By Chisum H.B. No. 3128 76R3617 KEL-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to a rental assistance pilot program to expand housing 1-3 options for elderly residents with low income. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: 1-6 (1) "Department" means the Texas Department of Human 1-7 Services. 1-8 (2) "Facility" means a complex that provides 1-9 apartment-like residential units for its residents. 1-10 SECTION 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF PILOT PROGRAM. (a) The Texas 1-11 Department of Human Services, in coordination with the Texas 1-12 Department of Housing and Community Affairs, shall develop and 1-13 implement a facility-based rental assistance pilot program to 1-14 expand long-term care options for elderly residents of this state. 1-15 The pilot program shall provide rent subsidies for low-income 1-16 elderly persons who live in facilities that provide coordination of 1-17 and transportation for the services needed by those persons. 1-18 (b) To the greatest extent possible, the department shall 1-19 implement the pilot program using federal housing block grant 1-20 funds. 1-21 (c) The department shall process applications for an 1-22 individual's participation in the pilot program and determine which 1-23 applicants will likely be able to participate successfully in the 1-24 program. 2-1 SECTION 3. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. (a) To qualify for a 2-2 rent subsidy under the pilot program, a person must: 2-3 (1) be an elderly resident of this state; 2-4 (2) satisfy the functional needs criteria for nursing 2-5 home care; 2-6 (3) satisfy income eligibility criteria established by 2-7 the department; 2-8 (4) have sufficient financial resources to pay a part 2-9 of the person's monthly rental charge; and 2-10 (5) reside in a facility that participates in the 2-11 program. 2-12 (b) To participate in the pilot program, a facility must 2-13 demonstrate that it uses sources of low-income housing funds, such 2-14 as tax credits and tax-exempt bonds, to offer housing at rental 2-15 rates that are below the average market rates for comparable 2-16 housing. 2-17 SECTION 4. RENT SUBSIDIES. (a) Rent subsidies offered 2-18 under the pilot program shall be computed for each participant 2-19 based on the participant's income and needs. The subsidies may 2-20 vary by facility on the basis of rental charges for the housing. 2-21 (b) The department shall require a participant to pay from 2-22 the participant's financial resources as rent an amount that is 2-23 approximately equal to the amount the person would be required to 2-24 contribute if the person resided in a nursing home and received 2-25 Medicaid benefits. 2-26 (c) The department shall pay the rent subsidy to the 2-27 facility in which a participant resides. 3-1 SECTION 5. EVALUATION AND REPORT. Not later than December 3-2 15, 2000, the department shall submit a report to the governor, 3-3 lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives 3-4 that evaluates the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the 3-5 pilot program established under this Act. The report must include 3-6 the department's recommendations with respect to providing rent 3-7 subsidies for low-income elderly residents of this state. 3-8 SECTION 6. TERMINATION; EXPIRATION. The pilot program ends 3-9 and this Act expires September 1, 2001. 3-10 SECTION 7. EMERGENCY. The importance of this legislation 3-11 and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-12 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-13 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-14 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 3-15 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 3-16 passage, and it is so enacted.