II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1731 

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. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 9, 2015 

Mrs. MURRAY (for herself and Ms. HIRONO) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

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. 

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 ‘‘Homeless Veterans 

3 Services Protection Act of 2015’’. 

4 SEC. 2. WAIVER OF MINIMUM PERIOD OF CONTINUOUS AC5 TIVE DUTY IN ARMED FORCES FOR CERTAIN 

6 BENEFITS FOR HOMELESS VETERANS. 

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

8 is amended— 

9 (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (F) and 

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

11 (2) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the fol12 lowing new subparagraph (F): 

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

14 2013, 2044, or 2061 of this title;’’. 

15 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION TO FURNISH CERTAIN BENEFITS 

16 TO HOMELESS VETERANS WITH DISCHARGES 

17 OR RELEASES UNDER OTHER THAN HONOR18 ABLE CONDITIONS. 

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

20 amended— 

21 (1) by striking ‘‘not apply to any war-risk in22 surance’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘not apply to 

23 the following: 

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

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

26 paragraph: 


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

2 2044, or 2061 of this title (except for benefits for 

3 individuals discharged or dismissed from the Armed 

4 Forces by reason of the sentence of a general court5 martial).’’. 

6 SEC. 4. MODIFICATION OF DEFINITION OF VETERAN FOR 

7 PURPOSES OF PROVIDING CERTAIN BENE8 FITS TO HOMELESS VETERANS. 

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

10 amended— 

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

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

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

14 ‘‘(b) VETERAN DEFINED.—(1) Notwithstanding sec15 tion 101(2) of this title and except as provided in para16 graph (2), for purposes of sections 2011, 2012, 2013, 

17 2044, and 2061 of this title, the term ‘veteran’ means a 

18 person who served in the active military, naval, or air serv19 ice, regardless of length of service, and who was dis20 charged or released therefrom. 

21 ‘‘(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), the term ‘vet22 eran’ excludes a person who— 

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

24 Armed Forces; or 


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

2 Armed Forces by reason of the sentence of a general 

3 court-martial.’’. 

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

5 VETERANS AFFAIRS AND GRANT RECIPIENTS. 

6 The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct a 

7 program of training and education to ensure that the fol8 lowing persons are aware of and implement this Act and 

9 the amendments made by this Act: 

10 (1) Personnel of the Department of Veterans 

11 Affairs who are supporting or administering a pro12 gram under chapter 20 of title 38, United States 

13 Code. 

14 (2) Recipients of grants or other amounts for 

15 purposes of carrying out such a program. 

16 SEC. 6. REGULATIONS. 

17 Not later than 270 days after the date of the enact18 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 

19 prescribe regulations, including such modifications to sec20 tion 3.12 of title 38, Code of Federal Regulations (or any 

21 successor regulation), as the Secretary considers appro22 priate, to ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs 

23 is in full compliance with this Act and the amendments 

24 made by this Act. 


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1 SEC. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

2 This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall 

3 apply to individuals seeking benefits under chapter 20 of 

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

5 of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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