| 5 | 3 | | |
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| 6 | 4 | | |
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| 7 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 7 | | relating to the development of neighborhood and community |
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| 10 | 8 | | engagement plans for residents of certain group homes. |
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| 11 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 161, Human Resources Code, |
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| 13 | 11 | | is amended by adding Section 161.089 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 12 | | Sec. 161.089. NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLANS |
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| 15 | 13 | | FOR GROUP HOMES. (a) For purposes of this section, "group home" |
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| 16 | 14 | | means: |
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| 17 | 15 | | (1) a residence in which residential support or |
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| 18 | 16 | | supervised living is provided through the Home and Community-Based |
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| 19 | 17 | | Services waiver program; or |
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| 20 | 18 | | (2) a residence in which fewer than seven persons |
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| 21 | 19 | | reside and in which services are provided through the intermediate |
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| 22 | 20 | | care facility for individuals with an intellectual disability or |
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| 23 | 21 | | related condition program. |
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| 24 | 22 | | (b) An operator of a group home shall develop and maintain a |
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| 25 | 23 | | neighborhood and community engagement plan to promote positive |
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| 26 | 24 | | relationships between community members and residents of the group |
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| 27 | 25 | | home. The plan must: |
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| 28 | 26 | | (1) address barriers to and facilitate meaningful |
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| 29 | 27 | | neighborhood and community interaction and involvement by |
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| 30 | 28 | | residents of the group home; |
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| 31 | 29 | | (2) protect the civil rights of residents of the group |
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| 32 | 30 | | home; and |
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| 33 | 31 | | (3) protect the rights to which residents of the group |
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| 34 | 32 | | home are entitled under the Health Insurance Portability and |
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| 35 | 33 | | Accountability Act of 1996 (Pub. L. No. 104-191) and state and |
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| 36 | 34 | | federal fair housing laws. |
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| 37 | 35 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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