Civil Rights Programs

Training

Historically the Division (formerly the Texas Commission on Human Rights) has provided training and technical assistance to public and private employers and persons or entities involved in residential real estate transactions. However, such training and technical assistance has been more concentrated in the area of employment discrimination. Over the years, the Division has developed a number of various training programs on compliance with employment discrimination law primarily designed for managers and supervisors. The Division has a Training Unit with its own training staff. Training and technical assistance on housing discrimination has been provided primarily through conferences and workshops. Although the Division has been providing training and technical assistance for a number of years there has been increased emphasis on such services as a proactive approach to reduce employment and housing discrimination. The Division charges employers for the compliance training designed for managers and supervisors to recover its cost. This cost recovery is authorized under the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act.

Policy reviews of state agencies

As previously mentioned the Division has statutory responsibility for reviewing personnel policies and procedural systems of state agencies on a six (6) year cycle. These reviews are for the purpose of insuring that state agencies are in compliance with the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act. The Division has its own staff conducting these reviews. The procedures for conducting reviews are regularly reviewed to insure efficiency and effectiveness. The Division charges state agencies for the policy reviews to recover its cost. This cost recovery is authorized under the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act.

EEO reporting on state agencies

The Division has statutory responsibilities for developing statistical information in conjunction with the Comptroller's Office on the hiring of minorities and women by state agencies. This information is reported to the Legislature at the beginning of each legislative session. This particular responsibility is similar to conducting a work force utilization analysis since the data shows the availability of otherwise qualified Caucasian Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, females and males within the labor force compared to Caucasian Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, females and males within an agency's work force.

A second report that the Division issues to the Legislature at the beginning of each legislative session reflects the workforce composition of state agencies.

Complaint resolution

This particular program represents the enforcement side of the Division's responsibilities. It involves the investigation of complaints of employment and housing discrimination filed with the Division` under Texas Commission on Human Rights Act (Chapter 21 of the Texas Labor Code) and Texas Fair Housing Act (Chapter 301 of the Texas Property Code) against employers and housing providers in the state of Texas. All of the procedures, functions, and steps involved in the complaint processing system are periodically reviewed. Based on this review, adjustments or changes are initiated to insure timely processing of complaints without compromising the quality of an investigation. Compliance with the complaint processing system by Investigators is monitored on a regular basis.