II 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3309 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the assistance provided 

by the Department of Veterans Affairs to homeless veterans, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 18, 2012 

Mrs. MURRAY 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 improve the 

assistance provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Homeless Veterans Assistance Improvement Act of 

6 2012’’. 

7 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

8 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 


rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 3309 IS

Sec. 2. Requirement that recipients of grants from Department of Veterans Affairs for comprehensive service programs for homeless veterans 

meet physical privacy, safety, and security needs of such veterans. 

Sec. 3. Modification of authority of Department of Veterans Affairs to provide 

capital improvement grants for comprehensive service programs 

that assist homeless veterans. 

Sec. 4. Funding for furnishing legal services to very low-income veteran families 

in permanent housing. 

Sec. 5. Modifications to requirements relating to per diem payments for services 

furnished to homeless veterans. 

Sec. 6. Authorization of grants by Department of Veterans Affairs to centers 

that provide services to homeless veterans for operational expenses. 

Sec. 7. Expansion of Department of Veterans Affairs authority to provide dental care to homeless veterans. 

Sec. 8. Extensions of authorities and programs affecting homeless veterans. 

1 SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT THAT RECIPIENTS OF GRANTS 

2 FROM DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 

3 FOR COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE PROGRAMS 

4 FOR HOMELESS VETERANS MEET PHYSICAL 

5 PRIVACY, SAFETY, AND SECURITY NEEDS OF 

6 SUCH VETERANS. 

7 Section 2011(f) of title 38, United States Code, is 

8 amended by adding at the end the following new para9 graph: 

10 ‘‘(6) To meet the physical privacy, safety, and 

11 security needs of homeless veterans receiving serv12 ices through the project.’’. 


rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 3309 IS

1 SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF AUTHORITY OF DEPARTMENT OF 

2 VETERANS AFFAIRS TO PROVIDE CAPITAL 

3 IMPROVEMENT GRANTS FOR COMPREHEN4 SIVE SERVICE PROGRAMS THAT ASSIST 

5 HOMELESS VETERANS. 

6 Section 2011(a) of title 38, United States Code, is 

7 amended, in the matter before paragraph (1), by inserting 

8 ‘‘and maintaining’’ after ‘‘in establishing’’. 

9 SEC. 4. FUNDING FOR FURNISHING LEGAL SERVICES TO 

10 VERY LOW-INCOME VETERAN FAMILIES IN 

11 PERMANENT HOUSING. 

12 Section 2044(e) of title 38, United States Code, is 

13 amended— 

14 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as 

15 paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively; and 

16 (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol17 lowing new paragraph (2): 

18 ‘‘(2) Of amounts made available under paragraph 

19 (1), not less than one percent shall be available for the 

20 furnishing of services described in subsection 

21 (b)(1)(D)(vii).’’. 

22 SEC. 5. MODIFICATIONS TO REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO 

23 PER DIEM PAYMENTS FOR SERVICES FUR24 NISHED TO HOMELESS VETERANS. 

25 (a) AUTHORIZATION OF PER DIEM PAYMENTS FOR

26 FURNISHING CARE TO DEPENDENTS OF CERTAIN HOMEVerDate Mar 15 2010 04:17 Jun 19, 2012 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3309.IS S3309

rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 3309 IS

1 LESS VETERANS.—Section 2012(a) of title 38, United 

2 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol3 lowing new paragraph: 

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

5 section 2011 of this title (or an entity described in para6 graph (1)) may receive per diem payments under this sub7 section may include furnishing care for a dependent of a 

8 homeless veteran who is under the care of such homeless 

9 veteran while such homeless veteran receives services from 

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

11 (b) PROVISION OF FUNDS FOR PER DIEM PAYMENTS

12 FOR NONCONFORMING ENTITIES.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 2012(d)(1) of such 

14 title is amended, in the matter preceding subpara15 graph (A), by striking ‘‘may make’’ and inserting 

16 ‘‘shall make’’. 

17 (2) REGULATIONS REQUIRED.—Not later than 

18 one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

19 the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall prescribe 

20 such regulations as may be necessary to implement 

21 the amendment made by paragraph (1). 


rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 3309 IS

1 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF GRANTS BY DEPARTMENT OF 

2 VETERANS AFFAIRS TO CENTERS THAT PRO3 VIDE SERVICES TO HOMELESS VETERANS 

4 FOR OPERATIONAL EXPENSES. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 20 of 

6 title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after 

7 section 2012 the following new section: 

8 ‘‘§ 2012A. Service center operational grants 

9 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of ap10 propriations provided for such purpose, the Secretary may 

11 award to a recipient of a grant under section 2011 of this 

12 title for the establishment of a service center described in 

13 subsection (g) of such section a grant for the operational 

14 expenses of such service center not otherwise covered by 

15 the receipt of per diem payments under section 2012 of 

16 this section. 

17 ‘‘(b) LIMITATION.—The aggregate amount of all 

18 grants awarded under subsection (a) in any fiscal year 

19 may not exceed $500,000.’’. 

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

21 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 

22 after the item relating to section 2012 the following new 

23 item: 

‘‘2012A. Service center operational grants.’’. 

24 (c) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Veterans Af25 fairs shall promulgate regulations to carry out section 


rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 3309 IS

1 2012A of title 38, United States Code, as added by sub2 section (a), not later than one year after the date of the 

3 enactment of this Act. 

4 SEC. 7. EXPANSION OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF5 FAIRS AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE DENTAL 

6 CARE TO HOMELESS VETERANS. 

7 Subsection (b) of section 2062 of title 38, United 

8 States Code, is amended to read as follows: 

9 ‘‘(a) ELIGIBLE VETERANS.—(1) Subsection (a) ap10 plies to a veteran who— 

11 ‘‘(A) is enrolled for care under section 1705(a) 

12 of this title; and 

13 ‘‘(B) for a period of 60 consecutive days, is re14 ceiving— 

15 ‘‘(i) assistance under section 8(o) of the 

16 United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 

17 1437f(o)); or 

18 ‘‘(ii) care (directly or by contract) in any 

19 of the following settings: 

20 ‘‘(I) A domiciliary under section 1710 

21 of this title. 

22 ‘‘(II) A therapeutic residence under 

23 section 2032 of this title. 


rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
7 

•S 3309 IS

1 ‘‘(III) Community residential care co2 ordinated by the Secretary under section 

3 1730 of this title. 

4 ‘‘(IV) A setting for which the Sec5 retary provides funds for a grant and per 

6 diem provider. 

7 ‘‘(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), in determining 

8 whether a veteran has received assistance or care for a 

9 period of 60 consecutive days, the Secretary may disregard 

10 breaks in the continuity of assistance or care for which 

11 the veteran is not responsible.’’. 

12 SEC. 8. EXTENSIONS OF AUTHORITIES AND PROGRAMS AF13 FECTING HOMELESS VETERANS. 

14 (a) COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE PROGRAMS.—Section 

15 2013 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by strik16 ing paragraph (5) and inserting the following new para17 graphs: 

18 ‘‘(5) $250,000,000 for fiscal year 2013. 

19 ‘‘(6) $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2014 and 

20 each subsequent fiscal year.’’. 

21 (b) HOMELESS VETERANS REINTEGRATION PRO22 GRAMS.—Section 2021(e)(1)(F) of such title is amended 

23 by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2013’’. 

24 (c) OUTREACH, CARE, TREATMENT, REHABILITA25 TION, AND THERAPEUTIC TRANSITIONAL HOUSING FOR


rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
8 

•S 3309 IS

1 VETERANS SUFFERING FROM SERIOUS MENTAL ILL2 NESS.—Section 2031(b) of such title is amended by strik3 ing ‘‘December 31, 2012’’ and inserting ‘‘December 31, 

4 2014’’. 

5 (d) PROGRAM TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE PROVISION

6 OF BENEFITS AND SERVICES BY DEPARTMENT OF VET7 ERANS AFFAIRS TO HOMELESS VETERANS.—Section 

8 2033(d) of such title is amended by striking ‘‘December 

9 31, 2012’’ and inserting ‘‘December 31, 2014’’. 

10 (e) HOUSING ASSISTANCE FOR HOMELESS VET11 ERANS.—Section 2041(c) of such title is amended by 

12 striking ‘‘December 31, 2012’’ and inserting ‘‘December 

13 31, 2013’’. 

14 (f) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR SUPPORTIVE SERV15 ICES FOR VERY LOW-INCOME VETERAN FAMILIES IN

16 PERMANENT HOUSING.—Section 2044(e)(1) of such title 

17 is amended by adding at the end the following new sub18 paragraph: 

19 ‘‘(E) $300,000,000 for fiscal year 2013.’’. 

20 (g) GRANT PROGRAM FOR HOMELESS VETERANS

21 WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.—Section 2061(c)(1) of such title 

22 is amended by striking ‘‘through 2012’’ and inserting 

23 ‘‘through 2015’’. 

24 (h) ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON HOMELESS VET25 ERANS.—Section 2066(d) of such title is amended by 


rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
9 

•S 3309 IS

1 striking ‘‘December 31, 2012’’ and inserting ‘‘December 

2 31, 2014’’. 

Æ 


rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS