Texas Workforce Commission:

An Inventory of Workforce Commission Meeting Files at the Texas State Archives, 1936-2008

Agency History

Originally created to administer the unemployment insurance provisions of the federal Social Security Act of 1935, the Texas Workforce Commission (after two name changes) has expanded its functions, and is now charged with overseeing and providing workforce development services to employers and job seekers of Texas.

Since 1933, as a result of the Hundred Days' legislation of the New Deal, a federal-state system of employment offices had been in effect throughout the United States, with quite a bit of autonomy for the state programs. After considerable evolution of the program, the Texas Unemployment Compensation Commission was created in 1936 (Senate Bill 5, 44th Texas Legislature, 3rd Called Session), to administer the unemployment insurance provisions of the federal Social Security Act of 1935. The initial function of the commission was to collect all contributions from employers and to pay benefits to the unemployed. This agency was renamed the Texas Employment Commission in 1947 (House Bill 741, 50th Texas Legislature, Regular Session).

In 1995 the legislature abolished the Texas Employment Commission (House Bill 1863, 74th Texas Legislature, Regular Session) and replaced it with the new Texas Workforce Commission, which consolidated 28 job training, employment, and employment-related education programs that formerly had been implemented by ten state agencies. The law specified the following goals for the new agency: helping develop a highly skilled and productive workforce for businesses; providing workers with the education, skills training, and labor market information they need to enhance employability, earnings, and standard of living; providing an efficient unemployment compensation system; easing the transition into the workforce of persons receiving public assistance, homemakers needing to enter the job market, and former students; helping communities provide economic incentive programs for the creation and expansion of jobs; and maximizing the efficient and effective spending of tax revenues earmarked for workforce development. As part of a local/state network, 28 local workforce boards assist the commission in its work.

The governing board for the Workforce Commission and its predecessors has always been composed of three members: a representative of labor, a representative of employers, and a representative of the general public. Holding full-time, salaried positions, they are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate for overlapping six-year terms. Originally, the public (or "impartial") member was the chair, and at first that chair was the executive director of the agency. Beginning in 1995, the governor names the chair for a two-year term, and the executive director is hired by the commission.

(Sources include: Guide to Texas State Agencies, 11th edition (2001); the agency web site (http://www.twc.state.tx.us/twcinfo/whatis.html); the article on Texas Employment Commission by John G. Johnson, in The Handbook of Texas Online; the Texas Labor Code, Sections 301.001 and following (all three websites accessed October 2008); and the enabling legislation, 1936, 1947, 1995.)

Scope and Contents of the Records

The Texas Workforce Commission is charged with overseeing and providing workforce development services to employers and job seekers of Texas. Originally created in 1936 to administer the unemployment insurance provisions of the federal Social Security Act of 1935, the newly designated Texas Workforce Commission in 1995 consolidated 28 job training, employment, and employment-related education programs that formerly had been implemented by ten state agencies. These records include agenda, minutes, notes of meetings, executive summaries of meetings, and transcripts of proceedings of the Texas Workforce Commission and its predecessor commissions, dating 1936-2008. Meeting files for the Texas Unemployment Compensation Commission (1936-1947) consist entirely of minutes. Meeting files for the Texas Employment Commission (1947-1995) consist of minutes (1947-1991) and agenda and notes of meetings (1981-1995). Meeting files for the Texas Workforce Commission (1995-2008) consist of agenda (1995-2006), notes of meetings (1995-2002), executive summaries of meetings (2002), verbatim transcripts of proceedings (2003-2008), and minutes (2008). There appears to be very little difference between minutes, notes of meetings, and executive summaries of meetings, except perhaps in the brevity of the latter two types of documentation. Agenda are interfiled with the other kinds of meeting documentation, but are sometimes missing. Beginning in 2003, transcripts are the dominant type of meeting record, and represent not only commission meetings, but also quarterly performance measures meetings, work sessions, and public hearings.

To prepare this inventory, the described materials were cursorily reviewed to delineate series, to confirm the accuracy of contents lists, to provide an estimate of dates covered, and to determine record types.

Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

Materials do not circulate, but may be used in the State Archives search room. Materials will be retrieved from and returned to storage areas by staff members.

Restrictions on Use

Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).

Technical Requirements

None.

Related Material

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item), Texas Workforce Commission meeting files. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession numbers: 1998/211, 1999/020, 2000/041, 2001/018, 2002/046, 2003/094, 2004/117, 2004/120, 2004/180, 2005/080, 2005/081, 2005/082, 2006/020, 2006/356, 2007/038, 2008/011, 2009/008

These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Workforce Commission on July 8, 1998; September 29, 1998; September 29, 1999; September 28, 2000; October 9, 2001; December 23, 2002; April 8, 2004; September 17, 2004; October 6, 2004; November 22, 2004; September 20, 2005; February 21, 2006; September 21, 2006; September 11, 2007; and September 8, 2008; and by the Texas Legislative Reference Library on April 8, 2004; and June 23, 2004.

Processing Information

Processed by Tony Black, October 2003

TARO inventory initially created and new accessions added by Tony Black, January 2005

Further encoding to DACS standards and new accessions added by Tony Black, July 2006

New accessions added by Tony Black, October 2008

Accruals

The Texas Workforce Commission transfers transcripts of meetings to the Texas State Archives on a regular basis.

Other Formats for the Records

The Texas Workforce Commission periodically mounts its agenda and transcripts (which are referred to as minutes) on the agency web site (http://www.twc.state.tx.us/).

Location of Originals

The record copies of minutes, agenda, and transcripts are maintained by the Texas Workforce Commission.

Detailed Description of the Records