BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 3034
	By: Campos (Men�ndez)
	Local Government
	5/18/2021
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Concerns have been raised regarding the increasing rate of individuals experiencing homelessness across Texas. It has been reported that many of these individuals leave their hometowns out of fear of dealing with certain personal circumstances, such as domestic violence, and these sudden departures leave relatives and friends unable to locate the individual in hopes of reuniting. There have been calls for the creation of a statewide homelessness data system to share information between applicable state agencies and local governmental entities that can help connect and refer homeless individuals to services, including affordable housing opportunities.

H.B. 3034 seeks to address this issue by requiring the Texas Interagency Council for the Homeless to create a statewide homelessness data system. H.B. 3034 requires the council and the designated state agency to do the following in developing the data system: consult with representatives of applicable entities to determine the challenges faced by those entities in addressing homelessness and how best to improve the responses to those challenges; enter into data sharing agreements as necessary for the exchange of information relating to individuals experiencing homelessness through the data system; and ensure that information stored in the data system that is confidential under state or federal law is not disclosed.

H.B. 3034 requires that the data system do the following: to the extent permitted by a data sharing agreement, collect data from other homelessness data systems maintained or operated by a state agency, local law enforcement agency, or other entity of the state; and collect, aggregate, analyze, and share homelessness information submitted to the data system with entities that have access to the system.

H.B. 3034 amends current law relating to a study on the establishment of a statewide homelessness data system.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. (a) Defines "council."

(b) Requires the Texas Interagency Council for the Homeless (council) to conduct a study on the feasibility of establishing a statewide homelessness data system through which:

(1) state agencies and local governmental entities, including law enforcement agencies, court systems, school districts, and emergency service providers, are able to share information related to individuals experiencing homelessness; and

(2) the entities described by Subdivision (1) of this subsection are able to access information related to individuals experiencing homelessness in order to connect or refer those individuals to services, including affordable housing opportunities.

(1) consult with representatives of the entities described by Subsection (b)(1) of this section to determine the challenges faced by those entities in addressing homelessness and how best to improve the responses to those challenges; and

(2) assess the feasibility for the statewide homelessness data system described by Subsection (b) of this section to:

(A) ensure that information stored in the data system that is confidential under state or federal law is not disclosed;

(B) collect data from other homelessness data systems maintained or operated by a state agency, local law enforcement agency, or other entity of this state; and

(d) Requires the council, not later than October 1, 2022, to prepare and submit to the legislature and the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs a written report that summarizes the results of the study conducted under this section.

SECTION 2. Provides that this Act expires September 1, 2023.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2021.