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HB 376/FN (BR 1168) - J. Jenkins, S. Brinkman, P. Bather, K. Bratcher, T. Burch, L. Clark, P. Clark, J. Comer, R. Crimm, C. Hoffman, D. Horlander, M. Marzian, T. McKee, R. Meeks, C. Miller, S. Riggs, J. Wayne, R. Wilkey
AN ACT relating to the homelessness prevention pilot project.
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 194A to direct the Cabinet for Health Services, the Justice Cabinet, and the Cabinet for Families and Children to develop and implement a homelessness prevention pilot project that offers institutional discharge planning to persons exiting from state-operated or supervised institutions involving corrections, mental health, and foster care programs; direct the pilot project to be jointly supported by each of the cabinets, and provide for one office for the pilot project in a family resource center or Department for Community Based Services building in Jefferson County due to its urban population, and one office in Clinton, Cumberland, McCreary, or Wayne County, due to their rural population; establish the components of the pilot project to include the primary goal of preparing a limited number of persons in a foster home under supervision by the Cabinet for Families and Children, a corrections facility under the supervision by the Justice Cabinet, and mental health facility under supervision by the Cabinet for Health Services for return or reentry into the community, and to offer information about any necessary linkage of the person to needed community services and supports; require participation of the person being discharged from the foster home or facility to be voluntary; provide that at least six months prior to discharge, one of each five persons discharged will be offered the opportunity to participate in the pilot program, with a cap on persons served in each office determined by available funding and staffing requirements; require cabinets to collect information on available employment, social, housing, medical, mental health, and other community services in the county, and to develop a program of education for each of the cabinet and foster home and facility staff who will participate in the development of a discharge plan for eligible persons; require all applicable privacy and confidentiality laws to be followed; provide that six months prior to the release of a person from a foster home, corrections facility, or mental health facility, a discharge coordinator for each such facility will contact the homelessness prevention director for Jefferson County or the homelessness prevention director for Clinton, Cumberland, McCreary, or Wayne County, as appropriate, about the pending release of the person; require the director to assist the discharge coordinator with the development of a final comprehensive discharge plan that addresses the employment, health care, housing, and other needs of the person to be released; provide that the discharge plan will not be completed unless written consent, consistent with state and federal privacy laws, has been obtained from the person being released; provide that discharge may be made to appropriate housing, including but not limited to a 24-month transitional program, supportive housing, or halfway house, and that discharge to an emergency shelter is not appropriate; require discharge planning to be individualized, comprehensive, and coordinated with community-based services; provide that for persons who require follow-up treatment, appropriate treatment services shall be included in the discharge plan; require data collection and analysis; require each homelessness prevention director to have regular meetings with appropriate state cabinet and agency staff to review the pilot project and make recommendations for the benefit of the program; require each director to be assisted by a local advisory council composed of local providers of services and consumer advocates who are familiar with homelessness prevention issues, with priority for membership given to existing resources and regional mental health and substance abuse advisory councils; and require each cabinet to submit an annual report to various commissions, the Governor, and the Legislative Research Commission.
HB 376 - AMENDMENTS
HCS/FN - Retain original provisions, except clarify that participation in the pilot project is voluntary and that the corrections portion of the pilot project applies only to persons being released after serving out a sentence; and provide that the discharge plan shall also include information about education and employment services.
SCS/FN - Retain original provisions; clarify that development and implementation of the project is subject to sufficient funding being available in the Executive Budget; provide that the pilot project office in Jefferson County will serve persons intending to locate in Jefferson County after serving out their sentences from any state-operated prison in Oldham County, rather than any state correctional facility; provide that the staff members designated as the homelessness prevention coordinator for that prison shall maintain a file containing appropriate forms completed and updated by each person voluntarily participating in the project, rather than requiring the coordinator to make summaries of information; require the director for the Jefferson County pilot project office to visit the facility and work together with the discharge coordinator to assist with preparation of the final comprehensive discharge plan; and provide that the Department of Corrections shall, through an administrative regulation, develop a discharge plan that addresses the education; employment, technical, and vocational skills; and housing, medical, and mental health needs of a person who is to be released after serving out his or her sentence in a state-operated prison facility participating in the pilot project.
Jan 26-introduced in House
Jan 27-to Health and Welfare (H)
Feb 2-posted in committee
Feb 12-reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute
Feb 13-2nd reading, to Rules
Feb 17-posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Wednesday, February 18, 2004
Feb 19-3rd reading, passed 96-0 with Committee Substitute
Feb 20-received in Senate
Feb 25-to State and Local Government (S)
Mar 23-reported favorably, 1st reading, to Consent Calendar with Committee Substitute
Mar 24-2nd reading, to Rules; posted for passage in the Consent Orders of the Day for Thursday, March 25, 2004
Mar 25-passed over and retained in the Consent Orders of the Day
Mar 26-passed over and retained in the Consent Orders of the Day
Mar 29-3rd reading, passed 38-0 with Committee Substitute
Apr 12-received in House; to Rules (H); taken from committee; posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute
Apr 13-House concurred in Senate Committee Substitute ; passed 95-0; enrolled, signed by each presiding officer; delivered to Governor
Apr 22-signed by Governor (Acts ch. 147)
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