1-1 By: Gallego, Carter, McCall, Ehrhardt H.B. No. 3450
1-2 (Senate Sponsor - Lucio)
1-3 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 24, 2001;
1-4 April 25, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Health
1-5 and Human Services; May 1, 2001, reported adversely, with favorable
1-6 Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0;
1-7 May 1, 2001, sent to printer.)
1-8 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 3450 By: Carona
1-9 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-10 AN ACT
1-11 relating to the continuation and functions of the Texas Interagency
1-12 Council for the Homeless.
1-13 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-14 SECTION 1. Section 2306.001, Government Code, is amended to
1-15 read as follows:
1-16 Sec. 2306.001. PURPOSES. The purposes of the department are
1-17 to:
1-18 (1) assist local governments in:
1-19 (A) providing essential public services for
1-20 their residents; and
1-21 (B) overcoming financial, social, and
1-22 environmental problems;
1-23 (2) provide for the housing needs of individuals and
1-24 families of low and very low income and families of moderate
1-25 income;
1-26 (3) contribute to the preservation, development, and
1-27 redevelopment of neighborhoods and communities, including
1-28 cooperation in the preservation of government-assisted housing
1-29 occupied by individuals and families of very low and extremely low
1-30 income;
1-31 (4) assist the governor and the legislature in
1-32 coordinating federal and state programs affecting local government;
1-33 [and]
1-34 (5) inform state officials and the public of the needs
1-35 of local government; and
1-36 (6) serve as the lead agency for:
1-37 (A) addressing at the state level the problem of
1-38 homelessness in this state;
1-39 (B) coordinating interagency efforts to address
1-40 homelessness; and
1-41 (C) addressing at the state level and
1-42 coordinating interagency efforts to address any problem associated
1-43 with homelessness, including hunger.
1-44 SECTION 2. Section 2307.006, Government Code, is transferred
1-45 to Subchapter K, Chapter 2306, Government Code, redesignated as
1-46 Section 2306.256, and amended to read as follows:
1-47 Sec. 2306.256 [2307.006]. TRANSITIONAL [TRANSITION] HOUSING
1-48 PILOT PROGRAM. (a) If funds are available, the department shall
1-49 operate a transitional housing pilot program in four areas of the
1-50 state.
1-51 (b) The program must address the needs of the homeless for:
1-52 (1) interim housing;
1-53 (2) physical and mental health services;
1-54 (3) literacy training;
1-55 (4) job training;
1-56 (5) family counseling;
1-57 (6) credit counseling;
1-58 (7) education services; and
1-59 (8) other services that will prevent homelessness.
1-60 SECTION 3. Sections 2307.001-2307.005 and 2307.008,
1-61 Government Code, are transferred to Chapter 2306, Government Code,
1-62 redesignated as Subchapter GG, and amended, and Subchapter GG,
1-63 Chapter 2306, Government Code, is amended by adding Sections
1-64 2306.782, 2306.786, and 2306.787 to read as follows:
2-1 SUBCHAPTER GG. INTERAGENCY COUNCIL FOR THE HOMELESS
2-2 Sec. 2306.781. DEFINITION [2307.001. DEFINITIONS]. In this
2-3 subchapter, "council" [chapter:]
2-4 [(1) "Council"] means the Texas Interagency Council
2-5 for the Homeless.
2-6 Sec. 2306.782. ADVISORY ROLE. (a) The Texas Interagency
2-7 Council for the Homeless serves as an advisory committee to the
2-8 department. The council may recommend policies to the board. The
2-9 board must provide written justification for not accepting council
2-10 recommendations and must consider council recommendations in
2-11 preparing its low income housing plan under Section 2306.0721.
2-12 (b) The council is not subject to Chapter 2110.
2-13 [(2) "Department" means the Texas Department of
2-14 Housing and Community Affairs.]
2-15 Sec. 2306.783 [2307.002]. MEMBERSHIP. (a) The Texas
2-16 Interagency Council for the Homeless is composed of:
2-17 (1) one representative from each of the following
2-18 agencies, appointed by the administrative head of that agency:
2-19 (A) the Texas Department of Health;
2-20 (B) the Texas Department of Human Services;
2-21 (C) the Texas Department of Mental Health and
2-22 Mental Retardation;
2-23 (D) the Texas Department of Criminal Justice;
2-24 (E) the Texas Department on Aging;
2-25 (F) the Texas Rehabilitation Commission;
2-26 (G) the Texas Education Agency;
2-27 (H) the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug
2-28 Abuse;
2-29 (I) the Department of Protective and Regulatory
2-30 Services;
2-31 (J) the Health and Human Services Commission;
2-32 (K) the Texas Workforce Commission;
2-33 (L) the Texas Youth Commission; and
2-34 (M) the Texas Veterans Commission; [and]
2-35 [(N) the workforce development division of the
2-36 Texas Department of Commerce;]
2-37 (2) one representative from the office of the
2-38 comptroller appointed by the comptroller;
2-39 (3) two representatives from the department, one each
2-40 from the community affairs division and the housing finance
2-41 division, appointed by the director; and
2-42 (4) three members representing service providers to
2-43 the homeless, one each appointed by the governor, the lieutenant
2-44 governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives.
2-45 (b) A member of the council serves at the pleasure of the
2-46 appointing official or until termination of the member's employment
2-47 with the entity the member represents.
2-48 (c) A member of the council must have:
2-49 (1) administrative responsibility for programs for the
2-50 homeless or related services provided by the agency that the member
2-51 represents; and
2-52 (2) authority to make decisions for and commit
2-53 resources of the agency, subject to the approval of the
2-54 administrative head of the agency.
2-55 Sec. 2306.784 [2307.003]. OPERATION OF COUNCIL. (a) The
2-56 members of the council shall annually elect one member to serve as
2-57 presiding officer.
2-58 (b) The council shall meet at least quarterly.
2-59 (c) An action taken by the council must be approved by a
2-60 majority vote of the members present.
2-61 (d) The council may select and use advisors.
2-62 (e) The department shall provide clerical and advisory
2-63 support staff to the council.
2-64 Sec. 2306.785 [2307.004]. DUTIES OF COUNCIL. The council
2-65 shall:
2-66 (1) survey current resources for services for the
2-67 homeless in this state;
2-68 (2) initiate an evaluation of the current and future
2-69 needs for the services;
3-1 (3) assist in coordinating and providing statewide
3-2 services for all homeless individuals in this state;
3-3 (4) increase the flow of information among separate
3-4 providers and appropriate authorities;
3-5 (5) develop guidelines to monitor the provision of
3-6 services for the homeless and the methods of delivering those
3-7 services;
3-8 (6) provide technical assistance to the housing
3-9 finance division of the department in assessing the need for
3-10 housing for individuals with special needs in different localities;
3-11 (7) coordinate with the Texas Workforce Commission,
3-12 local workforce development boards, homeless shelters, and public
3-13 and private entities to provide homeless individuals information on
3-14 services available to assist them in obtaining employment and job
3-15 training;
3-16 (8) [(7)] establish a central resource and information
3-17 center for the homeless in this state; and
3-18 (9) ensure that local or statewide nonprofit
3-19 organizations perform the duties under this section that the
3-20 council is unable to perform [(8) develop, in cooperation with the
3-21 department and the Health and Human Services Commission, a
3-22 strategic plan to address the needs of the homeless in this state].
3-23 Sec. 2306.786. DUTIES OF STATE AGENCY COUNCIL MEMBERS. (a)
3-24 Each agency represented on the council shall report to the
3-25 department a standard set of performance data, as determined by the
3-26 department, on the agency's outcomes related to homelessness.
3-27 (b) Each agency shall contribute resources to the council.
3-28 Sec. 2306.787. PUBLIC HEARINGS. (a) The council may hold,
3-29 throughout the state, public hearings on homelessness issues.
3-30 (b) The department shall provide to the secretary of state
3-31 for publication in the Texas Register a notice of the hearings and
3-32 shall provide for the notice to be given in other appropriate
3-33 sources, which may include:
3-34 (1) a newsletter published by a nonprofit organization
3-35 addressing the problem of homelessness; or
3-36 (2) a local newspaper.
3-37 Sec. 2306.788 [2307.005]. REPORT. The council shall submit
3-38 annually a progress report to the governing bodies of the agencies
3-39 represented on the council.
3-40 Sec. 2306.789 [2307.008]. GIFTS AND GRANTS. The council may
3-41 accept gifts and grants from a public or private source for use in
3-42 carrying out the council's duties under this subchapter [chapter].
3-43 SECTION 4. Section 2307.007, Government Code, is repealed.
3-44 SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
3-45 * * * * *