BILL NUMBER: AB 2256	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Maienschein

                        FEBRUARY 18, 2016

   An act to add Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 8260) to Division
8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to homelessness.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2256, as introduced, Maienschein. Homelessness: report.
   Existing law provides for various programs to provide services for
people who are homeless within the California Health and Human
Services Agency.
   This bill would require a homeless services provider to submit a
report, as provided, to the California Health and Human Services
Agency that contains specified data regarding homeless children or
youth and homeless persons. The bill would define, among other
things, a "homeless services provider" to mean a governmental or
nonprofit agency that receives federal, state, or county or municipal
funding to provide services to homeless children or youth and
homeless persons or that is otherwise sanctioned to provide those
services by a local homeless continuum of care organization. The bill
would require the data reported to the California Health and Human
Services Agency to be published on the California Health and Human
Services Open Data Portal.
   By imposing new duties upon local governments, this bill would
impose a state-mandated local program.
   The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
   This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates
determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state,
reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these
statutory provisions.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares both of the
following:
   (a) The purpose of asking homeless services providers to submit
the information required by this act is to develop a statewide
database of information regarding homeless children or youth and
homeless persons and the public services being used.
   (b) The data will enable state and local governments to develop
better programs to target the needs of these individuals and utilize
funding and other resources in the most efficient manner.
  SEC. 2.  Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 8260) is added to
Division 8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:
      CHAPTER 7.  HOMELESSNESS REPORT


   8260.  (a) On or before January 1, 2018, and on or before January
1 each year thereafter, a homeless services provider shall submit a
report to the California Health and Human Services Agency that
contains all of the following data for the previous calendar year
regarding homeless children or youth and homeless persons:
   (1) The number of ambulance rides.
   (2) The number of hospital stays and length of each stay.
   (3) The number of emergency room visits.
   (4) The number of arrests and length of each incarceration.
   (5) The number of homeless children or youth and homeless persons
using services provided by the homeless services provider.
   (6) Census data.
   (b) The report shall be submitted in an open format that meets all
of the following requirements:
   (1) Retrievable, downloadable, indexable, and electronically
searchable by commonly used Internet search applications.
   (2) Platform independent and machine readable.
   (3) Available to the public free of charge and without any
restriction that would impede the reuse or distribution of the data,
if applicable.
   (4) Retains the data definitions and structure present when the
data was compiled, if applicable.
   (c) The data reported to the California Health and Human Services
Agency shall be published on the California Health and Human Services
Open Data Portal.
   (d) A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be
submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
   (e) For purposes of this section, all of the following definitions
shall apply:
   (1) "Homeless children or youth" has the same definition as that
term is defined in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42
U.S.C. Sec. 11301 et seq.).
   (2) "Homeless persons" has the same definition as that term in
defined in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec.
11301 et seq.).
   (3) "Homeless services provider" means a governmental or nonprofit
agency that receives federal, state, or county or municipal funding
to provide services to homeless children or youth and homeless
persons or that is otherwise sanctioned to provide those services by
a local homeless continuum of care organization.
  SEC. 3.  If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this
act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local
agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant
to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of
the Government Code.