BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 607

By: Hancock

Urban Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that current law relating to the Texas Interagency Council for the Homeless has not been updated since the initial passage of the enabling legislation and that this has led to difficulty in conducting meetings and providing resources to member agencies to address homelessness. S.B. 607 seeks to update current law relating to the council.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 607 amends the Government Code to replace the two members of the Texas Interagency Council for the Homeless who are representatives from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) appointed by the TDHCA director, one each from the community affairs division and the housing finance division, with two representatives from TDHCA appointed by the director, at least one of which whose duties include management or administration of the community services block grant program or the emergency solutions grant program. The bill updates the council's composition to reflect structural changes made to certain health and human services and juvenile justice agencies.

S.B. 607 authorizes TDHCA to provide fiscal support to the council and authorizes the council and each of its represented agencies to seek program or policy assistance from the Texas Homeless Network in accomplishing the council's duties. The bill exempts an agency represented on the council from the requirement to contribute resources to the council if the agency certifies in writing that the agency is unable to contribute resources during that fiscal period. The bill authorizes a member of the council who resides 20 or more miles away from the location of a council meeting to participate remotely in the meeting by telephone conference call or videoconference and establishes that the member is counted as present at the meeting for purposes of determining whether a quorum of the council is present.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.