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Council committee to review 2nd‑chance hiring CCR after public support and staff legal review
Summary
The Governance Committee referred Councilwoman Castillo’s CCR on a 2nd‑chance workforce initiative—coordinating with county partners, reviewing federal grant opportunities, and exploring incentives for employers—to the Economic and Workforce Development Committee after staff described legal preemption limits and program costs.
The Governance Committee voted on Dec. 11 to send a council consideration request seeking a city–county 2nd‑chance workforce initiative to the Economic and Workforce Development Committee for further review. The CCR, sponsored by Councilwoman Terry Castillo, asks the city to evaluate a local agreement with Bexar County, coordinate with partners such as Chrysalis Ministries and the Bexar County Reentry Center, explore federal grant opportunities, and research best practices and ordinances to support justice‑impacted jobseekers.
Why it matters: Supporters at the meeting said expanding fair‑chance hiring could boost earnings, reduce recidivism and fill labor‑market gaps. Staff cautioned that any incentives or requirements must comply with state law and the Texas Labor Code, and that additional staff time and budget would be required to research, implement and monitor incentives.
Staff presentation: City staff said the CCR tasks include cataloging existing initiatives and employers practicing fair‑chance hiring, researching best practices (including the Manufacturing Institute's 2nd‑chance case study), and evaluating legal options for incentives for employers that receive city incentives. Staff recommended referring the CCR to EWDC.
Public and council remarks: Supporters from community groups, including service providers who work with justice‑impacted residents, and Councilwoman Castillo said the CCR complements existing work such as the Ready to Work program. A staff representative reported the Ready to Work initiative has about 2,800 self‑identified justice‑impacted participants and roughly 3,500 approved job placements, though city staff said exact overlapping counts would be provided later.
Next steps: The committee approved referral to EWDC to study implementation, legal constraints and possible incentive structures and to coordinate with Bexar County on interest in an interlocal agreement.
