Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB646 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Schwertner, Bettencourt S.B. No. 646
2		-	Buckingham
	1	+	By: Schwertner, Bettencourt, Buckingham S.B. No. 646
	2	+	(In the Senate - Filed February 10, 2021; March 11, 2021,
	3	+	read first time and referred to Committee on Local Government;
	4	+	April 1, 2021, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
	5	+	Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 3; April 1, 2021,
	6	+	sent to printer.)
	7	+	Click here to see the committee vote
	8	+	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 646 By: Nichols
3	9
4	10
5	11		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	12		AN ACT
7	13		relating to county approval of certain proposed purchases or
8	14		conversions of properties to house homeless individuals.
9	15		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	16		SECTION 1. Chapter 233, Local Government Code, is amended
11	17		by adding Subchapter G to read as follows:
12	18		SUBCHAPTER G. APPROVAL FOR PURCHASE OR USE CONVERSION OF PROPERTY
13	19		TO HOUSE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS
14		-	Sec. 233.201. COUNTY APPROVAL. (a) A political
15		-	subdivision may not purchase or contract with a private entity to
16		-	purchase property to house homeless individuals unless the
17		-	commissioners court of the county in which the property is located
18		-	approves a plan described by Section 233.202(b).
19		-	(b) A political subdivision may not convert or contract with
20		-	a private entity to convert the use of a property owned by the
21		-	political subdivision or private entity to enable the property to
22		-	house homeless individuals unless the commissioners court of the
23		-	county in which the property is located approves a plan that meets
24		-	the requirements of Section 233.202(b).
	20	+	Sec. 233.201. COUNTY APPROVAL. (a) A person, including a
	21	+	political subdivision, may not purchase property to house homeless
	22	+	individuals unless the commissioners court of the county in which
	23	+	the property is located approves a plan described by Section
	24	+	233.202(b).
	25	+	(b) A person may not convert the use of a property owned by
	26	+	the person to enable the property to house homeless individuals
	27	+	unless the commissioners court of the county in which the property
	28	+	is located approves a plan that meets the requirements of Section
	29	+	233.202(b).
25	30		Sec. 233.202. PLAN REQUIREMENTS. (a) In this section,
26	31		"proposed new residents" means homeless individuals the applicant
27	32		intends to house at the purchased or converted property.
28	33		(b) A plan required by Section 233.201 must describe:
29	34		(1) the availability of local health care for proposed
30	35		new residents, including access to Medicaid services and mental
31	36		health services;
32	37		(2) the availability of indigent services for proposed
33	38		new residents;
34	39		(3) the availability of reasonably affordable public
35	40		transportation for proposed new residents;
36	41		(4) local law enforcement resources in the area of the
37	42		property; and
38	43		(5) the steps the applicant has taken to coordinate
39	44		with the local mental health authority to provide for any proposed
40	45		new residents.
41	46		(c) An applicant shall respond to reasonable requests for
42	47		additional information made by the commissioners court regarding
43	48		the proposed property purchase or use conversion.
44		-	Sec. 233.203. NOTICE. A political subdivision that intends
45		-	to purchase or convert or to contract with a private entity for the
46		-	purchase or conversion of property to house homeless individuals
47		-	shall:
	49	+	Sec. 233.203. NOTICE. A person who intends to purchase or
	50	+	convert property to house homeless individuals shall:
48	51		(1) post notice of the proposed use of the property at
49	52		the property not later than the 61st day before the proposed date of
50	53		purchase or conversion; and
51	54		(2) publish notice of the proposed purchase or
52	55		conversion of the property for 10 consecutive days in a newspaper of
53	56		general circulation in the county in which the property is located,
54	57		with the first day being not later than the 61st day before the
55	58		proposed date of purchase or conversion.
56	59		Sec. 233.204. EXCEPTION. This subchapter does not apply to
57	60		the purchase or use conversion of a property to provide temporary
58	61		shelter or housing during a natural disaster, declared state of
59	62		emergency, or other life-threatening public emergency.
60	63		SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
61	64		a purchase or use conversion described by Subchapter G, Chapter
62	65		233, Local Government Code, as added by this Act, that is not final
63	66		on the effective date of this Act. A purchase or use conversion
64	67		that was final before the effective date of this Act is governed by
65	68		the law in effect when the purchase or use conversion was completed,
66	69		and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
67	70		SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
68	71		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
69	72		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
70	73		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
71	74		Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
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