-based questionnaire, | ||
| skills-based interview, and any other valid skills measurement | ||
| strategy. | ||
| (3) "Standardized aptitude test" means the uniform | ||
| assessment that measures the skill set of a job applicant developed | ||
| by the Texas Workforce Commission under this section. | ||
| (b) Each state agency shall at least once each calendar year | ||
| review each classified position in the state agency to determine | ||
| the skills needed for each position. The state agency shall compile | ||
| a list of skills identified under this subsection and submit the | ||
| list to the Texas Workforce Commission. | ||
| (c) The Texas Workforce Commission shall review each list of | ||
| skills submitted under Subsection (b) and determine the skills | ||
| shared across state agency classified positions. The commission | ||
| shall develop, in consultation with state agencies, a standardized | ||
| aptitude test to determine whether a job applicant has the shared | ||
| skills. The commission may contract with a person that specializes | ||
| in certification of occupation-based skills assessments to | ||
| develop, certify, or evaluate the results of the standardized | ||
| aptitude test. | ||
| (d) The Texas Workforce Commission shall make the | ||
| standardized aptitude test available on the online state agency | ||
| employment applications system described by Section 656.002. | ||
| (e) If a state agency determines a specialized aptitude test | ||
| would improve the agency's hiring process, the agency must consult | ||
| with the Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative established by Chapter | ||
| 2308A to align the career education and training programs and state | ||
| workforce development strategies developed under Section 2308A.006 | ||
| with the competencies and skills measured by the test. | ||
| (f) A state agency may not consider the fact that an | ||
| applicant for employment did not complete the standardized aptitude | ||
| test in making a hiring determination. | ||
| (g) The Texas Workforce Commission shall adopt rules | ||
| necessary to implement this section. | ||
| SECTION 3. Each state agency shall complete the initial | ||
| review required by Section 656.028(b), Government Code, as added by | ||
| this Act, and submit the list of skills to the Texas Workforce | ||
| Commission not later than December 1, 2024. | ||
| SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
