I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6107 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs to enter into agreements with public and private entities to 

provide pro bono legal services to homeless veterans and veterans at 

risk of homelessness, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 

Mr. TED LIEU of California introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the 

Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into agreements 

with public and private entities to provide pro bono legal 

services to homeless veterans and veterans at risk of 

homelessness, 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Legal Services for 

5 Homeless Veterans Act of 2016’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. AGREEMENTS WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENTI2 TIES TO PROVIDE LEGAL SERVICES TO 

3 HOMELESS VETERANS AND VETERANS AT 

4 RISK OF HOMELESSNESS. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 20 of title 38, United 

6 States Code, is amended by inserting after section 2022 

7 the following new section: 

8 ‘‘§ 2022A. Agreements with public and private entities 

9 to provide pro bono legal services to 

10 homeless veterans and veterans at risk of 

11 homelessness 

12 ‘‘(a) AGREEMENTS AUTHORIZED.—Subject to the 

13 availability of funds for that purpose, the Secretary may 

14 enter into an agreement with a public or private entity, 

15 through the award of a grant or the use of a contract, 

16 to fund a portion of legal services described in subsection 

17 (b). 

18 ‘‘(b) PRO BONO LEGAL SERVICES.—Legal services 

19 described in this subsection are provided pro bono to a 

20 homeless veteran or veteran at risk of homelessness, in21 cluding the following: 

22 ‘‘(1) Legal services related to housing, including 

23 eviction defense and representation in landlord-ten24 ant cases. 


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1 ‘‘(2) Legal services related to family law, in2 cluding assistance in court proceedings for child sup3 port, divorce, and estate planning. 

4 ‘‘(3) Legal services related to income support, 

5 including assistance in obtaining public benefits. 

6 ‘‘(4) Legal services related to criminal defense, 

7 including defense in matters symptomatic of home8 lessness, such as outstanding warrants, fines, and 

9 driver’s license revocation, to reduce recidivism, and 

10 facilitate the overcoming of reentry obstacles in em11 ployment or housing. 

12 ‘‘(c) CONSULTATION.—In developing and carrying 

13 out agreements under this section, the Secretary shall, to 

14 the extent practicable, consult with appropriate public and 

15 private entities— 

16 ‘‘(1) for assistance in identifying and contacting 

17 organizations that offer legal services described in 

18 subsection (b); and 

19 ‘‘(2) to coordinate appropriate outreach rela20 tionships with such organizations. 

21 ‘‘(d) LOCATIONS.—(1) The Secretary shall ensure 

22 that, to the extent practicable, agreements under this sec23 tion are made with entities equitably distributed across the 

24 geographic regions of the United States, including rural 


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1 communities, tribal lands of the United States, Native 

2 Americans, and tribal organizations. 

3 ‘‘(2) In this subsection, the terms ‘Native American’ 

4 and ‘tribal organization’ have the meanings given such 

5 terms in section 3765 of this title. 

6 ‘‘(e) REPORTS.—The Secretary may require an entity 

7 that enters into an agreement under this section to submit 

8 to the Secretary periodic reports on legal services provided 

9 pursuant to the agreement.’’. 

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

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

12 by adding after the item relating to section 2022 the fol13 lowing new item: 

‘‘2022A. Agreements with public and private entities to provide pro bono legal 

services to homeless veterans and veterans at risk of homelessness.’’. 

Æ 


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