A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, and the United States Housing Act of 1937 to enhance and expand the assistance provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to homeless veterans and veterans at risk of homelessness, and for other purposes.

Summary: Zero Tolerance for Veterans Homelessness Act of 2012 - Allows grants made by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) for homeless veterans' comprehensive services programs (outreach, rehabilitation, vocational counseling, and transitional housing assistance) to be used for the construction of new facilities. Prohibits the Secretary from denying applications for such grants solely on the basis that the grant entity proposes to use funding from other private or public sources, as long as such entity demonstrates that a private nonprofit organization will provide project oversight and site control. Requires the Secretary to: (1) study matters relating to the method used to make per diem payments to grant recipients, (2) develop more effective and efficient procedures for fiscal control and fund accounting by grant recipients, and (3) develop a more effective and efficient method for adequately reimbursing grant recipients for services furnished to homeless veterans.

Amends the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act to establish in the Department of Housing and Development (HUD) a Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs.

Directs the Secretary to submit to Congress a comprehensive plan to end homelessness among veterans. Requires the plan to include consideration of the circumstances and requirements unique to veterans located in rural areas.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Zero Tolerance for Veterans 
Homelessness Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Veterans are at a greater risk of becoming homeless 
        than other people in the United States because of 
        characteristics that include the following:
                    (A) Having employment-related skills that are 
                unique to military service and that can be difficult to 
                transfer to the civilian sector.
                    (B) Combat-related health issues.
                    (C) Earning minimal income or being unemployed.
                    (D) A shortage of safe, affordable housing.
            (2) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs estimates the 
        following:
                    (A) More than 67,000 veterans are homeless on any 
                given night.
                    (B) About 145,000 veterans experience homelessness 
                each year.
                    (C) Veterans account for nearly \1/5\ of all 
                homeless people in the United States.
            (3) It is expected that significant increases in services 
        will be needed to serve the aging veterans of the Vietnam War 
        and members of the Armed Forces returning from service in Iraq 
        and Afghanistan.
            (4) In 2009, the President and the Secretary of Veterans 
        Affairs announced the Federal Government's renewed efforts to 
        address veteran homelessness.

SEC. 3. ENHANCEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE PROGRAMS.

    (a) Enhancement of Grants.--Section 2011 of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(1)(A), by striking ``expansion, 
        remodeling, or alteration of existing buildings, or acquisition 
        of facilities,'' and inserting ``new construction of 
        facilities, expansion, remodeling, or alteration of existing 
        facilities, or acquisition of facilities,''; and
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in the first sentence, by striking ``A grant'' 
                and inserting ``(1) A grant'';
                    (B) in the second sentence of paragraph (1), as 
                designated by subparagraph (A), by striking ``The 
                amount'' and inserting the following:
    ``(2) The amount''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
    ``(3)(A) The Secretary may not deny an application from an entity 
that seeks a grant under this section to carry out a project described 
in subsection (b)(1)(A) solely on the basis that the entity proposes to 
use funding from other private or public sources, if the entity 
demonstrates that a private nonprofit organization will provide 
oversight and site control for the project.
    ``(B) In this paragraph, the term `private nonprofit organization' 
means the following:
            ``(i) An incorporated private institution, organization, or 
        foundation--
                    ``(I) that has received, or has temporary clearance 
                to receive, tax-exempt status under paragraph (2), (3), 
                or (19) of section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code 
                of 1986;
                    ``(II) for which no part of the net earnings of the 
                institution, organization, or foundation inures to the 
                benefit of any member, founder, or contributor of the 
                institution, organization, or foundation; and
                    ``(III) that the Secretary determines is 
                financially responsible.
            ``(ii) A for-profit limited partnership or limited 
        liability company, the sole general partner or manager of which 
        is an organization that is described by subclauses (I) through 
        (III) of clause (i).
            ``(iii) A corporation wholly owned and controlled by an 
        organization that is described by subclauses (I) through (III) 
        of clause (i).''.
    (b) Grant and Per Diem Payments.--
            (1) Study and development of fiscal controls and payment 
        method.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
        of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall--
                    (A) complete a study of all matters relating to the 
                method used by the Secretary to make per diem payments 
                under section 2012(a) of title 38, United States Code, 
                including changes anticipated by the Secretary in the 
                cost of furnishing services to homeless veterans and 
                accounting for costs of providing such services in 
                various geographic areas;
                    (B) develop more effective and efficient procedures 
                for fiscal control and fund accounting by recipients of 
                grants under sections 2011, 2012, and 2061 of such 
                title; and
                    (C) develop a more effective and efficient method 
                for adequately reimbursing recipients of grants under 
                section 2011 of such title for services furnished to 
                homeless veterans.
            (2) Consideration.--In developing the method required by 
        paragraph (1)(C), the Secretary may consider payments and 
        grants received by recipients of grants described in such 
        paragraph from other departments and agencies of Federal and 
        local governments and from private entities.
            (3) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
        report on--
                    (A) the findings of the Secretary with respect to 
                the study required by subparagraph (A) of paragraph 
                (1);
                    (B) the methods developed under subparagraphs (B) 
                and (C) of such paragraph; and
                    (C) any recommendations of the Secretary for 
                revising the method described in subparagraph (A) of 
                such paragraph and any legislative action the Secretary 
                considers necessary to implement such method.

SEC. 4. SPECIAL ASSISTANT FOR VETERANS AFFAIRS IN OFFICE OF SECRETARY 
              OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.

    Section 4 of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act 
(42 U.S.C. 3533) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection:
    ``(h) Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--There shall be in the Department a 
        Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs, who shall be in the 
        Office of the Secretary.
            ``(2) Appointment.--The Special Assistant for Veterans 
        Affairs shall be appointed by the Secretary, based solely on 
        merit and shall be covered under the provisions of title 5, 
        United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive 
        service.
            ``(3) Responsibilities.--The Special Assistant for Veterans 
        Affairs shall be responsible for--
                    ``(A) ensuring that veterans have access to housing 
                and homeless assistance under each program of the 
                Department providing such assistance;
                    ``(B) coordinating all programs and activities of 
                the Department relating to veterans;
                    ``(C) serving as a liaison for the Department with 
                the Department of Veterans Affairs; and
                    ``(D) carrying out such other duties as may be 
                assigned to the Special Assistant by the Secretary or 
                by law.''.

SEC. 5. PLAN TO END VETERAN HOMELESSNESS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit 
to Congress a comprehensive plan to end homelessness among veterans.
    (b) Elements.--The plan required by subsection (a) shall include 
the following:
            (1) An analysis of programs of the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs and other departments and agencies of the Federal 
        Government that are designed to prevent homelessness among 
        veterans and assist veterans who are homeless.
            (2) An evaluation of whether and how coordination between 
        the programs described in paragraph (1) would contribute to 
        ending homelessness among veterans.
            (3) Recommendations for improving the programs described in 
        paragraph (1), enhancing coordination between such programs, or 
        eliminating programs that are no longer effective.
            (4) Recommendations for new programs to prevent and end 
        homelessness among veterans, including an estimation of the 
        cost of such programs.
            (5) A timeline for implementing the plan, including 
        milestones to track the implementation of the plan.
            (6) Benchmarks to measure the effectiveness of the plan and 
        the efforts of the Secretary to implement the plan.
            (7) Such other matters as the Secretary considers 
        necessary.
    (c) Consideration of Veterans Located in Rural Areas.--The 
analysis, evaluation, and recommendations included in the report 
required by subsection (a) shall include consideration of the 
circumstances and requirements that are unique to veterans located in 
rural areas.