By:  Ellis, et al.                                     S.B. No. 951

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to the coordination of tenant services programs.

 1-2           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-3           SECTION 1.  Subchapter K, Chapter 2306, Government Code, is

 1-4     amended by adding Section 2306.253 to read as follows:

 1-5           Sec. 2306.253.  TENANT SERVICES PROGRAM.  (a)  In this

 1-6     section, "tenant services" means social services, including child

 1-7     care, transportation, and basic adult education, that are provided

 1-8     to individuals residing in low-income housing under Title IV-A,

 1-9     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Section 601 et seq.), and other

1-10     similar services.

1-11           (b)  The department shall structure the requirements for the

1-12     provision of tenant services so that tenant services provided

1-13     through housing programs are coordinated with similar services

1-14     provided through state workforce development and welfare programs.

1-15     The department shall emphasize tenant services that are eligible

1-16     for additional federal matching funds through workforce development

1-17     or welfare-related programs.

1-18           (c)  The department shall designate a department employee as

1-19     the tenant services program coordinator.  The coordinator shall

1-20     serve as a liaison to the Texas Workforce Commission, the Texas

1-21     Department of Human Services, the Department of Protective and

1-22     Regulatory Services, and the Legislative Budget Board on matters

1-23     relating to the coordination of tenant services programs.

 2-1           (d)  The coordinator shall meet in Austin at least quarterly

 2-2     with representatives of the Texas Workforce Commission, the Texas

 2-3     Department of Human Services, the Department of Protective and

 2-4     Regulatory Services, and the Legislative Budget Board to:

 2-5                 (1)  update coordination of tenant services with

 2-6     workforce development and welfare-related programs;

 2-7                 (2)  discuss funding sources for tenant services

 2-8     programs; and

 2-9                 (3)  report on the status of tenant services programs,

2-10     including reporting on the number of clients and types of services

2-11     offered.

2-12           (e)  Not later than December 1 preceding a regular session of

2-13     the legislature, the department shall file with the appropriate

2-14     state agencies and legislative committees a report discussing the

2-15     results of the department's program under this section.

2-16           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-17     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-18     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-19     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-20     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-21     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-22     passage, and it is so enacted.