AB 654

Existing law authorizes a local public agency, as defined, to establish a nonemergency “311” telephone system structured to provide access to only public safety agencies or structured to provide access to public safety agencies and to all other services provided by a local public agency. Existing law generally provides for services for homeless individuals, including the Homeless Emergency Aid program, which provides localities with one-time flexible block grant funds to address their immediate homelessness challenges, the Emergency Housing and Assistance Program, which provides moneys for the provision of shelter to homeless persons, and authorization for a county to establish a homeless adult and family multidisciplinary personnel team with the goal of facilitating the expedited identification, assessment, and linkage of homeless individuals to housing and supportive services within that county. This bill would require the County of Los Angeles to establish a homelessness resource telephone system to receive telephone calls regarding individuals who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness in order to provide those individuals with resources. By imposing new duties on the County of Los Angeles, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Los Angeles. 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 the statutory provisions noted above.