seq.), an amount equal to the difference between 
$10,000,000,000 and the amount credited for such use for 
such fiscal year pursuant to section 301(2) of this Act. 
SEC. 304. FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY 
EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER GRANT 
PROGRAM. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated, for the first fiscal year com-
mencing after the date of the enactment of this Act and 
each of the next nine succeeding fiscal years thereafter, 
$1,000,000,000 for emergency food and shelter grants 
under subtitle B of title III of the McKinney-Vento Home-
less Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11341 et seq.). 
(b) NATIONAL BOARD MEMBERSHIP.—Subsection 
(b) of section 301 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless As-
sistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11331(b)) is amended— 
(1) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘6 mem-
bers’’ and inserting ‘‘ at least 8 members’’; 
(2) in the third sentence by striking ‘‘Each 
such member’’ and inserting ‘‘Four members’’; and 
(3) by inserting after and below paragraph (6) 
the following flush matter: 
‘‘At least 4 members shall be appointed from among indi-
viduals nominated by national organizations identified by 
the Director, in consultation with the United States Inter-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:15 Apr 05, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00034
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1708.IH
H1708
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
agency Council on Homelessness, that represent a popu-
lation at higher risk of homelessness (as such term is de-
fined in section 2 of the Housing Is a Human Right Act 
of 2023).’’. 
(c) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.—Subsection (a) of section 
313 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 11343(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘hygiene,’’ 
after ‘‘food,’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; and 
(3) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the 
following new paragraphs: 
‘‘(3) to conduct rehabilitation of existing shelter 
or feeding facilities to ensure such facilities are safe, 
sanitary, and in compliance with local building 
codes; 
‘‘(4) to provide flexible and appropriate access 
to temporary shelter; 
‘‘(5) to build and maintain new forms of safe 
and sanitary shelters, including tiny homes; and 
‘‘(6) to provide supports, including shelter, 
transitional housing, and specialized medical respite 
shelter and associated services to homeless or hous-
ing-unstable (as such term is defined in section 2 of 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:15 Apr 05, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00035
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1708.IH
H1708
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
the Housing Is a Human Right Act of 2023) elderly 
persons, persons with disabilities, and persons who 
are or have been sick or injured, and to persons are 
who are being discharged or who have recently been 
discharged from hospitals, nursing facilities or simi-
lar facilities’’. 
(d) DISTRIBUTION OF AMOUNTS.—Paragraph (2) of 
section 316(a) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assist-
ance Act (42 U.S.C. 11346(a)(2)) is amended by inserting 
before the semicolon the following: ‘‘, which shall provide 
for consideration of regional variation in housing costs and 
costs of living, rates of homelessness and housing insta-
bility, and income inequality’’. 
(e) APPROPRIATE NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY.— 
(1) NATIONAL
AND
LOCAL
BOARDS.—Section 
301 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance 
Act (42 U.S.C. 11331) is amended by adding at the 
end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(f) APPROPRIATE NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY.— 
The National Board shall— 
‘‘(1) at all times having in effect a policy that 
prohibits discrimination against persons in all class-
es provided protection against discrimination under 
Federal law and explicitly prohibits discrimination 
based on the gender-related identity, appearance, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:15 Apr 05, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00036
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1708.IH
H1708
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
mannerisms, or other gender-related characteristics 
of an individual, regardless of the individual’s des-
ignated sex at birth; and 
‘‘(2) require each local board designated pursu-
ant to section 302 to have in effect a policy de-
scribed in paragraph (1) of this subsection.’’. 
(2) SERVICE
PROVIDERS.—Subsection (a) of 
section 316 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assist-
ance Act (42 U.S.C. 11346(a)) is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(B) in paragraph (6), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(7) guidelines requiring each private nonprofit 
organization and local government carrying out a 
local emergency food and shelter program with 
amounts provided under this subtitle to have in ef-
fect, with respect to such program, a policy de-
scribed in section 301(f)(1).’’. 
(f) GAO STUDY OF ALLOCATION FORMULA.—The 
Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct 
a study to identify and analyze the methods in effect on 
the date of the enactment of this Act for determining the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:15 Apr 05, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00037
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1708.IH
H1708
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
amount and distribution of assistance under the Emer-
gency Food and Shelter Grants Program of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency under subtitle B of title 
III of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 11341 et seq.) to determine whether such current 
methods adequately address the needs of homeless persons 
and the communities that serve them. Not later than the 
expiration of the 12-month period beginning on the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall 
submit a report to the Congress detailing the findings of 
such study and making recommendations as to how the 
Emergency Food and Shelter Program National Board 
should revise such methods to more adequately and accu-
rately meet such needs. 
(g) GAO STUDY OF COMPLIANCE WITH PARTICIPA-
TION REQUIREMENTS.—The Comptroller General of the 
United States shall conduct a study to identify and ana-
lyze the extent to which recipient service providers under 
the Emergency Food and Shelter Grants Program of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency under subtitle B 
of title III of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance 
Act (42 U.S.C. 11341 et seq.) comply with the provisions 
of the guidelines for such Program required under para-
graphs (5) and (6) of section 316(a) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 11346(a); relating to involvement and participation 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:15 Apr 05, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00038
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1708.IH
H1708
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
of homeless individuals). Not later than the expiration of 
the 24-month period beginning on the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit 
a report to the Congress detailing the findings of such 
study, including identifying any barriers to compliance 
and the level of compliance and recommending models for 
compliance (including specific models used by such recipi-
ent service providers) and suggested support methods to 
assist recipients to comply. 
SEC. 305. REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) LIMITATION
ON MATCHING FUNDS REQUIRE-
MENTS.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in 
the case of any grant made using amounts made available 
by this Act to any recipient that is a governmental unit, 
non-Federal supplemental or matching funding shall not 
be required for such grant if such recipient demonstrates 
to the satisfaction of the Secretary that— 
(1) assistance using such grant amounts will be 
provided in accordance with a Housing First strat-
egy for addressing homelessness in the area in which 
the assistance is used; 
(2) the recipient has created and implemented 
a formal plan to cease to penalize homelessness; 
(3) the recipient has established a formal plan 
to identify and address structural and implicit bias 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:15 Apr 05, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00039
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1708.IH
H1708
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
in implementation of programs funded under this 
Act that specifically addresses potential bias towards 
members of groups identified a population at higher 
risk of homelessness, as such term is defined in sec-
tion 2 of this Act; 
(4) the recipient has established a formal plan 
to facilitate issuance and replacement of personal 
identification documents issued by the recipient for 
persons who are homeless or housing-unstable; 
(5) in the case of any recipient that administers 
elections, the recipient has established a plan to en-
sure that persons who are homeless or housing-un-
stable are not prevented from voting due to irregular 
or non-existent addresses or other similar barriers; 
and 
(6) the recipient has procedures in effect for 
interacting with the property of homeless persons 
that— 
(A) require a minimum of three days prior 
notice shall be given before property is moved 
or disposed of; 
(B) provide a plan that safeguards any 
item that is not clearly trash for a minimum of 
30 days; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:15 Apr 05, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00040
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1708.IH
H1708
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
(C) allow persons experiencing homeless-
ness to easily retrieve their possessions. 
(b) REQUIREMENT FOR ONGOING EFFORTS.—Assist-
ance made available under this Act may not be provided 
to any governmental unit unless such unit demonstrates, 
to the satisfaction of the Secretary, that such entity has 
in effect, or is actively working toward implementing, poli-
cies, regulations, or other requirements sufficient to en-
sure the following within the jurisdiction of such entity: 
(1) Any law that imposes a criminal punish-
ment on a person or groups of persons who are 
homeless, or who has no other place to go, for sleep-
ing outside or on public property is not being en-
forced. 
(2) Effective procedures are in effect for inter-
acting with the property of homeless persons that 
comply with due process protections of the 14th 
Amendment to the Constitution of the United 
States. 
(c) 
NON-GOVERNMENTAL
ENTITIES.—Assistance 
made available under this Act may not be provided to any 
entity that is not a governmental unit unless such entity 
demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary that— 
(1) such entity has in effect, or is actively work-
ing toward implementing, a procedure that provides 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:15 Apr 05, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00041
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1708.IH
H1708
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
for regular community participation, comment, feed-
back, and guidance on the activities and perform-
ance in serving homeless, housing-unstable, and 
cost-burdened individuals and households; and 
(2) in the case of any entity that in any fiscal 
year receives more than $1,000,000 from amounts 
made available under this Act, all personnel carrying 
out activities assisted with amounts made available 
under this Act whose responsibilities involve regular 
contact with homeless, housing-unstable, or cost-bur-
dened individuals or households, or who have man-
agement positions overseeing personnel in regular 
contact with homeless, housing-unstable, or cost-bur-
dened individuals or households, are adequately 
trained regarding harm reduction, de-escalation 
techniques, trauma-informed care, implicit bias, cul-
tural competency, and disability rights. 
(d) ALL ENTITIES.—Assistance made available under 
this Act may not be provided to any entity, whether a gov-
ernmental unit or a non-governmental entity, unless such 
entity demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary 
that such entity has in effect a written non-discrimination 
policy that— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:15 Apr 05, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00042
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1708.IH
H1708
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
(1) prohibits discrimination against persons in 
all classes provided protection against discrimination 
under Federal law; and 
(2) explicitly prohibits discrimination based on 
the gender-related identity, appearance, mannerisms, 
or other gender-related characteristics of an indi-
vidual, regardless of the individual’s designated sex 
at birth. 
SEC. 306. GAO STUDY OF REQUIREMENTS REGARDING PAR-
TICIPATION AND INVOLVEMENT OF HOME-
LESS INDIVIDUALS. 
(a) STUDY.—The Comptroller General of the United 
States shall conduct a study to identify and analyze the 
extent to which— 
(1) recipient service providers under the Emer-
gency Food and Shelter Grants Program of the Fed-
eral Emergency Management Agency under subtitle 
B of title III of the McKinney-Vento Homeless As-
sistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11341 et seq.) comply with 
the provisions of the guidelines for such Program re-
quired under paragraphs (5) and (6) of section 
316(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 11346(a); relating to 
involvement and participation of homeless individ-
uals); and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:15 Apr 05, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00043
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1708.IH
H1708
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB