I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2699 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to repeal authority for adjustments 

to per diem payments to homeless veterans service centers for receipt 

of other sources of income, to extend authorities for certain programs 

to benefit homeless veterans, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 13, 2007 

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. WALZ of Minnesota, and Mr. ARCURI) introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to repeal authority 

for adjustments to per diem payments to homeless veterans service centers for receipt of other sources of income, to extend authorities for certain programs to benefit homeless veterans, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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1 SECTION 1. REPEAL OF AUTHORITY FOR ADJUSTMENTS TO 

2 PER DIEM PAYMENTS TO HOMELESS VET3 ERANS SERVICE CENTERS FOR RECEIPT OF 

4 OTHER SOURCES OF INCOME. 

5 Section 2012(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code, 

6 is amended— 

7 (1) by striking subparagraphs (B), (C), and 

8 (D); and 

9 (2) in subparagraph (A)— 

10 (A) by striking ‘‘The rate’’ and inserting 

11 ‘‘Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the 

12 rate’’; 

13 (B) by striking ‘‘adjusted by the Secretary 

14 under subparagraph (B)’’; and 

15 (C) by designating the second sentence as 

16 subparagraph (B) and indenting the margin of 

17 such subparagraph, as so designated, two ems 

18 from the left margin. 

19 SEC. 2. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM ON PREVENTING VET20 ERANS AT-RISK OF HOMELESSNESS FROM BE21 COMING HOMELESS. 

22 (a) DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.—The Secretary of 

23 Veterans Affairs shall carry out (subject to the availability 

24 of appropriations) a demonstration program for the pur25 pose of— 
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1 (1) identifying members of the Armed Forces 

2 on active duty who are at risk of becoming homeless 

3 after they are discharged or released from active 

4 duty; and 

5 (2) providing referral, counseling, and sup6 portive services, as appropriate, to help prevent such 

7 members, upon becoming veterans, from becoming 

8 homeless. 

9 (b) PROGRAM LOCATIONS.—The Secretary shall 

10 carry out the demonstration program in at least three lo11 cations. 

12 (c) IDENTIFICATION CRITERIA.—In developing and 

13 implementing the criteria to identify members of the 

14 Armed Forces, who upon becoming veterans, are at-risk 

15 of becoming homeless, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

16 shall consult with the Secretary of Defense and such other 

17 officials and experts as the Secretary considers appro18 priate. 

19 (d) CONTRACTS.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

20 may enter into contracts to provide the referral, coun21 seling, and supportive services required under the dem22 onstration program with entities or organizations that 

23 meet such requirements as the Secretary may establish. 

24 (e) SUNSET.—The authority of the Secretary under 

25 subsection (a) shall expire on September 30, 2011. 
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1 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

2 are authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000 for the pur3 pose of carrying out the provisions of this section. 

4 SEC. 3. EXPANSION AND EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR 

5 PROGRAM OF REFERRAL AND COUNSELING 

6 SERVICES FOR AT-RISK VETERANS 

7 TRANSITIONING FROM CERTAIN INSTITU8 TIONS. 

9 (a) PROGRAM AUTHORITY.—Subsection (a) of section 

10 2023 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by strik11 ing ‘‘a demonstration program for the purpose of deter12 mining the costs and benefits of providing’’ and inserting 

13 ‘‘a program of’’. 

14 (b) SCOPE OF PROGRAM.—Subsection (b) of such 

15 section is amended— 

16 (1) by striking ‘‘DEMONSTRATION’’ in the sub17 section heading; 

18 (2) by striking ‘‘demonstration’’; and 

19 (3) by striking ‘‘in at least six locations’’ and 

20 inserting ‘‘in at least 12 locations’’. 

21 (c) EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY.—Subsection (d) of 

22 such section is amended by striking ‘‘shall cease’’ and all 

23 that follows and inserting ‘‘shall cease on September 30, 

24 2011.’’. 

25 (d) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
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1 (1) Subsection (c)(1) of such section is amend2 ed by striking ‘‘demonstration’’. 

3 (2) The heading of such section is amended to 

4 read as follows: 

5 ‘‘§ 2023. Referral and counseling services: veterans at 

6 risk of homelessness who are 

7 transitioning from certain institutions’’. 

8 (3) Section 2022(f)(2)(C) of such title is 

9 amended by striking ‘‘demonstration’’. 

10 (e) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

11 at the beginning of chapter 20 of such title is amended 

12 by striking the item relating to section 2023 and inserting 

13 the following: 

‘‘2023. Referral and counseling services: veterans at risk of homelessness who 

are transitioning from certain institutions.’’. 

14 SEC. 4. AVAILABILITY OF GRANT FUNDS TO SERVICE CEN15 TERS FOR PERSONNEL. 

16 Section 2011 of title 38, United States Code, is 

17 amended by adding at the end the following new sub18 section: 

19 ‘‘(i) AVAILABILITY OF GRANT FUNDS FOR SERVICE

20 CENTER PERSONNEL.—A grant under this section for a 

21 service center for homeless veterans may be used to pro22 vide funding for staff as necessary in order for the center 

23 to meet the service availability requirements of subsection 

24 (g)(1).’’. 
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1 SEC. 5. PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR DOMICILIARY SERV2 ICES FOR HOMELESS VETERANS AND EN3 HANCEMENT OF CAPACITY OF DOMICILIARY 

4 CARE PROGRAMS FOR FEMALE VETERANS. 

5 Subsection (b) of section 2043 of title 38, United 

6 States Code, is amended to read as follows: 

7 ‘‘(b) ENHANCEMENT OF CAPACITY OF DOMICILIARY

8 CARE PROGRAMS FOR FEMALE VETERANS.—The Sec9 retary shall take appropriate actions to ensure that the 

10 domiciliary care programs of the Department are ade11 quate, with respect to capacity and with respect to safety, 

12 to meet the needs of veterans who are women.’’. 

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