| 1 | 1 | | By: Lopez of Bexar H.B. No. 428 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to the creation of a task force to evaluate the housing |
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| 7 | 7 | | needs of senior citizens who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, |
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| 8 | 8 | | transgender, queer, or questioning. |
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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, "task force" means the task |
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| 11 | 11 | | force established under this section. |
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| 12 | 12 | | (b) The task force is established to evaluate the housing |
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| 13 | 13 | | needs of senior citizens who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, |
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| 14 | 14 | | transgender, queer, or questioning and to develop potential housing |
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| 15 | 15 | | solutions to address those needs and provide to those senior |
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| 16 | 16 | | citizens safe, affordable housing options. In conducting the |
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| 17 | 17 | | evaluation, the task force shall assess the evolving housing needs |
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| 18 | 18 | | of senior citizens who may need to transition into a long-term care |
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| 19 | 19 | | facility, including an assisted living facility or a nursing |
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| 20 | 20 | | facility. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (c) The task force is composed of the following 10 members: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) the chair of the LGBTQ caucus of the house of |
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| 23 | 23 | | representatives, to serve as presiding officer of the task force; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) three members appointed by the governor; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (3) three members appointed by the lieutenant |
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| 26 | 26 | | governor; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | (4) three members appointed by the speaker of the |
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| 28 | 28 | | house of representatives. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (d) In making the appointments under Subsection (c) of this |
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| 30 | 30 | | section, the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the |
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| 31 | 31 | | house of representatives shall each: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (1) seek input from appropriately qualified |
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| 33 | 33 | | organizations and stakeholders, including the Coalition for Aging |
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| 34 | 34 | | LGBT and Equality Texas; and |
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| 35 | 35 | | (2) appoint: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (A) an appropriately qualified individual who is |
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| 37 | 37 | | a representative of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, |
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| 38 | 38 | | or questioning community; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (B) an individual with appropriate expertise on |
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| 40 | 40 | | issues faced by the aging population, which may be a representative |
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| 41 | 41 | | of the Coalition for Aging LGBT, assisted living facilities, or |
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| 42 | 42 | | nursing facilities; and |
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| 43 | 43 | | (C) an individual with appropriate expertise in |
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| 44 | 44 | | the area of public safety and housing, which may be a representative |
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| 45 | 45 | | of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (e) The governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the |
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| 47 | 47 | | house of representatives shall each make the appointments required |
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| 48 | 48 | | by Subsection (c) of this section not later than November 1, 2023. |
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| 49 | 49 | | (f) The task force shall meet at the call of the presiding |
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| 50 | 50 | | officer. The task force may meet in person or by electronic means. |
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| 51 | 51 | | (g) A task force member is not entitled to compensation for |
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| 52 | 52 | | service on the task force but may be reimbursed for actual and |
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| 53 | 53 | | necessary expenses incurred in performing task force duties. The |
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| 54 | 54 | | task force may accept gifts, grants, and donations to pay for those |
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| 55 | 55 | | expenses. |
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| 56 | 56 | | (h) Not later than September 1, 2024, the task force shall |
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| 57 | 57 | | prepare and submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the |
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| 58 | 58 | | legislature, and the Texas Department of Housing and Community |
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| 59 | 59 | | Affairs a written report summarizing the results of the evaluation |
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| 60 | 60 | | conducted under Subsection (b) of this section and proposing |
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| 61 | 61 | | potential housing solutions, including any legislative |
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| 62 | 62 | | recommendations. |
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| 63 | 63 | | (i) The task force is abolished and this Act expires |
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| 64 | 64 | | December 1, 2024. |
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| 65 | 65 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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