I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3749 

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. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 12, 2019 

Mr. PANETTA (for himself, Mr. CISNEROS, Mr. STEUBE, Mr. MAST, Mr. 

WALTZ, and Mr. BACON) introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

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. 

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’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. LEGAL SERVICES FOR HOMELESS VETERANS AND 

2 VETERANS AT RISK FOR HOMELESSNESS. 

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

4 States Code, is amended by inserting after section 2022 

5 the following new section: 

6 ‘‘§ 2022A. Legal services for homeless veterans and 

7 veterans at risk for homelessness 

8 ‘‘(a) GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.— 

9 Subject to the availability of appropriations provided for 

10 such purpose, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall make 

11 grants or enter into cooperative agreements to eligible en12 tities that provide legal services to homeless veterans and 

13 veterans at risk for homelessness. 

14 ‘‘(b) CRITERIA FOR GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE

15 AGREEMENTS.—(1) The Secretary shall establish criteria 

16 and requirements for grants and cooperative agreements 

17 under this section, including criteria for entities eligible 

18 to receive such grants or cooperative agreements, and shall 

19 publish such criteria and requirements in the Federal Reg20 ister. 

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

22 paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consult with organiza23 tions that have experience in providing services to home24 less veterans. 

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

26 a grant or enter into a cooperative agreement under this 


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1 section to an entity applying for such a grant or coopera2 tive agreement only if the applicant for the grant or coop3 erative agreement— 

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

5 the capacity (as determined by the Secretary) to ef6 fectively administer a grant or cooperative agree7 ment under this section; 

8 ‘‘(2) demonstrates that adequate financial sup9 port will be available to carry out the services for 

10 which the grant or cooperative agreement is sought 

11 consistent with application; and 

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

13 requirements established under subsection (b) and 

14 has, as determined by the Secretary, demonstrated 

15 the capacity to meet such criteria and requirements. 

16 ‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS.—Funds provided under grants 

17 or cooperative agreements under this section shall be used 

18 to provide legal services to homeless veterans and veterans 

19 at risk for homelessness to address legal matters that con20 tribute to the risk of becoming and remaining homeless. 

21 ‘‘(e) REPORTS.—On a biennial basis, the Secretary 

22 shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of 

23 the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on 

24 grants and cooperative agreements under this section. To 


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1 the extent feasible, each such report shall include the fol2 lowing with respect to the year covered by the report: 

3 ‘‘(1) The number of homeless veterans assisted. 

4 ‘‘(2) A description of the legal services pro5 vided. 

6 ‘‘(3) A description of the legal matters ad7 dressed. 

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

9 to the operational effectiveness and cost-effectiveness 

10 of the services provided.’’. 

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

12 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 

13 after the item relating to section 2022 the following new 

14 item: 

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

15 (c) CRITERIA.—Not later than 90 days after the date 

16 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 

17 Affairs shall establish the criteria and requirements in the 

18 Federal Register pursuant to subsection (b)(1) of section 

19 2022A of title 38, United States Code, as added by sub20 section (a). 

Æ 


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