BILL NUMBER: AB 2064 AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 1, 2010 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 6, 2010 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 26, 2010 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members John A. Perez and Bass (Coauthors: Assembly Members Ammiano, Bradford, Cook, Eng, Feuer, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Galgiani, Gilmore, Jones, Ma, Saldana, Swanson, Torlakson, and Torres) FEBRUARY 18, 2010 An act to add Section 50802.6 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to housing, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2064, as amended, John A. Perez. Emergency Housing Shelter Operations Grant Account: notice of funding availability. Existing law establishes the Emergency Housing and Assistance Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, that appropriates money to the Department of Housing and Community Development for the purposes of carrying out the Emergency Housing and Assistance Program. Existing law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to issue a notice or notices of funding availability to potential applicants and designated local boards as soon as possible after funding becomes available for the Emergency Housing and Assistance Program. This bill would require the Department of Finance to make a timely determination as to the amount of General Fund moneysin the Emergency Housing Shelter Operations Grant Accountwithin the Emergency Housing and Assistance Fund. The bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development to issue a notice of funding availability to potential applicants and local boards, as applicable, indicating the amount of General Fund moneysin the Emergency Housing Shelter Operations Grant Account, as determined by the Department of Finance, that is available for the shelter operations program, no later than 30 days after the effective date of the bill and to grant awards pursuant to the notice within 180 days of its receipt . This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute. Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: 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) In recent years, California has seen a substantial increase in its homeless population as a result of the national economic downturn. (b) The state's homeless population includes many of our society's most vulnerable, including children, emancipated foster youth, the unemployed, families undergoing home foreclosure or other severe financial stress, individuals with mental health and drug addiction issues, and veterans (who make up approximately 20 percent of the state's homeless population). (c) The Department of Housing and Community Development, through the Emergency Housing and Assistance Program, awards facility operations grants from the Emergency Housing and Assistance Fund for emergency shelters, transitional housing projects, and supportive services to assist homeless individuals and families. (d) It is critically important that these facility operations grants be made available as soon as possible to fund the shelters, projects, and services necessary to alleviate the unfortunate plight of the many Californians who are currently homeless. SEC. 2. Section 50802.6 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read: 50802.6. (a) For purposes of this section, the Department of Finance shall make a timely determination as to the amount of General Fund moneys inthe Emergency Housing Shelter Operations Grant Account withinthe Emergency Housing and Assistance Fund. (b) No later than 30 days after the effective date of the act adding this section, the Department of Housing and Community Development shall issue a notice of funding availability to potential applicants and local boards, as applicable, indicating the amount specified in subdivision (a) that is available for the shelter operations program. The department shall grant awards pursuant to the notice of funding availability within 180 days after issuing that notice. SEC. 3. This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are: In order to make funds available for shelter operations as soon as possible, it is necessary for this act to take effect immediately.