| 1 | 1 | | 84R9982 ADM-F |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Turner of Harris H.B. No. 4013 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to studies on homeless veterans and youth. |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 2306, Government Code, is amended by |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | adding Subchapter OO to read as follows: |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | SUBCHAPTER OO. HOMELESS VETERANS AND YOUTH |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 2306.1101. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | (1) "Homeless veteran" means a person who has served |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | on active duty in the armed forces of the United States or in the |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | state military forces as defined by Section 437.001 and who: |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | (A) lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | nighttime residence, including a person who is: |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | (i) temporarily allowed to stay in the |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | house of another person due to loss of housing; |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | (ii) temporarily living in a motel or |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | hotel; |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | (iii) living in an emergency shelter; or |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | (iv) abandoned in a hospital; |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | (B) has a primary nighttime residence that is a |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | public or private place not designed or ordinarily used as a regular |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | sleeping accommodation for humans; or |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | (C) is living in a car, park, other public space, |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | abandoned building, substandard housing, bus or train station, or |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | similar setting. |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | (2) "Homeless youth" means a person who is younger |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | than 25 years of age, including a migratory child as defined by |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | Section 1309, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | U.S.C. Section 6399), and who: |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | (A) lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | nighttime residence, including a person who is: |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | (i) temporarily allowed to stay in the |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | house of another person due to loss of housing; |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | (ii) temporarily living in a motel or |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | hotel; |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | (iii) living in an emergency shelter; |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | (iv) abandoned in a hospital; or |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | (v) awaiting foster care placement; |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | (B) has a primary nighttime residence that is a |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | public or private place not designed or ordinarily used as a regular |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | sleeping accommodation for humans; or |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | (C) is living in a car, park, other public space, |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | abandoned building, substandard housing, bus or train station, or |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | similar setting. |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | Sec. 2306.1102. STUDY ON HOMELESS VETERANS. (a) The |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | department, in conjunction with the Department of Family and |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | Protective Services, the Texas Veterans Commission, the Texas |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | Workforce Commission, and the Texas Homeless Education Office, |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | shall conduct a study on homeless veterans. |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | (b) In conducting the study, the department shall: |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | (1) collect data on the number of homeless veterans in |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | this state; |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | (2) examine the needs of homeless veterans and the |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | degree to which current programs are meeting those needs; and |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | (3) identify any sources of funding that might be |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | available to provide services to homeless veterans. |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | (c) The department shall submit a report on the study to the |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | legislature not later than December 1, 2016. The report must |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | include a summary of the information resulting from the study and |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | recommendations for changes in law necessary to provide services to |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | or otherwise assist homeless veterans. |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | Sec. 2306.1103. STUDY ON HOMELESS YOUTH. (a) The |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | department, in conjunction with the Department of Family and |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | Protective Services, the Texas Education Agency, and the Texas |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | Homeless Education Office, shall conduct a study on homeless youth. |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | (b) In conducting the study, the department shall: |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | (1) collect data on the number of homeless youth in |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | this state; |
|---|
| 73 | 73 | | (2) examine the needs of homeless youth and the degree |
|---|
| 74 | 74 | | to which current programs are meeting those needs; and |
|---|
| 75 | 75 | | (3) identify any sources of funding that might be |
|---|
| 76 | 76 | | available to provide services to homeless youth. |
|---|
| 77 | 77 | | (c) The department shall submit a report on the study to the |
|---|
| 78 | 78 | | legislature not later than December 1, 2016. The report must |
|---|
| 79 | 79 | | include a summary of the information resulting from the study and |
|---|
| 80 | 80 | | recommendations for changes in law necessary to provide services to |
|---|
| 81 | 81 | | or otherwise assist homeless youth. |
|---|
| 82 | 82 | | Sec. 2306.1104. EXPIRATION. This subchapter expires |
|---|
| 83 | 83 | | September 1, 2017. |
|---|
| 84 | 84 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 85 | 85 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 86 | 86 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 87 | 87 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 88 | 88 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
|---|