1     
HOUSING AND HOMELESS AMENDMENTS

2     
2016 GENERAL SESSION

3     
STATE OF UTAH

4     
Chief Sponsor: Rebecca Chavez-Houck

5     
Senate Sponsor: Jim Dabakis

6     

7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill modifies provisions related to the Homeless Coordinating Committee.
10     Highlighted Provisions:
11          This bill:
12          ▸     requires the Homeless Coordinating Committee to review data gathering and
13     reporting efforts related to homelessness in the state; and
14          ▸     makes technical and conforming changes.
15     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
16          None
17     Other Special Clauses:
18          None
19     Utah Code Sections Affected:
20     AMENDS:
21          35A-8-602, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2014, Chapter 371
22     

23     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
24          Section 1. Section 35A-8-602 is amended to read:
25          35A-8-602. Purposes of Homeless Coordinating Committee -- Uses of Pamela
26     Atkinson Homeless Account.
27          (1) (a) The Homeless Coordinating Committee shall work to ensure that services

28     provided to the homeless by state agencies, local governments, and private organizations are
29     provided in a cost-effective manner.
30          (b) Programs funded by the committee shall emphasize emergency housing and
31     self-sufficiency, including placement in meaningful employment or occupational training
32     activities and, where needed, special services to meet the unique needs of the homeless who:
33          (i) have families with children;
34          (ii) have a disability or a mental illness; or
35          (iii) suffer from other serious challenges to employment and self-sufficiency.
36          (c) The committee may also fund treatment programs to ameliorate the effects of
37     substance abuse or a disability.
38          (d) Before October 1, 2016, the committee shall conduct a needs assessment or
39     contract with another state agency or private entity to conduct a needs assessment that:
40          (i) identifies desired statewide outcomes related to minimizing homelessness;
41          (ii) reviews technology used for data gathering by state, county and local governments
42     and private organizations for reporting information about, and providing service to, homeless
43     individuals in the state, including an evaluation of:
44          (A) the functionality of existing databases;
45          (B) the ability to expand and tailor existing databases to better serve the needs of
46     homeless individuals; and
47          (C) the ability of the technology to ensure proper privacy restrictions and sharing
48     between reporting entities, including those addressing domestic violence, as allowed by federal
49     privacy regulations;
50          (iii) identifies gaps between the data described in Subsection (1)(d)(i) and the data
51     needed to implement best practices in minimizing homelessness and achieve the outcomes
52     identified in accordance with this Subsection (1)(d);
53          (iv) evaluates the technical capacity of existing databases and information technology
54     systems used to gather and report data related to homelessness and identifies improvements
55     needed to better serve the homeless population and meet the needs of all stakeholders;
56          (v) identifies opportunities to align data gathering and reporting related to
57     homelessness with state efforts to reduce intergenerational poverty, incarceration, and
58     recidivism rates; and

59          (vi) makes recommendations regarding the needed improvements related to this
60     Subsection (1)(d) and outlines steps for implementing the recommendations.
61          (e) Before October 1, 2016, the committee shall report to the department the findings
62     and recommendations of the needs assessment described in Subsection (1)(d) for inclusion in
63     the annual written report described in Section 35A-1-109.
64          (2) The committee members designated in Subsection 35A-8-601(2) shall:
65          (a) award contracts funded by the Pamela Atkinson Homeless Account with the advice
66     and input of those designated in Subsection 35A-8-601(3);
67          (b) consider need, diversity of geographic location, coordination with or enhancement
68     of existing services, and the extensive use of volunteers in awarding contracts described in
69     Subsection (2)(a); and
70          (c) give priority for funding to programs that serve the homeless who have a mental
71     illness and who are in families with children.
72          (3) (a) In any fiscal year, no more than 80% of the funds in the Pamela Atkinson
73     Homeless Account may be allocated to organizations that provide services only in Salt Lake,
74     Davis, Weber, and Utah Counties.
75          (b) The committee may:
76          (i) expend up to 3% of its annual appropriation for administrative costs associated with
77     the allocation of funds from the Pamela Atkinson Homeless Account, and up to 2% of its
78     annual appropriation for marketing the account and soliciting donations to the account; and
79          (ii) pay for the initial costs of the State Tax Commission in implementing Section
80     59-10-1306 from the account.
81          [(4) (a) The committee may not expend, except as provided in Subsection (4)(b), an
82     amount equal to the greater of $50,000 or 20% of the amount donated to the Pamela Atkinson
83     Homeless Account during fiscal year 1988-89.]
84          [(b)] (4) If there are decreases in contributions to the account, the committee may
85     expend money held in the account to provide program stability, but the committee shall
86     reimburse the amount of those expenditures to the account.
87          (5) The committee shall make an annual report to the department regarding the
88     programs and services funded by contributions to the Pamela Atkinson Homeless Account for
89     inclusion in the annual written report described in Section 35A-1-109.

90          (6) The state treasurer shall invest the money in the Pamela Atkinson Homeless
91     Account according to the procedures and requirements of Title 51, Chapter 7, State Money
92     Management Act, except that interest and other earnings derived from the restricted account
93     shall be deposited in the restricted account.






Legislative Review Note
Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel