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106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 566

To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct Stand Down events

and to establish a pilot program that will provide for an annual Stand

Down event in each State.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 3, 1999

Mr. VENTO (for himself, Ms. DANNER, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. BISHOP, Ms. WOOLSEY, Ms. CARSON, Mr. OLVER, Ms. RIVERS, Mr. UNDERWOOD, Mr.

MCNULTY, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. MCDERMOTT,

Mr. RAHALL, Mrs. MEEK of Florida, Mr. FILNER, Ms. LEE, Mr. SKELTON, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. BORSKI, Mr. PALLONE, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr.

EVANS, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. LAFALCE, Mr.

ENGLISH, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. METCALF, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr.

KUCINICH, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. FROST, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr.

GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. SHOWS, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. GEJDENSON, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Ms. MCCARTHY of Missouri, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO ́, Mr. ALLEN, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. LANTOS, Mr.

MINGE, Mr. STUPAK, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. SABO, and Mrs. CAPPS)

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on

Veterans’ Affairs

A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct

Stand Down events and to establish a pilot program

that will provide for an annual Stand Down event in

each State.

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. SHORT TITLE.

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stand Down Author3 ization Act’’.

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

5 The Congress finds that—

6 (1) Stand Down events have proven to be an ef7 fective form of outreach and a successful way to pro8 vide assistance to veterans who have most often not

9 utilized or availed themselves of other existing serv10 ice delivery functions;

11 (2) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should be

12 fully authorized to provide sufficient assistance to

13 meet the needs of all veterans at Stand Down

14 events;

15 (3) the several branches of the United States

16 Armed Forces and the National Guard, which have

17 provided valuable support and services to establish

18 and maintain the delivery of services to veterans at

19 Stand Down events, should continue to do so to the

20 extent that their various missions, responsibilities,

21 and roles permit; and

22 (4) national and local veterans’ organizations,

23 which have also provided valuable support and serv24 ices to veterans at Stand Down events and have

25 been instrumental to the success of such events,

26 should be commended and recognized for their out-
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1 standing contributions and should be strongly en2 couraged to continue to provide volunteers and re3 sources at such events.

4 SEC. 3. STAND DOWN EVENTS.

5 Subchapter VII of chapter 17 of title 38, United

6 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the follow7 ing new section:

8 ‘‘§ 1775. Stand Down events

9 ‘‘(a) The Secretary may (directly or in conjunction

10 with a governmental or other entity)—

11 ‘‘(1) carry out Stand Down events; and

12 ‘‘(2) in connection with any Stand Down event,

13 whether carried out under paragraph (1) or

14 otherwise—

15 ‘‘(A) provide outreach services;

16 ‘‘(B) use or provide any personal property

17 of the Department of Veterans Affairs that the

18 Secretary determines is not otherwise reason19 ably needed by the Department of Veterans Af20 fairs; and

21 ‘‘(C) provide any other benefit or service of

22 the Department of Veterans Affairs that the

23 Secretary considers appropriate.

24 ‘‘(b) For purposes of this section, the term ‘Stand

25 Down event’ means an event to provide veterans who are
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1 without a home, unemployed, experiencing health or social

2 adjustment challenges, or otherwise in need of assistance,

3 with 1 to 3 days of safety and security, access to assist4 ance such as food, shelter, clothing, benefits certification,

5 and health care, and any other form of assistance that

6 the Secretary considers appropriate.

7 ‘‘(c) The Secretary shall establish and implement a

8 pilot program under which the Secretary shall carry out

9 (directly or in conjunction with a governmental or other

10 entity) a single Stand Down event in each State in each

11 calendar year, beginning in 2000.

12 ‘‘(d) Not later than February 1 of each year, the Sec13 retary shall submit to the Senate and House of Represent14 atives a report containing—

15 ‘‘(1) for the preceding year, a description of the

16 implementation of the pilot program established

17 under subsection (c);

18 ‘‘(2) the Secretary’s recommendations, if any,

19 for legislation regarding the pilot program; and

20 ‘‘(3) any other matter that the Secretary con21 siders appropriate.’’.

22 SEC. 4. CLERICAL AMENDMENT.

23 The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 17

24 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding
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1 after the item relating to section 1774 the following new

2 item:

‘‘1775. Stand Down events.’’.

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