BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1260

By: Bowers

Urban Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The state's homeless population is currently estimated to include over 23,000 individuals. While that number has been on the decline, the programs and services that have largely contributed to helping reduce homelessness in the state are still largely in need of additional support in order to increase their efficacy and better provide a second chance at life for those who find themselves a part of the homeless population. H.B. 1260 seeks to address this issue by requiring the Texas Interagency Council for the Homeless to conduct a study on the feasibility of establishing a centralized homelessness crisis response data system that would enable information sharing and access to better support and provide helpful services to the homeless in an expedient and effective way and enable the legislature to provide better homelessness solutions.

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

H.B. 1260 requires the Texas Interagency Council for the Homeless to conduct a study on the feasibility of establishing a centralized homelessness crisis response data system through which state agencies, local governmental entities, including law enforcement agencies, court systems, school districts, and emergency service providers, and other relevant persons are able to share and access information related to individuals who experience chronic homelessness in order to connect or refer those individuals to services, including affordable housing opportunities. The bill requires the council to do the following in conducting the study:

· consult with representatives of those entities to determine the challenges faced by the entities in addressing chronic homelessness and how best to improve the responses to those challenges; and

· assess the feasibility of the data system to do the following:

o collect data from other homelessness crisis response data systems maintained or operated by a state agency, local law enforcement agency, or other state entity; and

o collect, aggregate, analyze, and share homelessness information with entities that have access to the system.

H.B. 1260 requires the council, not later than November 1, 2022, to prepare and submit to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs a written report that summarizes the study's results. The bill's provisions expire September 1, 2023.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.