Bill Text: CA AB1875 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Homelessness: Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-04-13 - In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author. [AB1875 Detail]
Download: California-2009-AB1875-Amended.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 1875 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 25, 2010
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Fong
FEBRUARY 16, 2010
An act to amend Section 12301.5 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code, relating to public social services.
An act to add Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 8260) to Division 8
of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to public
social services.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1875, as amended, Fong. In-home supportive services.
Homelessness: Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Under existing law, several agencies have prescribed
responsibilities relating to homeless persons.
This bill would create the California Interagency Council on
Homelessness, composed of specified members and performing duties as
prescribed, to construct cross-agency and community cooperation in
responding to homelessness, and to identify and apply for increased
federal funding to respond to homelessness.
Existing law provides for the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)
program, under which, either through employment by the recipient, or
by or through a contract by the county, a nonprofit consortium, or a
public authority, qualified aged, blind, and disabled persons receive
services enabling them to remain in their homes.
This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to an
In-Home Supportive Services program provision.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no
yes . State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all
of the following:
(a) California has the highest rate of homelessness and the
highest ratio of homeless people per resident, with 360,000 people
sleeping on the streets or in shelters on any given night.
(b) Homelessness is traumatic for those who suffer it, often
leading to separated families, exacerbation of health conditions, a
rise in avoidable emergency room use, social and academic delays
among children, and greater likelihood of incarceration.
(c) Many people who lack permanent shelter and the ability to
access regular support ricochet through separate and expensive public
systems: overburdened corrections systems, overcrowded hospital
emergency rooms, mental health programs, substance abuse treatment
and detox facilities, shelters, and emergency housing. As a result,
people experiencing chronic homelessness use a disproportionate share
of state and local services.
(d) Innovative approaches across the nation and within California
show promise for reducing homelessness and the resulting impact on
state services.
(e) Changing the system and reducing homelessness requires
coordination and cooperation among federal, state, and local
governments, as well as private sector organizations.
(f) Creation of a statewide coordinating council is an important
and effective tool in supporting initiatives to end homelessness in
California.
(g) Creation of a statewide coordinating council would stem
avoidable costs of maintaining the number of homeless persons and
would, therefore, result in reducing avoidable costs to multiple
programs.
(h) Homelessness affects multiple systems in California at a very
high public cost, including housing, mental health and substance
abuse, education, corrections, foster care, health care, and veterans
services. Reducing homelessness would produce cost savings for all
these systems. Though most other states have adopted a plan to end
homelessness because of the cost impact on all of these systems,
California has not crafted a similar plan. A codified, structured
interagency council on homelessness would help fill this gap.
(i) In November 2005, Governor Schwarzenegger created the Governor'
s Homeless Initiative, which included plans to form an interagency
coordinating council to reduce homelessness. The Business,
Transportation and Housing Agency's 2005-10 Consolidated Plan further
indicates the importance of an interagency council on homelessness.
Despite these intentions, a council has not met regularly or publicly
since the Governor adopted his Homeless Initiative.
(j) California must give priority to developing consolidated,
coordinated, and cooperative approaches to issues of homelessness,
including, but not limited to, specific issues addressing homeless
youth, families, veterans, parolees, victims of domestic violence,
people with substance abuse or other mental health disorders, people
experiencing chronic homelessness, seniors, and disabled people.
(k) Working within current costs, a revitalized Interagency
Council on Homelessness will reduce duplication of efforts and the
costs of homelessness and will redirect resources to more effective
approaches, developing a more integrated system and eliminating
fragmentation. Other states have created interagency councils without
initial investment of resources.
(l) California is not accessing all of the federal funds for
homeless that it should due to a lack of coordination among some
agencies. Thirty other states apply for "balance of state" funds
through the McKinney-Vento Homelessness Assistance Grant Program.
Application for these funds requires state agency collaboration, and
could result in millions of dollars.
SEC. 2. Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 8260)
is added to Division 8 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code , to read:
CHAPTER 7. CALIFORNIA INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS
8260. For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions
shall apply:
(a) "Council" means the California Interagency Council on
Homelessness.
(b) "Stakeholder organization" means a nonprofit or faith-based
organization whose primary mission is to prevent or end homelessness,
to provide services or health care to people who are homeless, or to
create housing for people who are homeless.
8261. (a) There is hereby created in state government the
California Interagency Council on Homelessness with a mission to
construct cross-agency and community cooperation in responding to
homelessness and to identify and apply for increased federal funding
to respond to homelessness.
(b) The Governor shall designate a lead agency or representative
from the Governor's staff to direct the work of the council.
(c) The council shall seek all available federal funding,
including, but not limited to, McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
(42 U.S.C. Sec. 11301 et seq.) grant and technical assistance funds,
for purposes of funding the council and its activities.
(d) Membership of the council shall include all of the following:
(1) At least one representative with decisionmaking authority from
each of the following:
(A) The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
(B) The Department of Housing and Community Development.
(C) The State Department of Mental Health.
(D) The State Department of Social Services.
(E) The Department of Veterans Affairs.
(2) Two representatives among local law enforcement, city, county,
or city and county government, or organizations representing these
interests. One representative appointed by the Senate Committee on
Rules, the other representative appointed by the Speaker of the
Assembly.
(3) Representatives of two stakeholder organizations, with one to
be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly and the other to be
appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.
(4) Two people who have experienced homelessness, with one to be
appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly and the other to be
appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.
(e) The council may, at its discretion, invite stakeholders,
people who have experienced homelessness, members of philanthropic
communities, and experts to participate in meetings or provide
information to the council.
(f) The Governor shall appoint a chairperson and vice-chairperson
from among the members of the council. Within current costs, the
council may establish working groups, task forces, or other
structures from within its membership or with outside members to
assist it in its work. Working groups, task forces, or other
structures established by the council shall determine their own
meeting schedules.
(g) Members of the council shall serve without compensation,
except that consumer representatives shall receive minimal
compensation if non-General Fund money is available.
8262. (a) The council shall do all of the following:
(1) Hold public meetings at least once every quarter.
(2) Provide an updated state plan to end homelessness every two
years and submit the plan to the Speaker of the Assembly and the
Senate Committee on Rules.
(b) Additionally the council may, but is not required to, do the
following:
(1) Act as the lead for coordinating and planning the state's
response to homelessness if necessary as a requirement for
application for federal funding sources.
(2) Discuss potential mechanisms for streamlining the
administration of programs across agencies and jurisdictions to
reduce duplication, consolidate availability of services, and ease
clients' access to services.
(3) Discuss potential mechanisms for streamlining funding of
homelessness programs to leverage existing resources more
effectively.
(4) Solicit input and suggestions from stakeholders, the business
community, the concerned public, and other governmental agencies on
the most effective strategies to address homelessness.
(5) Identify best practices from other states in combating
homelessness.
(6) Identify private and public funding partnerships.
(c) The council may engage or accept the services of agency
personnel, contract with nonprofit organizations, or employ council
staff to operate, manage, or conduct the business of the council,
only if this is provided by private, philanthropic, or other nonstate
funding resources available for that purpose, or the Legislature
makes a future appropriation for that purpose.
8263. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the council
shall operate within the current budget of each department and agency
represented. Each department and agency shall cooperate with the
council and furnish it with information and assistance that is
necessary or useful to further the purposes of this chapter.
SECTION 1. Section 12301.5 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code is amended to read:
12301.5. The department may secure to the extent feasible in-home
supportive and other health services for persons eligible under this
article to which they are entitled under the Medi-Cal Act (Chapter 7
(commencing with Section 14000)).
