I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1008
To require that a portion of the amounts made available for housing programs
for the homeless be used for activities designed to serve primarily home-
less veterans, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 4, 1999
Mr. METCALF (for himself, Mr. STUMP, Mr. EVANS, Mr. STEARNS, Mr.
GUTIERREZ, Mr. QUINN, Mr. FILNER, and Ms. BROWN of Florida) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Banking
and Financial Services
A BILL
To require that a portion of the amounts made available
for housing programs for the homeless be used for activi-
ties designed to serve primarily homeless veterans, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Robert Stodola Home-
less Veterans Assistance Act’’.
SEC. 2. DEFINITION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle A of title IV of the Stew-
art B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.
11361 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the follow-
ing new section:
‘‘SEC. 402. DEFINITION OF VETERAN.
‘‘For purposes of this title, the term ‘veteran’ has the
meaning given such term in section 101 of title 38, United
States Code.’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents
in section 101(b) of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless
Assistance Act is amended by inserting after the item re-
lating to section 401 the following new item:
‘‘Sec. 402. Definition of veteran.’’.
SEC. 3. EMERGENCY SHELTER GRANTS PROGRAM.
Section 413 of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11373) is amended by adding
at the end the following new subsection:
‘‘(f) VETERANS’ SHARE.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Each metropolitan city,
urban county, State, and Indian tribe for which as-
sistance under this subtitle is provided shall ensure
that not less than 20 percent of the total amount re-
ceived by the city, county, State, or tribe in each fis-
cal year shall be used for eligible activities designed
to serve primarily homeless persons who are veter-
ans. Such activities shall, to the extent possible, be
integrated and coordinated with services made avail-
able by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—Upon the request of a met-
ropolitan city, urban county, State, or Indian tribe,
the Secretary may, with respect to a fiscal year,
waive the requirement under paragraph (1) or re-
duce the percentage under such paragraph for the
city, county, State, or tribe if the city, county, State,
or tribe demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Sec-
retary, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs con-
curs in the determination, that but for such waiver
or reduction amounts of assistance under this sub-
title for the city, county, State, or tribe will remain
unused for an unreasonable period of time.
‘‘(3) REPORTS BY GRANTEES.—Each metropoli-
tan city, urban county, State, and Indian tribe for
which assistance under this subtitle is provided for
a fiscal year shall submit a report to the Secretary
and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for such fiscal
year describing each project and activity funded with
such assistance that is designed to serve primarily
homeless persons who are veterans, the location of
the project or activity, and the amount of such as-
sistance provided for the project or activity.’’.
SEC. 4. SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROGRAM.
(a) SELECTION CRITERIA.—Section 426(b) of the
Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.
11386(b)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (6) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the
end;
(2) by redesignating paragraph (7) as para-
graph (8); and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (6) the follow-
ing new paragraph:
‘‘(7) such factors as the Secretary, after con-
sultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs,
considers necessary to ensure compliance with the
requirements under section 429(b)(4); and’’.
(b) VETERANS’ SHARE.—Section 429(b) of the Stew-
art B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.
11389(b)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the
end;
(2) in paragraph (3) by striking the period at
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
‘‘(4) not less than 20 percent shall be allocated
for use only for projects and supportive services de-
signed to serve primarily homeless persons who are
veterans, except that—
‘‘(A) the Secretary shall make assistance
available with such amounts only after consulta-
tion with and upon the concurrence of the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs;
‘‘(B) projects and services provided with
amounts allocated under this paragraph shall,
to the extent possible, be integrated and coordi-
nated with services made available by the
Department of Veterans Affairs; and
‘‘(C) the Secretary may, with respect to a
fiscal year, waive the requirement to reserve
amounts under this paragraph or reduce the
percentage so reserved if the Secretary deter-
mines (based on approvable applications sub-
mitted for assistance under this subtitle), and
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs concurs in the
determination, that but for such waiver or re-
duction amounts appropriated for such fiscal
year to carry out this subtitle will remain un-
used for an unreasonable period of time.’’.
(c) REPORT.—Section 426(c)(4) of the Stewart B.
McKinney 
Homeless 
Assistance 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C.
11386(c)(4)) is amended by inserting before the semicolon
at the end the following: ‘‘, which shall include, in the case
of an applicant carrying out a project designed to serve
primarily homeless persons who are veterans, reporting to
the Secretary and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for
such fiscal year regarding the activities funded during
such fiscal year with such assistance that are designed to
serve primarily homeless persons who are veterans, the lo-
cation of the project and of such activities, and the
amount of such assistance provided for the project or such
activities.’’.
SEC. 5. SAFE HAVENS FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS DEM-
ONSTRATION PROGRAM.
(a) SELECTION CRITERIA.—Section 434(c) of the
Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.
11394(c)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (6) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the
end;
(2) by redesignating paragraph (7) as para-
graph (8); and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (6) the follow-
ing new paragraph:
‘‘(7) such factors as the Secretary, after con-
sultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs,
considers necessary to ensure compliance with the
requirements under subsection (e); and’’.
(b) VETERANS’ SHARE.—Section 434 of the Stewart
B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new subsection:
‘‘(e) VETERANS’ SHARE.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In making grants to appli-
cants under this subtitle, the Secretary shall ensure
that not less than 20 percent of the amount made
available for each fiscal year to carry out this sub-
title is used for eligible activities designed to serve
primarily homeless persons who are veterans, which
activities shall, to the extent possible, be integrated
and coordinated with services made available by the
Department of Veterans Affairs. A grant shall be
considered to comply with the requirement under the
preceding sentence only if the Secretary consults
with and obtains the concurrence of the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs in making the grant.
‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—The Secretary may, with re-
spect to a fiscal year, waive the requirement under
paragraph (1) or reduce the percentage under such
paragraph if the Secretary determines (based on ap-
provable applications submitted for assistance under
this subtitle), and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
concurs in the determination, that but for such waiv-
er or reduction amounts made available for such fis-