BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1431

By: Campos

Urban Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In Texas, many homeless housing and service providers participate in the homeless management information system. However, it has been noted that these organizations do not get audited or evaluated for their participation. H.B. 1431 seeks to improve collaboration and coordination between these organizations and to increase accountability by providing for the evaluation and monitoring of participants in the homeless management information system.

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. 1431 amends the Government Code to require the Texas Interagency Council for the Homeless to evaluate, encourage, incentivize, and monitor the participation by service providers to the homeless throughout Texas in a regional or statewide homeless management information system for the following purposes:

· achieving statewide participation in such a system by service providers to the homeless;

· improving the collaboration and coordination of services to the homeless;

· increasing transparency and accountability in the provision of services to the homeless; and

· preventing the loss of state and federal funding for services to the homeless.

H.B. 1431 requires the council to prepare and submit quarterly reports to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs on specified topics relating to participation in homeless management information systems. The bill authorizes the council, in carrying out the bill's provisions and for the purpose of achieving the goal of statewide participation in a homeless management information system, to seek assistance from the Texas Homeless Network or any other organization in Texas with a network of service providers to the homeless.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.