| 1 | 1 | | 88R11009 JG-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Campos H.B. No. 2528 |
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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 the establishment of a statewide |
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| 8 | 8 | | homelessness data system. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. (a) In this section, "council" means the Texas |
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| 11 | 11 | | Interagency Council for the Homeless established under Subchapter |
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| 12 | 12 | | KK, Chapter 2306, Government Code. |
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| 13 | 13 | | (b) The council shall conduct a study on the feasibility of |
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| 14 | 14 | | establishing a statewide homelessness data system through which: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) state agencies and local governmental entities, |
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| 16 | 16 | | including law enforcement agencies, court systems, school |
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| 17 | 17 | | districts, and emergency service providers, are able to share |
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| 18 | 18 | | information related to individuals experiencing homelessness; and |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) the entities described by Subdivision (1) of this |
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| 20 | 20 | | subsection are able to access information related to individuals |
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| 21 | 21 | | experiencing homelessness in order to connect or refer those |
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| 22 | 22 | | individuals to services, including affordable housing |
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| 23 | 23 | | opportunities. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (c) In conducting the study under this section, the council |
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| 25 | 25 | | shall: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (1) consult with representatives of the entities |
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| 27 | 27 | | described by Subsection (b)(1) of this section to determine the |
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| 28 | 28 | | challenges faced by those entities in addressing homelessness and |
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| 29 | 29 | | how best to improve the responses to those challenges; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (2) assess the feasibility for the statewide |
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| 31 | 31 | | homelessness data system described by Subsection (b) of this |
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| 32 | 32 | | section to: |
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| 33 | 33 | | (A) ensure that information stored in the data |
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| 34 | 34 | | system that is confidential under state or federal law is not |
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| 35 | 35 | | disclosed; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (B) collect data from other homelessness data |
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| 37 | 37 | | systems maintained or operated by a state agency, local law |
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| 38 | 38 | | enforcement agency, or other entity of this state; and |
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| 39 | 39 | | (C) collect, aggregate, analyze, and share |
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| 40 | 40 | | homelessness information with entities that have access to the |
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| 41 | 41 | | system. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (d) Not later than October 1, 2024, the council shall |
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| 43 | 43 | | prepare and submit to the legislature and the Texas Department of |
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| 44 | 44 | | Housing and Community Affairs a written report that summarizes the |
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| 45 | 45 | | results of the study conducted under this section. |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 2. This Act expires September 1, 2025. |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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