| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
COMMITTEE VOTE |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
YeaNayAbsentPNV |
|
|
SchwertnerX |
|
|
KolkhorstX |
|
|
CampbellX |
|
|
EstesX |
|
|
PerryX |
|
|
RodríguezX |
|
|
TaylorofCollinX |
|
|
UrestiX |
|
|
ZaffiriniX |
|
|
|
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
| |
|
|
relating to a study on homeless youth. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Chapter 2306, Government Code, is amended by |
|
|
adding Subchapter OO to read as follows: |
|
|
SUBCHAPTER OO. HOMELESS YOUTH |
|
|
Sec. 2306.1101. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "homeless |
|
|
youth" means a person who is younger than 19 years of age, including |
|
|
a migratory child, as defined by Section 1309, Elementary and |
|
|
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. Section 6399), who: |
|
|
(1) lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime |
|
|
residence, including a person who is: |
|
|
(A) temporarily allowed to stay in the house of |
|
|
another person due to loss of housing; |
|
|
(B) temporarily living in a motel or hotel; |
|
|
(C) living in an emergency shelter; |
|
|
(D) abandoned in a hospital; or |
|
|
(E) awaiting foster care placement; |
|
|
(2) has a primary nighttime residence that is a public |
|
|
or private place not designed or ordinarily used as a regular |
|
|
sleeping accommodation for humans; or |
|
|
(3) is living in a car, park, other public space, |
|
|
abandoned building, substandard housing, bus or train station, or |
|
|
similar setting. |
|
|
Sec. 2306.1102. STUDY ON HOMELESS YOUTH. (a) The |
|
|
department, in conjunction with other members of the Texas |
|
|
Interagency Council for the Homeless established under Subchapter |
|
|
KK, shall conduct a study on homeless youth. |
|
|
(b) In conducting the study, the department shall: |
|
|
(1) collect data on the number of homeless youth in |
|
|
this state; |
|
|
(2) examine the needs of homeless youth and the degree |
|
|
to which current programs are meeting those needs; |
|
|
(3) identify any sources of funding that might be |
|
|
available to provide services to homeless youth; and |
|
|
(4) develop a strategic plan establishing steps to be |
|
|
taken and timelines for reducing youth homelessness in this state. |
|
|
(c) The department shall submit a report on the study to the |
|
|
legislature not later than December 1, 2016. The report must |
|
|
include a summary of the information resulting from the study and |
|
|
recommendations for changes in law necessary to provide services to |
|
|
or otherwise assist homeless youth. |
|
|
(d) This section expires September 1, 2017. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
|
|
|
|
|
* * * * * |