| 1 | 1 | | 89R12924 JAM-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Campos H.B. No. 2685 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to an evaluation by the housing and health services |
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| 10 | 10 | | coordination council of the 2-1-1 services provided by the Texas |
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| 11 | 11 | | Information and Referral Network. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Section 2306.1096, Government Code, is amended |
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| 14 | 14 | | by adding Subsections (a-1), (a-2), and (b-1) and amending |
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| 15 | 15 | | Subsection (b) to read as follows: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (a-1) To help inform an expansion of service-enriched |
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| 17 | 17 | | housing throughout the state, not later than August 1 of each |
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| 18 | 18 | | even-numbered year the council shall complete and submit to the |
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| 19 | 19 | | department an evaluation of the 2-1-1 services provided by the |
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| 20 | 20 | | Texas Information and Referral Network that considers: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (1) data collection from user calls and website visits |
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| 22 | 22 | | to determine: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (A) the extent of use of 2-1-1 Texas services; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (B) demographic characteristics of 2-1-1 Texas |
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| 25 | 25 | | users; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (C) existing needs of 2-1-1 Texas users; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (D) potential marketing needs; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | (E) comparisons with similar systems in other |
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| 29 | 29 | | states; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (2) the database of the Texas Information and Referral |
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| 31 | 31 | | Network with respect to: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (A) current integration status of statewide |
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| 33 | 33 | | information and state agency resources; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (B) current integration status of regional and |
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| 35 | 35 | | local information and community resources; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (C) the process of identifying new service |
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| 37 | 37 | | providers and including those providers in the database; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (D) the monitoring of local organizations and |
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| 39 | 39 | | state agencies to ensure those entities are providing updated lists |
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| 40 | 40 | | of resources to include in the 2-1-1 Texas database; and |
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| 41 | 41 | | (E) the ability to timely update |
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| 42 | 42 | | emergency-related information into the database; |
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| 43 | 43 | | (3) 2-1-1 Texas user interviews and recommendations |
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| 44 | 44 | | with respect to a user's point-of-entry experience and satisfaction |
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| 45 | 45 | | with any community resource information or referrals resulting from |
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| 46 | 46 | | the use of the service, and any other applicable 2-1-1 Texas user |
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| 47 | 47 | | recommendations; |
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| 48 | 48 | | (4) referral outcome statistics for 2-1-1 Texas users; |
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| 49 | 49 | | and |
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| 50 | 50 | | (5) 2-1-1 Texas leadership interviews and |
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| 51 | 51 | | recommendations with respect to: |
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| 52 | 52 | | (A) technology and communication enhancements, |
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| 53 | 53 | | including texting and a two-way application programming interface; |
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| 54 | 54 | | (B) measures designed to connect specialized |
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| 55 | 55 | | populations with available state and local services; |
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| 56 | 56 | | (C) practices that support area information |
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| 57 | 57 | | centers in any efforts to join with community partners to engage in |
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| 58 | 58 | | special projects that leverage the 2-1-1 Texas platform, |
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| 59 | 59 | | technology, and system; and |
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| 60 | 60 | | (D) increasing innovation, efficiency, and |
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| 61 | 61 | | system integration with state agencies and community partners. |
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| 62 | 62 | | (a-2) The Texas Information and Referral Network shall work |
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| 63 | 63 | | with the council to determine what de-identified information could |
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| 64 | 64 | | be included in the evaluation required under Subsection (a-1) to |
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| 65 | 65 | | improve the provision of service-enriched housing. |
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| 66 | 66 | | (b) The council shall develop a biennial plan to: |
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| 67 | 67 | | (1) implement the goals described by Subsection (a); |
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| 68 | 68 | | and |
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| 69 | 69 | | (2) improve the delivery of community resource |
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| 70 | 70 | | information and referrals by considering the results of the |
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| 71 | 71 | | evaluations conducted under Subsection (a-1). |
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| 72 | 72 | | (b-1) The department may use funds from general revenue to |
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| 73 | 73 | | contract for services on behalf of the council in relation to the |
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| 74 | 74 | | council's duties under Subsection (a-1). |
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| 75 | 75 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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