| 1 | 1 | | 83R8021 ADM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Turner of Harris, N. Gonzalez of El Paso H.B. No. 2240 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to a study on homeless youth. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 2306, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 10 | 10 | | adding Subchapter OO to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SUBCHAPTER OO. HOMELESS YOUTH |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 2306.1101. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "homeless |
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| 13 | 13 | | youth" means a person who is younger than 25 years of age who: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime |
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| 15 | 15 | | residence, including a person who is: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (A) sharing the housing of another person due to |
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| 17 | 17 | | loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; |
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| 18 | 18 | | (B) living in a hotel, motel, trailer park, or |
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| 19 | 19 | | camping ground due to a lack of alternative adequate accommodation; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (C) living in an emergency or transitional |
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| 21 | 21 | | shelter; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (D) abandoned in a hospital; or |
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| 23 | 23 | | (E) awaiting foster care placement; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) has a primary nighttime residence that is a public |
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| 25 | 25 | | or private place not designed or ordinarily used as a regular |
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| 26 | 26 | | sleeping accommodation for humans; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (3) is living in a car, park, other public space, |
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| 28 | 28 | | abandoned building, substandard housing, bus or train station, or |
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| 29 | 29 | | similar setting; or |
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| 30 | 30 | | (4) is a migratory child, as defined by Section 1309, |
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| 31 | 31 | | Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. Section |
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| 32 | 32 | | 6399), who qualifies as homeless under Subdivision (1), (2), or |
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| 33 | 33 | | (3). |
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| 34 | 34 | | Sec. 2306.1102. STUDY ON HOMELESS YOUTH. (a) The |
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| 35 | 35 | | department, in conjunction with the Department of Family and |
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| 36 | 36 | | Protective Services, the Texas Education Agency, and the Texas |
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| 37 | 37 | | Homeless Education Office, shall conduct a study on homeless youth. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (b) In conducting the study, the department shall: |
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| 39 | 39 | | (1) collect data on the number of homeless youth in |
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| 40 | 40 | | this state; |
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| 41 | 41 | | (2) examine the needs of homeless youth and the degree |
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| 42 | 42 | | to which current programs are meeting those needs; and |
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| 43 | 43 | | (3) identify any sources of funding that might be |
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| 44 | 44 | | available to provide services to homeless youth. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (c) The department shall submit a report on the study to the |
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| 46 | 46 | | legislature not later than December 1, 2014. The report must |
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| 47 | 47 | | include a summary of the information resulting from the study and |
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| 48 | 48 | | recommendations for changes in law necessary to provide services to |
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| 49 | 49 | | or otherwise assist homeless youth. |
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| 50 | 50 | | (d) This section expires September 1, 2015. |
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| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 52 | 52 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 53 | 53 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 54 | 54 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 55 | 55 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
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