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[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 411 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 411

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of 
  Veterans Affairs to enter into agreements with States and nonprofit 
   organizations to collaborate in the provision of case management 
    services associated with certain supported housing programs for 
                   veterans, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 17, 2011

Ms. Klobuchar (for herself, Mr. Brown of Massachusetts, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. 
 Begich, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Casey, and Mr. Nelson of Florida) 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 authorize the Secretary of 
  Veterans Affairs to enter into agreements with States and nonprofit 
   organizations to collaborate in the provision of case management 
    services associated with certain supported housing programs for 
                   veterans, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Helping Our Homeless Veterans Act of 
2011''.

SEC. 2. COLLABORATION IN PROVISION OF CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES TO 
              VETERANS IN SUPPORTED HOUSING PROGRAM.

    (a) Collaboration Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--Subchapter V of chapter 20 of title 38, 
        United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
        following new section:
``Sec. 2045. Collaboration in provision of case management services to 
              veterans in supported housing program
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary may enter into agreements with 
eligible entities to collaborate in the provision of case management 
services as part of the supported housing program carried out under 
section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
1437f(o)(19)) to expand and improve the provision of supported housing 
services and related outreach to veterans, including veterans who live 
in rural areas or underserved veterans who live in metropolitan areas 
or on Indian lands.
    ``(b) Eligible Entities.--For purposes of this section, an eligible 
entity is any entity that--
            ``(1) is--
                    ``(A) a State or local government agency;
                    ``(B) a tribal organization (as such term is 
                defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination 
                and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b)); or
                    ``(C) a nonprofit organization;
            ``(2) has the capacity (as determined by the Secretary) to 
        collaborate in the provision of case management services as 
        described in subsection (a); and
            ``(3) agrees--
                    ``(A) to ensure access to case management services 
                to veterans described in subsection (a) on an as-needed 
                basis;
                    ``(B) to maintain referral networks for homeless 
                veterans for purposes of assisting such veterans in 
                demonstrating eligibility for assistance and additional 
                services under entitlement and assistance programs 
                available for such veterans, and to otherwise aid such 
                veterans in obtaining such assistance and services;
                    ``(C) to ensure the confidentiality of records 
                maintained by the entity on veterans receiving services 
                through the supported housing program described in 
                subsection (a);
                    ``(D) to establish such procedures for fiscal 
                control and fund accounting as the Secretary considers 
                appropriate to ensure proper disbursement and 
                accounting of funds under the agreement entered into by 
                the entity under this section;
                    ``(E) to submit to the Secretary each year, in such 
                form and such manner as the Secretary may require, a 
                report on the collaboration undertaken by the entity 
                under this section, including a description of--
                            ``(i) the services and assistance provided 
                        to veterans as part of such collaboration; and
                            ``(ii) the specific goals set by the entity 
                        for the provision of such services and 
                        assistance and whether the entity achieved such 
                        goals; and
                    ``(F) to meet such other requirements as the 
                Secretary considers appropriate for purposes of this 
                section.
    ``(c) Selection of Eligible Entities.--(1) Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall 
establish a process for the receipt and consideration of proposals 
submitted under paragraph (2), including the appropriate form, manner, 
and time for submittal of such proposals.
    ``(2) An eligible entity seeking to enter into an agreement under 
this section shall submit to the Secretary a proposal therefor in 
accordance with the process established by the Secretary pursuant to 
paragraph (1).
    ``(3) Each proposal submitted under paragraph (2) shall set forth a 
description of the collaboration proposed to be undertaken by the 
entity concerned, including the following:
            ``(A) A description of the region in which the entity 
        proposes to collaborate in the provision of case management 
        services described in subsection (a), including a description 
        of resources and services already available to veterans 
        described in such subsection in such region and a description 
        of any gaps in such resources and services available to 
        veterans in such region.
            ``(B) A description of the veterans described in subsection 
        (a) in the region described in subparagraph (A) and the needs 
        of such veterans for supported housing services.
            ``(C) A description of the capacity of the entity to 
        provide services to veterans described in subparagraph (B) to 
        meet their needs for the services described in such 
        subparagraph.
            ``(D) Plans, specifications, and a schedule for the 
        provision of case management services under subsection (a).
    ``(d) Case Management Services.--For purposes of this section, case 
management services include the following:
            ``(1) Personal health and development assistance, including 
        such assistance relating to the following:
                    ``(A) Health care and referrals for health care.
                    ``(B) Mental health.
                    ``(C) Substance abuse.
                    ``(D) Counseling.
                    ``(E) Family support.
                    ``(F) Benefits and employment counseling.
                    ``(G) Job training and placement.
                    ``(H) Education on personal finance.
                    ``(I) Hygiene facilities.
                    ``(J) Meals.
                    ``(K) Transportation.
            ``(2) Housing assistance for veterans, including:
                    ``(A) Assistance locating affordable housing, 
                assistance with scheduling appointments to view 
                available housing, accompanying veterans when viewing 
                available housing, assistance with negotiating leases, 
                and assistance with reviewing tenant leases.
                    ``(B) Rental and rent subsidies.
                    ``(C) Assistance in working with public housing 
                agencies.
                    ``(D) Assistance in understanding lease terms and 
                landlord and tenant laws.
                    ``(E) Assistance in understanding fair housing 
                laws.
                    ``(F) Assistance in the resolution or prevention of 
                mortgage delinquency, including assistance with matters 
                relating to default, foreclosure, loss mitigation, 
                budgeting, and credit.
                    ``(G) Assistance with home maintenance and 
                financial management.
                    ``(H) Such other assistance in connection with 
                locating housing and maintaining housing stability as 
                the Secretary considers appropriate.
            ``(3) Such other case management services, outreach, and 
        other services as the Secretary considers appropriate.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of chapter 20 of such title is amended by inserting 
        after the item relating to section 2044 the following new item:

``2045. Collaboration in provision of case management services to 
                            veterans in supported housing program.''.
    (b) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than two years after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
        shall submit to Congress a report on the collaboration of the 
        Secretary in the provision of case management services under 
        section 2045 of title 38, United States Code (as added by 
        subsection (a)).
            (2) Elements.--The report under paragraph (1) shall include 
        the following:
                    (A) The number of eligible entities with whom the 
                Secretary has entered into an agreement under section 
                2045 of title 38, United States Code (as so added).
                    (B) A description of the geographic regions in 
                which such eligible entities provide services under 
                such section.
                    (C) The number of veterans who received case 
                management services from eligible entities under such 
                section, disaggregated by--
                            (i) underserved veterans in metropolitan 
                        areas;
                            (ii) underserved veterans who live on 
                        Indian lands; and
                            (iii) veterans in rural areas.
                    (D) An assessment of the feasibility and 
                advisability of entering into agreements with eligible 
                entities under such section.
                    (E) Such recommendations for legislative or 
                administrative action as the Secretary considers 
                appropriate for the improvement of the authorities on 
                collaboration in the provision of case management 
                services under such section.

SEC. 3. DISTRIBUTION OF RENTAL VOUCHERS TO VETERANS IN RURAL AREAS AND 
              UNDERSERVED VETERANS IN METROPOLITAN AREAS.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter V of chapter 20 of title 38, United 
States Code, as amended by section 2(a)(1), is further amended by 
adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 2046. Distribution of rental vouchers to veterans in rural areas 
              and underserved veterans in metropolitan areas
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, ensure that the 
distribution of vouchers to veterans under the supported housing 
program carried out under section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing 
Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)) meets the needs of veterans in 
rural areas and underserved veterans in metropolitan areas or on Indian 
lands in each region of the United States by using--
            ``(1) statistical data and analysis;
            ``(2) recommendations from any recipients of grants under 
        the Continuum of Care Program set forth under subtitle C of 
        title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 
        U.S.C. 11381 et seq.); or
            ``(3) such other means as Secretary considers appropriate.
    ``(b) Agreements With Nonprofit and State and Local Government 
Agencies.--The Secretary shall consider how agreements under section 
2045(a) of this title can be used to ensure the distribution of 
vouchers as described in subsection (a) of this section.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 20 of such title is amended by inserting after the item 
relating to section 2045, as added by section 2(a)(2), the following 
new item:

``2046. Distribution of rental vouchers to veterans in rural areas and 
                            underserved veterans in metropolitan 
                            areas.''.
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