HBA-NLM H.B. 1202 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1202
By: Dutton
County Affairs
4/11/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The purpose of this bill is to establish a commission to provide assistance
to homeless persons. H.B. 1202 authorizes the commissioners court of a
county by order to create a commission for the homeless to recommend and
establish programs to prevent and alleviate homelessness in the county.
This bill authorizes the commissioners court to collect a fee of $1 for the
filing of the first page of a real property record, if the commissioners
court creates a commission for the homeless.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 150, Human Resources Code, by adding Section
150.003, as follows: 

Sec. 150.003.  COUNTY PROGRAMS FOR HOMELESS. (a) Authorizes the
commissioners court of a county by order to create a commission for the
homeless to recommend and establish programs to prevent and alleviate
homelessness in the county.  

(b)  Provides that a commission is composed of five members appointed by
the commissioners court and establishes the terms for those members.
Requires the commissioners court to designate one member to serve as
presiding officer and one to serve as assistant presiding officer for
periods of one year.  

(c) Prohibits a member from receiving compensation but is entitled to
actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official
duties, including travel expenses.  

(d)  Requires the commission to meet at least once each month at the call
of the presiding officer or at the request of three members.  

(e)  Sets forth required duties to be performed by the commission. 

(f)  Authorizes the commission to accept gifts and grants.  Requires the
commission to deposit any money received under this subsection in the
county treasury in a special account for the homeless.  

(g)   Authorizes the commissioners court by order to require the county
clerk to charge and collect $1 for the filing of the first page of a real
property record in addition to the fee prescribed by Section 118.011 (Fee
Schedule), Local Government Code, if the commissioners court creates a
commission for the homeless.  Requires the county clerk to deposit amounts
collected under this subsection in the county treasury in a special account
for the homeless.  

(h)  Authorizes funds in the special account for the homeless to be used
only to implement programs approved by the commissioners court under this
section.  
 
SECTION 2.  Amends Section 118.013(d), Local Government Code, to provide
that the fee is in addition to any other specific fee provided for by other
statute, including a fee for the homeless imposed by a county under Section
150.003, Human Resources Code.  

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.
            Effective date: upon passage.