IC 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1731 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 2, 2015 

Referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

AN ACT 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to waive the minimum period of continuous active duty in the Armed 

Forces for receipt of certain benefits for homeless veterans, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

to furnish such benefits to homeless veterans with discharges or releases from service in the Armed Forces 

with other than dishonorable conditions, and for other 

purposes. 


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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Homeless Veterans 

5 Services Protection Act of 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. WAIVER OF MINIMUM PERIOD OF CONTINUOUS AC7 TIVE DUTY IN ARMED FORCES FOR CERTAIN 

8 BENEFITS FOR HOMELESS VETERANS. 

9 Section 5303A(b)(3) of title 38, United States Code, 

10 is amended— 

11 (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (F) and 

12 (G) as subparagraphs (G) and (H), respectively; and 

13 (2) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the fol14 lowing new subparagraph (F): 

15 ‘‘(F) to benefits under section 2011, 2012, 

16 2013, 2044, or 2061 of this title;’’. 

17 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION TO FURNISH CERTAIN BENEFITS 

18 TO HOMELESS VETERANS WITH DISCHARGES 

19 OR RELEASES UNDER OTHER THAN HONOR20 ABLE CONDITIONS. 

21 Section 5303(d) of title 38, United States Code, is 

22 amended— 

23 (1) by striking ‘‘not apply to any war-risk in24 surance’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘not apply to 

25 the following: 


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1 ‘‘(1) Any war-risk insurance’’; and 

2 (2) by adding at the end the following new 

3 paragraph: 

4 ‘‘(2) Benefits under section 2011, 2012, 2013, 

5 2044, or 2061 of this title (except for benefits for 

6 individuals discharged or dismissed from the Armed 

7 Forces by reason of the sentence of a general court8 martial).’’. 

9 SEC. 4. MODIFICATION OF DEFINITION OF VETERAN FOR 

10 PURPOSES OF PROVIDING CERTAIN BENE11 FITS TO HOMELESS VETERANS. 

12 Section 2002 of title 38, United States Code, is 

13 amended— 

14 (1) by striking ‘‘In this chapter’’ and inserting 

15 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In this chapter’’; and 

16 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(b) VETERAN DEFINED.—(1) Notwithstanding sec18 tion 101(2) of this title and except as provided in para19 graph (2), for purposes of sections 2011, 2012, 2013, 

20 2044, and 2061 of this title, the term ‘veteran’ means a 

21 person who served in the active military, naval, or air serv22 ice, regardless of length of service, and who was dis23 charged or released therefrom. 

24 ‘‘(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), the term ‘vet25 eran’ excludes a person who— 


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1 ‘‘(A) received a dishonorable discharge from the 

2 Armed Forces; or 

3 ‘‘(B) was discharged or dismissed from the 

4 Armed Forces by reason of the sentence of a general 

5 court-martial.’’. 

6 SEC. 5. TRAINING OF PERSONNEL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 

7 VETERANS AFFAIRS AND GRANT RECIPIENTS. 

8 The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct a 

9 program of training and education to ensure that the fol10 lowing persons are aware of and implement this Act and 

11 the amendments made by this Act: 

12 (1) Personnel of the Department of Veterans 

13 Affairs who are supporting or administering a pro14 gram under chapter 20 of title 38, United States 

15 Code. 

16 (2) Recipients of grants or other amounts for 

17 purposes of carrying out such a program. 

18 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF PER DIEM PAYMENTS FOR 

19 FURNISHING CARE TO DEPENDENTS OF CER20 TAIN HOMELESS VETERANS. 

21 Section 2012(a) of title 38, United States Code, is 

22 amended by adding at the end the following new para23 graph: 

24 ‘‘(4) Services for which a recipient of a grant under 

25 section 2011 of this title (or an entity described in paraVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:06 Nov 03, 2015 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1731.RFH S1731

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1 graph (1)) may receive per diem payments under this sub2 section may include furnishing care for a dependent of a 

3 homeless veteran who is under the care of such homeless 

4 veteran while such homeless veteran receives services from 

5 the grant recipient (or entity).’’. 

6 SEC. 7. REGULATIONS. 

7 Not later than 270 days after the date of the enact8 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 

9 prescribe regulations, including such modifications to sec10 tion 3.12 of title 38, Code of Federal Regulations (or any 

11 successor regulation), as the Secretary considers appro12 priate, to ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs 

13 is in full compliance with this Act and the amendments 

14 made by this Act. 

15 SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

16 This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall 

17 apply to individuals seeking benefits under chapter 20 of 

18 title 38, United States Code, before, on, and after the date 

19 of the enactment of this Act. 

Passed the Senate October 29, 2015. 

Attest: JULIE E. ADAMS, 

Secretary. 


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