IIB 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3749 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 27, 2020 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

AN ACT 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make grants to entities 

that provide legal services for homeless veterans and 

veterans at risk for 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

3 Homeless Veterans Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. LEGAL SERVICES FOR HOMELESS VETERANS AND 

5 VETERANS AT RISK FOR HOMELESSNESS. 

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

7 States Code, is amended by inserting after section 2022 

8 the following new section: 

9 ‘‘§ 2022A. Legal services for homeless veterans and 

10 veterans at risk for homelessness 

11 ‘‘(a) GRANTS.—Subject to the availability of appro12 priations provided for such purpose, the Secretary of Vet13 erans Affairs shall make grants to eligible entities that 

14 provide legal services to homeless veterans and veterans 

15 at risk for homelessness. 

16 ‘‘(b) CRITERIA.—(1) The Secretary shall— 

17 ‘‘(A) establish criteria and requirements for 

18 grants under this section, including criteria for enti19 ties eligible to receive such grants; and 

20 ‘‘(B) publish such criteria and requirements in 

21 the Federal Register. 

22 ‘‘(2) In establishing criteria and requirements under 

23 paragraph (1), the Secretary shall— 

24 ‘‘(A) take into consideration any criteria and 

25 requirements needed with respect to carrying out 

26 this section in rural communities, Tribal lands, and 


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1 the territories and possessions of the United States; 

2 and 

3 ‘‘(B) consult with organizations that have expe4 rience in providing services to homeless veterans, in5 cluding veterans service organizations, the Equal 

6 Justice Works AmeriCorps Veterans Legal Corps, 

7 and other organizations the Secretary determines 

8 appropriate. 

9 ‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—The Secretary may make 

10 a grant under this section to an entity applying for such 

11 a grant only if the applicant for the grant— 

12 ‘‘(1) is a public or nonprofit private entity with 

13 the capacity (as determined by the Secretary) to ef14 fectively administer a grant under this section; 

15 ‘‘(2) demonstrates that adequate financial sup16 port will be available to carry out the services for 

17 which the grant is sought consistent with the appli18 cation; 

19 ‘‘(3) agrees to meet the applicable criteria and 

20 requirements established under subsection (b)(1); 

21 and 

22 ‘‘(4) has, as determined by the Secretary, dem23 onstrated the capacity to meet such criteria and re24 quirements. 


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1 ‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants under this section 

2 shall be used to provide homeless veterans and veterans 

3 at risk for homelessness the following legal services: 

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

5 eviction defense, representation in landlord-tenant 

6 cases, and representation in foreclosure cases. 

7 ‘‘(2) Legal services related to family law, in8 cluding assistance in court proceedings for child sup9 port, divorce, estate planning, and family reconcili10 ation. 

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

12 including assistance in obtaining public benefits. 

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

14 including defense in matters symptomatic of home15 lessness, such as outstanding warrants, fines, and 

16 driver’s license revocation, to reduce recidivism and 

17 facilitate the overcoming of reentry obstacles in em18 ployment or housing. 

19 ‘‘(5) Legal services related to requests to up20 grade the characterization of a discharge or dis21 missal of a former member of the Armed Forces 

22 under section 1553 of title 10. 

23 ‘‘(6) Such other legal services as the Secretary 

24 determines appropriate. 


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1 ‘‘(e) FUNDS FOR WOMEN VETERANS.—For any fiscal 

2 year, not less than 10 percent of the amount authorized 

3 to be appropriated for grants under this section shall be 

4 used to provide legal services described in subsection (d) 

5 to women veterans. 

6 ‘‘(f) REPORTS.—On a biennial basis, the Secretary 

7 shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of 

8 the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on 

9 grants under this section. To the extent feasible, each such 

10 report shall include the following with respect to the year 

11 covered by the report: 

12 ‘‘(1) The number of homeless veterans and vet13 erans at risk for homelessness assisted. 

14 ‘‘(2) A description of the legal services pro15 vided. 

16 ‘‘(3) A description of the legal matters ad17 dressed. 

18 ‘‘(4) An analysis by the Secretary with respect 

19 to the operational effectiveness and cost-effectiveness 

20 of the services provided.’’. 

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

22 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 

23 after the item relating to section 2022 the following new 

24 item: 

‘‘2022A. Legal services for homeless veterans and veterans at risk for homelessness.’’. 


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1 (c) CRITERIA.—Not later than 180 days after the 

2 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet3 erans Affairs shall establish the criteria and requirements 

4 in the Federal Register pursuant to subsection (b)(1) of 

5 section 2022A of title 38, United States Code, as added 

6 by subsection (a). 

7 SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL AMOUNT FOR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES 

8 FOR VETERAN FAMILIES GRANT PROGRAM 

9 TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE A 

10 FOCUS ON PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO 

11 WOMEN VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES. 

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

13 amended by adding at the end the following new para14 graph: 

15 ‘‘(4) There is authorized to be appropriated 

16 $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 

17 2024 for the provision of financial assistance under 

18 subsection (a) to organizations that have a focus on 

19 providing assistance to women veterans and their 

20 families.’’. 


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1 SEC. 4. GAP ANALYSIS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF2 FAIRS PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE ASSIST3 ANCE TO WOMEN VETERANS WHO ARE HOME4 LESS. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

6 shall complete an analysis of programs of the Department 

7 of Veterans Affairs that provide assistance to women vet8 erans who are homeless or precariously housed to identify 

9 the areas in which such programs are failing to meet the 

10 needs of such women. 

11 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 270 days after the date 

12 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 

13 to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and 

14 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep15 resentatives a report on the analysis completed under sub16 section (a). 

Passed the House of Representatives February 25, 

2020. 

Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 

Clerk. 


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