Utah Homeless Services Board Amendments

12
35A-16-102
35A-16-204
0
Utah Homeless Services Board Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Luz Escamilla
House Sponsor: Sandra Hollins
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill amends the membership of the Utah Homeless Services Board.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
defines and amends terms;
amends the membership of the Utah Homeless Services Board (board) by requiring the
board to appoint certain members to the board within a certain time frame of announcing
or recommending the location of a homeless services campus; and
makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
35A-16-102
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, First Special Session, Chapter 16
35A-16-204
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, Chapter 530
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section
35A-16-102
is amended to read:
35A-16-102
. Definitions.
As used in this chapter:
(1)
"Board" means the Utah Homeless Services Board created in Section
35A-16-204
.
(2)
"Chief executive officer" means the same as that term is defined in Section
11-51-102
.
(3)
"Client" means an individual who is experiencing homelessness or an individual at risk
of becoming homeless.
(4)
"Collaborative applicant" means the entity designated by a continuum of care to collect
and submit data and apply for funds on behalf of the continuum of care, as required by
the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
(5)
"Continuum of care" means a regional or local planning body designated by the United
States Department of Housing and Urban Development to coordinate services for
individuals experiencing homelessness within an area of the state.
(6)
"Coordinator" means the state homelessness coordinator appointed under Section
63J-4-202
.
(7)
"County of the first class" means the same as that term is defined in Section
17-60-104
.
(8)
"County of the second class" means the same as that term is defined in Section
17-60-104
.
(9)
"Eligible services" means any activities or services that mitigate the impacts of the
location of an eligible shelter, including direct services, public safety services, and
emergency services, as further defined by rule made by the office in accordance with
Title
63G, Chapter 3
, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act.
(10)
"Executive committee" means the executive committee of the board.
(11)
"Exit destination" means:
(a)
a homeless situation;
(b)
an institutional situation;
(c)
a temporary housing situation;
(d)
a permanent housing situation; or
(e)
other
situation
.
(12)
"First-tier eligible municipality" means a municipality that:
(a)
is located within:
(i)
a county of the first or second class, as classified in Section
17-60-104
; or
(ii)
a county of the third class, as classified in Section
17-60-104
, if the municipality
has a population of 100,000 or more;
(b)
as determined by the office, has or is proposed to have an eligible shelter within the
municipality's geographic boundaries within the following fiscal year;
(c)
due to the location of an eligible shelter within the municipality's geographic
boundaries, requires eligible services; and
(d)
is certified as a first-tier eligible municipality in accordance with Section
35A-16-404
.
(13)
"Homeless Management Information System" or "HMIS" means an information
technology system that:
(a)
is used to collect client-level data and data on the provision of housing and services
to homeless individuals and individuals at risk of homelessness in the state; and
(b)
meets the requirements of the United States Department of Housing and Urban
Development.
(14)
"Homeless services budget" means the comprehensive annual budget and overview of
all homeless services available in the state described in Subsection
35A-16-203(1)(b)
.
(15)
(a)
Homeless services campus" means a state homeless services campus facility
where individuals who are experiencing homelessness have access to emergency
shelter, behavioral and mental health treatment, and support services at one location.
(b)
"Homeless servoices campus" does not include a:
(i)
behavioral health transition facility, as that term is defined in Section 64-13-1;
(ii)
community correctional center, as that term is defined in Section 64-13-1;
(iii)
correctional facility, as that term is defined in Section 77-16b-102;
(iv)
medical, nursing, or psychiatric facility;
(v)
microshelter community; or
(vi)
noncongregate or overflow shelter.
(15)
(16)
"Local homeless council" means a local planning body designated by the steering
committee to coordinate services for individuals experiencing homelessness within an
area of the state.
(16)
(17)
"Office" means the Office of Homeless Services.
(17)
(18)
"Residential, vocational and life skills program" means the same as that term is
defined in Section
13-53-102
.
(18)
(19)
"Second-tier eligible municipality" means a municipality that:
(a)
is located within:
(i)
a county of the fourth, fifth, or sixth class; or
(ii)
a county of the third class, if the municipality has a population of less than
100,000;
(b)
as determined by the office, has or is proposed to have an eligible shelter within the
municipality's geographic boundaries within the following fiscal year;
(c)
due to the location of an eligible shelter within the municipality's geographic
boundaries, requires eligible services; and
(d)
is certified as a second-tier eligible municipality in accordance with Section
35A-16-404
.
(19)
(20)
(a)
"Service provider" means a state agency, a local government, or a private
organization that provides services to clients.
(b)
"Service provider" includes a correctional facility
and
,
the Administrative Office
of the Courts
, and a state homeless services campus facility
.
(20)
(21)
"Steering committee" means the Utah Homeless Network Steering Committee
created in Section
35A-16-206
.
(21)
(22)
"Strategic plan" means the statewide strategic plan to minimize homelessness in
the state described in Subsection
35A-16-203(1)(c)
.
(22)
(23)
"Type of homelessness" means:
(a)
chronic homelessness;
(b)
episodic homelessness;
(c)
situational homelessness; or
(d)
family homelessness.
Section 2. Section
35A-16-204
is amended to read:
35A-16-204
. Utah Homeless Services Board.
(1)
There is created within the office the Utah Homeless Services Board.
(2)
(a)
The board shall consist of the following members:
(i)
a representative, appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives;
(ii)
a representative, appointed by the president of the Senate;
(iii)
a private sector representative, appointed by the governor;
(iv)
a representative, appointed by the governor;
(v)
a statewide philanthropic leader, appointed by the Utah Impact Partnership or the
partnership's successor organization;
(vi)
the mayor of Salt Lake City;
(vii)
the chief executive officer appointed by the Shelter Cities Advisory Council in
accordance with Section
35A-16-210
;
(viii)
an individual with lived experience of homelessness, appointed by the chair of
the board;
(ix)
a representative, appointed by the Utah Association of Counties or the
association's successor organization;
(x)
an individual who represents the Utah Homeless Network; and
(xi)
the coordinator.
(b)
(i)
No later than 30 days after the day on which the location of a homeless services
campus, as that term is defined in Section
35A-16-102
, is announced or
recommended, an individual shall serve on the board described in Subsection
(2)(a)
who:
(A)
resides within five miles from the homeless services campus, appointed by a
community organization that advocates on behalf of residents of that area, and
which community organization shall be chosen by the office; or
(B)
if the homeless services campus is announced for the west side of Salt Lake
City, represents the west side of Salt Lake City, appointed by the Westside
Coalition.
(ii)
If a homeless services campus location is announced or recommended on or
before May 6, 2026, an individual described in Subsection
(2)(b)(i)(A)
or
(B)
shall
be appointed to the board no later than June 5, 2026.
(b)
(c)
The governor shall select a board member to serve as chair of the board.
(3)
The following four members of the board shall serve as the executive committee:
(a)
the coordinator; and
(b)
three board members chosen by the board chair, which shall include one of the
members described in Subsection
(2)(a)(vi)
or
(2)(a)(vii)
.
(4)
(a)
The board shall meet at least once per calendar quarter.
(b)
The chair, the coordinator, or three of the board members may call a board meeting.
(c)
The individual calling the meeting shall provide notice of the meeting to the board
members at least three calendar days in advance of the meeting.
(5)
A majority of the voting members of the board constitutes a quorum of the board at any
meeting, and the action of the majority of voting members present constitutes the action
of the board.
(6)
(a)
A majority of members of the executive committee constitutes a quorum of the
executive committee at any meeting, and the action of the majority of members
present constitutes the action of the executive committee.
(b)
The executive committee is exempt from the requirements described in Title 52,
Chapter 4, Open and Public Meetings Act.
(7)
(a)
Except as required by Subsection
(7)(c)
:
(i)
each appointed member of the board, other than a board member described in
Subsection
(2)(a)(vii)
, shall serve a four-year term; and
(ii)
the board member appointed in accordance with Subsection
(2)(a)(vii)
shall serve
a two-year term.
(b)
A board member may serve more than one term.
(c)
The appointing authority, at the time of appointment or reappointment, may adjust
the length of terms to ensure that the terms of board members are staggered so that
approximately half of the appointed board members are appointed every two years.
(8)
When a vacancy occurs in the appointed membership for any reason, the replacement is
appointed for the unexpired term.
(9)
(a)
Except as described in Subsection
(9)(b)
, a member may not receive
compensation or benefits for the member's service but may receive per diem and
travel expenses in accordance with:
(i)
Section
63A-3-106
;
(ii)
Section
63A-3-107
; and
(iii)
rules made by the Division of Finance in accordance with Sections
63A-3-106

and
63A-3-107
.
(b)
Compensation and expenses of a board member who is a legislator are governed by
Section
36-2-2
and Legislative Joint Rules, Title 5, Legislative Compensation and
Expenses.
(10)
The office shall provide staff and administrative support to the board.
Section 3.
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on
May 6, 2026
.
2-10-26 9:04 AM