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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
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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.
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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