Amend CSSB 358 by adding the following appropriately numbered
section and by renumbering subsequent sections accordingly:
      SECTION ____.  (a)  The Texas Department of Mental Health and
Mental Retardation and the Texas Department of Housing and
Community Affairs shall implement a program to demonstrate the
effectiveness of interagency cooperation for providing supported
housing services to individuals with mental illness who reside in
personal care facilities.
      (b)  The Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental
Retardation and the Texas Department of Housing and Community
Affairs shall design the supported housing services to give
individualized assistance to persons to acquire and retain living
arrangements that are:
            (1)  typical of the general population in the area in
which the services are provided; and
            (2)  located among residences of individuals who are
not receiving the services.
      (c)  The supported housing services under the program must be
provided in accordance with rules of the Texas Department of Mental
Health and Mental Retardation and may include:
            (1)  rental assistance for an individual who:
                  (A)  meets income guidelines of the Texas
Department of Housing and Community Affairs; and
                  (B)  is not receiving housing assistance from the
federal government;
            (2)  consumer rehabilitation services; and
            (3)  support services.
      (d)  The Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental
Retardation and the Texas Department of Housing and Community
Affairs shall work with the Texas Department of Human Services to
allocate resources for the demonstration program so that priority
is given to communities that:
            (1)  have the greatest number of personal care
facilities and facilities that do not comply with licensing rules
for personal care facilities; and
            (2)  have supported housing plans that the Texas
Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation and the Texas
Department of Housing and Community Affairs have found to be
consistent with the purposes of the demonstration program.
      (e)  The Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental
Retardation and the Texas Department of Housing and Community
Affairs shall establish an application process for communities that
seek to participate in the demonstration program.
      (f)  The Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental
Retardation and the Texas Department of Housing and Community
Affairs shall establish a committee to supervise the design and
implementation of the demonstration program.  The committee must
include representatives of:
            (1)  the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental
Retardation;
            (2)  the Texas Department of Housing and Community
Affairs;
            (3)  the Texas Department of Human Services;
            (4)  consumers of mental health services; and
            (5)  advocates of persons with mental illness.
      (g)  A community may not be selected to participate in the
demonstration program unless the person that applies for the
community's participation demonstrates collaboration between the
local mental health authority and a public housing authority,
community housing development organization, community development
corporation, or other housing organization.
      (h)  An individual is not eligible for assistance under the
demonstration program if the individual:
            (1)  does not have a mental illness;
            (2)  does not reside in a licensed or unlicensed
personal care facility at the time the individual is first offered
services under the demonstration program; or
            (3)  was placed in a licensed or unlicensed personal
care facility for the sole purpose of becoming eligible for the
demonstration program.
      (i)  The Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental
Retardation and the Texas Department of Housing and Community
Affairs shall implement the demonstration program required by this
section as soon as possible after the effective date of this Act
and not later than January 1, 2000.
      (j)  On or before January 15, 2001, the Texas Department of
Mental Health and Mental Retardation and the Texas Department of
Housing and Community Affairs shall make a joint report to the
governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of
representatives.  The report must include an evaluation of the
demonstration program's benefits for individuals who received
services and recommendations on the continuation or termination of
the project or commencement of a similar project.
      (k)  This section expires August 31, 2001.