I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3271
To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs to conduct veterans outreach programs known as Stand Down
events and to establish a pilot program to provide for an annual Stand
Down event in each State.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NOVEMBER 8, 2001
Mr. WU (for himself, Ms. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. SHOWS, Mrs. TAUSCHER,
Ms. LEE, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. EVANS, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. BRADY of
Pennsylvania, Mr. HONDA, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mrs. JONES of Ohio,
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. FILNER, Ms. MCKINNEY,
Mr. GUTKNECHT, and Ms. MCCOLLUM) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct veterans out-
reach programs known as Stand Down events and to
establish a pilot program to provide for an annual Stand
Down event in each State.
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 ‘‘Bruce Vento Stand
Down Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS, COMMENDATION, AND PURPOSE.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—
(1) veterans outreach activities known as
‘‘Stand Down events’’ have proven to be an effective
form of outreach and a successful way to provide as-
sistance to those veterans, frequently homeless, who
have most often not otherwise used or availed them-
selves of existing service delivery functions; and
(2) Stand Down events have been most effective
when managed by a committee composed of rep-
resentatives of the Department of Veterans Affairs,
other agencies (Federal, State, or local), veteran
service organizations, and homeless service providers
and such shared leadership brings to this partner-
ship access to diverse resources with which to carry
out those events.
(b) SENSE
OF CONGRESS CONCERNING DEPART-
MENT OF DEFENSE SUPPORT.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the several branches of the Armed Forces and
the National Guard—
(1) have provided valuable support and services
to establish and maintain the delivery of services to
veterans at Stand Down events; and
(2) should continue to do so to the extent that
their various missions, responsibilities, and roles per-
mit.
(c) COMMENDATION
OF
VETERANS’ ORGANIZA-
TIONS.—Congress hereby—
(1) commends and recognizes national and local
veterans’ organizations, which have provided valu-
able support and services to veterans at Stand Down
events and have been instrumental to the success of
such events, for their outstanding contributions to
those events; and
(2) strongly encourages those organizations to
continue to provide volunteers and resources for
those events.
(d) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to author-
ize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs—
(1) to provide assistance to meet the needs of
all veterans at Stand Down events; and
(2) to work with veterans service organizations
and other not-for-profit organizations to determine
the best means for organizing and carrying out
Stand Down events.
SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AUTHORIZA-
TION FOR STAND DOWN EVENTS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—(1) Subchapter VII of chapter 17
of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at
the end the following new section:
‘‘§ 1775. Stand Down events
‘‘(a) The Secretary may (directly or in conjunction
with a governmental or other entity)—
‘‘(1) carry out Stand Down events; and
‘‘(2) in connection with any Stand Down event,
whether carried out by the Secretary or by another
sponsoring entity—
‘‘(A) provide outreach services;
‘‘(B) use or provide any property and re-
sources of the Department that the Secretary
determines are not otherwise reasonably needed
by the Department; and
‘‘(C) provide any other benefit or service of
the Department that the Secretary considers
appropriate.
‘‘(b) For purposes of this section:
‘‘(1) The term ‘Stand Down event’ means an
event to provide target veterans with one to three
days of safety and security, access to assistance such
as food, shelter, clothing, benefits certification, and
health care, and any other form of assistance that
the Secretary considers appropriate.
‘‘(2) The term ‘target veteran’ means a veteran
who is without a home, unemployed, experiencing
health or social adjustment challenges, or otherwise
in need of assistance.
‘‘(c) The Secretary shall establish and implement a
pilot program under which the Secretary shall carry out
(directly or in conjunction with a governmental or other
entity) at least one Stand Down event in each State during
each calendar year. The Secretary may carry out (or oth-
erwise participate in) as many additional Stand Down
events during any year as the Secretary determines to be
needed.
‘‘(d) Not later than February 1 of each year, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the Congress a report containing—
‘‘(1) for the preceding year, a description of the
implementation of the pilot program established
under subsection (c);
‘‘(2) the Secretary’s recommendations, if any,
for legislation regarding the pilot program; and
‘‘(3) any other matter that the Secretary con-
siders appropriate regarding Stand Down events.’’.
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such
chapter is amended by adding at the end the following
new item:
‘‘1775. Stand Down events.’’.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATES.—(1) Subsection (c) of sec-
tion 1775 of title 38, United States Code, as added by
subsection (a), shall take effect beginning with 2002.
(2) The first report under subsection (d) of such sec-
tion shall be submitted not later than February 1, 2003.
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