I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2522 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a pilot program 
to award grants for the provision of furniture, household items, and 
other assistance to homeless veterans to facilitate their transition into 
permanent housing, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 21, 2015 
Mrs. BEATTY (for herself, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Ms. LEE, 
Mr. VARGAS, Ms. NORTON, Mr. TED LIEU of California, Mr. CONYERS, 
Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Mr. VEASEY, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of 
Texas, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. 
HASTINGS, Mr. RANGEL, and Ms. SPEIER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish 
a pilot program to award grants for the provision of 
furniture, household items, and other assistance to home-
less veterans to facilitate their transition into permanent 
housing, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. PILOT PROGRAM ON PROVISION OF FUR-
NITURE, HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, AND OTHER AS-
SISTANCE TO HOMELESS VETERANS MOVING 
INTO PERMANENT HOUSING. 
(a) PILOT PROGRAM REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs shall commence a pilot 
program to assess the feasibility and advisability of 
awarding grants to eligible entities to provide fur-
niture, household items, and other assistance to cov-
ered veterans moving into permanent housing to fa-
cilitate the settlement of such covered veterans in 
such housing. 
(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—For purposes of the 
pilot program, an eligible entity is any of the fol-
lowing: 
(A) A veterans service agency. 
(B) A veterans service organization. 
(C) 
A 
nongovernmental 
organization 
that— 
(i) is described in paragraph (3), (4), 
or (19) of section 501(c) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 and is exempt from 
taxation under section 501(a) of such code; 
and 
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(ii) has an established history of pro-
viding assistance to veterans or the home-
less. 
(3) COVERED VETERANS.—For purposes of the 
pilot program, a covered veteran is any of the fol-
lowing: 
(A) A formerly homeless veteran who is re-
ceiving housing, clinical services, and case man-
agement assistance under section 8(o)(19) of 
the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 
U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)). 
(B) A veteran who is receiving— 
(i) assistance from, or is the bene-
ficiary of a service furnished by, a program 
that is in receipt of a grant under section 
2011 of title 38, United States Code; or 
(ii) services for which per diem pay-
ment is received under section 2012 of 
such title. 
(C) A veteran who is— 
(i) a beneficiary of the outreach pro-
gram carried out under section 2022(e) of 
such title; or 
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(ii) in receipt of referral or counseling 
services from the program carried out 
under section 2023 of such title. 
(D) A veteran who is receiving a service or 
assistance under section 2031 of such title. 
(E) A veteran who is residing in thera-
peutic housing operated under section 2032 of 
such title. 
(F) A veteran who is receiving domiciliary 
services under section 2043 of such title or 
domiciliary care under section 1710(b) of such 
title. 
(G) A veteran who is receiving supportive 
services under section 2044 of such title. 
(4) DURATION.—The Secretary shall carry out 
the pilot program during the three-year period be-
ginning on the date of the commencement of the 
pilot program. 
(b) GRANTS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry 
out the pilot program through the award of grants 
to eligible entities for the provision of furniture and 
other household items as described in subsection 
(a)(1). 
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(2) MAXIMUM
AMOUNT.—The amount of a 
grant awarded under the pilot program shall not ex-
ceed $500,000. 
(c) SELECTION OF GRANT RECIPIENTS.— 
(1) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity seeking a 
grant under the pilot program shall submit to the 
Secretary an application therefor in such form and 
in such manner as the Secretary considers appro-
priate. 
(2) SELECTION PRIORITY.— 
(A) 
COMMUNITIES
WITH
GREATEST 
NEED.—Subject to subparagraph (B), in ac-
cordance with regulations the Secretary shall 
prescribe, the Secretary shall give priority in 
the awarding of grants under the pilot program 
to eligible entities who serve communities which 
the Secretary determines have the greatest need 
of homeless services. 
(B) 
GEOGRAPHIC
DISTRIBUTION.—The 
Secretary may give priority in the awarding of 
grants under the pilot program to achieve a fair 
distribution, as determined by the Secretary, 
among eligible entities serving covered veterans 
in different geographic regions, including in 
rural communities and tribal lands. 
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(d) USE OF GRANT FUNDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), each eligible entity receiving a grant 
under the pilot program shall use the grant— 
(A) to coordinate with the Secretary to fa-
cilitate distribution of furniture and other 
household items to covered veterans moving into 
permanent housing; 
(B) to purchase, or otherwise obtain via 
donation, furniture and household items for use 
by such covered veterans; 
(C) to distribute such furniture and house-
hold items to such covered veterans; and 
(D) to pay for background checks, provide 
security deposits, provide funds for utilities, 
and provide moving expenses for such covered 
veterans that are necessary for the settlement 
of such covered veterans in such housing. 
(2) MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE.—A re-
cipient of a grant awarded under the pilot program 
may not expend more than $2,500 of the amount of 
the grant awarded for the provision to a single cov-
ered veteran of assistance under the pilot program. 
(3) MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING.—In 
the case of an eligible entity receiving a grant under 
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the pilot program that entered into a memorandum 
of understanding with the Secretary before the date 
of the enactment of this Act that provides for the 
provision of furniture and other household items to 
covered veterans as described in subsection (a) with-
out Federal compensation, the eligible entity may 
use the grant in accordance with the provisions of 
such memorandum of understanding in lieu of para-
graph (1). 
(4) FULL USE OF FUNDS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—A recipient of a grant 
awarded under the pilot program shall use the 
full amount of the grant by not later than one 
year after the date on which the Secretary 
awards such grant. 
(B) RECOVERY.—The Secretary may re-
cover from a recipient of a grant awarded under 
this section all of the unused amounts of the 
grant if all of the amounts of the grant are not 
used— 
(i) pursuant to paragraph (1) and 
subparagraph (A) of this paragraph; or 
(ii) in a case described in paragraph 
(3), pursuant to an applicable memo-
randum of understanding. 
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(e) OUTREACH.—The Secretary shall conduct out-
reach, including under chapter 63 of title 38, United 
States Code, to inform covered veterans about their eligi-
bility to receive household items, furniture, and other as-
sistance under the pilot program. 
(f) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall prescribe 
regulations for— 
(1) evaluating an application by an eligible enti-
ty for a grant under the pilot program; and 
(2) otherwise administering the pilot program. 
(g) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than the date that 
is 90 days after the last day of the pilot program, 
the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on 
the pilot program. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The report submitted under 
paragraph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) An assessment of the pilot program. 
(B) The findings of the Secretary with re-
spect to the feasibility and advisability of 
awarding grants to eligible entities as described 
in subsection (a)(1). 
(C) Such recommendations as the Sec-
retary may have for legislative or administrative 
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action to facilitate the settlement of covered 
veterans into permanent housing. 
(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
out this section $5,000,000 for each year of the pilot pro-
gram. 
(i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) OUTREACH.—The term ‘‘outreach’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 6301(b)(1) of 
title 38, United States Code. 
(2) VETERANS
SERVICE
AGENCY.—The term 
‘‘veterans service agency’’ means a unit of a State 
government, or a political subdivision thereof, that 
has primary responsibility for programs and activi-
ties of such government or subdivision related to vet-
erans benefits. 
(3) VETERANS
SERVICE
ORGANIZATION.—The 
term ‘‘veterans service organization’’ means any or-
ganization recognized by the Secretary for the rep-
resentation of veterans under section 5902 of title 
38, United States Code. 
Æ 
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