101 
rural areas and rural communities of the United 
States. 
(3) An estimate of the number of individuals 
and families from rural areas and rural communities 
who migrate annually to non-rural areas and non- 
rural communities for homeless assistance. 
(4) A description of barriers that individuals 
and families in and from rural areas and rural com-
munities encounter when seeking to access homeless 
assistance programs, and recommendations for re-
moving such barriers. 
(5) A comparison of the rate of homelessness 
among individuals and families in and from rural 
areas and rural communities compared to the rate of 
homelessness among individuals and families in and 
from non-rural areas and non-rural communities. 
(6) A general description of homeless assistance 
for individuals and families in rural areas and rural 
communities of the United States. 
(7) A description of barriers that homeless as-
sistance providers serving rural areas and rural com-
munities encounter when seeking to access Federal 
homeless assistance programs, and recommendations 
for removing such barriers. 
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(8) An assessment of the type and amount of 
Federal homeless assistance funds awarded to orga-
nizations serving rural areas and rural communities 
and a determination as to whether such amount is 
proportional to the distribution of homeless individ-
uals and families in and from rural areas and rural 
communities compared to homeless individuals and 
families in non-rural areas and non-rural commu-
nities. 
(9) An assessment of the current roles of the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 
the Department of Agriculture, and other Federal 
departments and agencies in administering homeless 
assistance programs in rural areas and rural com-
munities and recommendations for distributing Fed-
eral responsibilities, including homeless assistance 
program administration and grantmaking, among 
the departments and agencies so that service organi-
zations in rural areas and rural communities are 
most effectively reached and supported. 
(b) ACQUISITION OF SUPPORTING INFORMATION.— 
In carrying out the study under this section, the Comp-
troller General shall seek to obtain views from the fol-
lowing persons: 
(1) The Secretary of Agriculture. 
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(2) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Devel-
opment. 
(3) The Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices. 
(4) The Secretary of Education. 
(5) The Secretary of Labor. 
(6) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 
(7) The Executive Director of the United States 
Interagency Council on Homelessness. 
(8) Project sponsors and recipients of homeless 
assistance grants serving rural areas and rural com-
munities. 
(9) Individuals and families in or from rural 
areas and rural communities who have sought or are 
seeking Federal homeless assistance services. 
(10) National advocacy organizations concerned 
with homelessness, rural housing, and rural commu-
nity development. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect 
on the date of the enactment of this Act. 
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TITLE V—REPEALS AND 
CONFORMING AMENDMENTS 
SEC. 501. REPEALS. 
Subtitles D, E, and F of title IV of the McKinney- 
Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11391 et seq., 
11401 et seq., and 11403 et seq.) are hereby repealed. 
SEC. 502. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 
(a) CONSOLIDATED PLAN.—Section 403(1) of the 
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (as so redesig-
nated by section 101(2) of this Act), is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘current housing affordability 
strategy’’ and inserting ‘‘consolidated plan’’; and 
(2) by inserting before the comma the following: 
‘‘(referred to in such section as a ‘comprehensive 
housing affordability strategy’)’’. 
(b) PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.—Sec-
tion 103 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 11302), as amended by the preceding provi-
sions of this Act, is further amended by adding at the end 
the following new subsection: 
‘‘(e) PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.— 
Any references in this Act to homeless individuals (includ-
ing homeless persons) or homeless groups (including 
homeless persons) shall be considered to include, and to 
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refer to, individuals experiencing homelessness or groups 
experiencing homelessness, respectively.’’. 
(c) RURAL HOUSING STABILITY ASSISTANCE.—Title 
IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is 
amended by redesignating subtitle G (42 U.S.C. 11408 
et seq.), as amended by the preceding provisions of this 
Act, as subtitle D. 
SEC. 503. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
Except as specifically provided otherwise in this Act, 
this Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take 
effect on, and shall apply beginning on— 
(1) the expiration of the 18-month period begin-
ning on the date of the enactment of this Act, or 
(2) the expiration of the 3-month period begin-
ning upon publication by the Secretary of Housing 
and Urban Development of final regulations pursu-
ant to section 504, 
whichever occurs first. 
SEC. 504. REGULATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 12 months after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Housing and Urban Development shall promulgate regula-
tions governing the operation of the programs that are 
created or modified by this Act. 
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