‘‘(b)(1) The Secretary shall, on a regular basis, consult
with and seek the advice of the Committee with respect to
the provision by the Department of benefits and services to
homeless veterans.
‘‘(2)(A) In providing advice to the Secretary under
this subsection, the Committee shall—
‘‘(i) assemble and review information relating to
the needs of homeless veterans;
‘‘(ii) provide an on-going assessment of the effec-
tiveness of the policies, organizational structures, and
services of the Department in assisting homeless vet-
erans; and
‘‘(iii) provide on-going advice on the most ap-
propriate means of providing assistance to homeless
veterans.
‘‘(3) The Committee shall—
‘‘(A) review the continuum of services provided
by the Department directly or by contract in order to
define cross-cutting issues and to improve coordina-
tion of all services with the Department that are in-
volved in addressing the special needs of homeless vet-
erans;
‘‘(B) identify (through the annual assessments
under section 2034 of this title and other available re-
sources) gaps in programs of the Department in serv-
ing homeless veterans, including identification of geo-
graphic areas with unmet needs, and provide rec-
ommendations to address those program gaps;
‘‘(C) identify gaps in existing information sys-
tems on homeless veterans, both within and outside of
the Department, and provide recommendations about
redressing problems in data collection;
‘‘(D) identify barriers under existing laws and
policies to effective coordination by the Department
with other Federal agencies and with State and local
agencies addressing homeless populations;
‘‘(E) identify opportunities for increased liaison
by the Department with nongovernmental organiza-
tions and individual groups addressing homeless pop-
ulations;
‘‘(F) with appropriate officials of the Depart-
ment designated by the Secretary, participate with
the Interagency Council on the Homeless under title
II of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
(42 U.S.C. 11311 et seq.);
‘‘(G) recommend appropriate funding levels for
specialized programs for homeless veterans provided
or funded by the Department;
‘‘(H) recommend appropriate placement options
for veterans who, because of advanced age, frailty, or
severe mental illness, may not be appropriate can-
didates for vocational rehabilitation or independent
living; and
‘‘(I) perform such other functions as the Sec-
retary may direct.
‘‘(c)(1) Not later than March 31 of each year, the Com-
mittee shall submit to the Secretary a report on the pro-
grams and activities of the Department that relate to home-
less veterans. Each such report shall include—
‘‘(A) an assessment of the needs of homeless vet-
erans;
‘‘(B) a review of the programs and activities of
the Department designed to meet such needs;
‘‘(C) a review of the activities of the Committee;
and
‘‘(D) such recommendations (including rec-
ommendations for administrative and legislative ac-
tion) as the Committee considers appropriate.
‘‘(2) Not later than 90 days after the receipt of a report
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall transmit to the
Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House
of Representatives a copy of the report, together with any
comments and recommendations concerning the report that
the Secretary considers appropriate.
‘‘(3) The Committee may also submit to the Secretary
such other reports and recommendations as the Committee
considers appropriate.
‘‘(4) The Secretary shall submit with each annual re-
port submitted to the Congress pursuant to section 529 of
this title a summary of all reports and recommendations
of the Committee submitted to the Secretary since the pre-
vious annual report of the Secretary submitted pursuant
to that section.
‘‘(d) The Committee shall cease to exist December 31,
2006.’’.
(2) The tables of chapters before part I and at the be-
ginning of part II are each amended by inserting after the
item relating to chapter 19 the following new item:
‘‘20. Benefits for Homeless Veterans ...............................................................
2001’’.
(b) HEALTH CARE.—(1) Subchapter VII of chapter 17
is transferred to chapter 20 (as added by subsection (a)),
inserted after section 2023 (as so added), and redesignated
as subchapter IV, and sections 1771, 1772, 1773, and 1774
therein are redesignated as sections 2031, 2032, 2033, and
2034, respectively.
(2) Subsection (a)(3) of section 2031, as so transferred
and redesignated, is amended by striking ‘‘section 1772 of
this title’’ and inserting ‘‘section 2032 of this title’’.
(c) HOUSING ASSISTANCE.—Section 3735 is trans-
ferred to chapter 20 (as added by subsection (a)), inserted
after the heading for subchapter V, and redesignated as sec-
tion 2041.
(d) MULTIFAMILY TRANSITIONAL HOUSING.—(1) Sub-
chapter VI of chapter 37 (other than section 3771) is trans-
ferred to chapter 20 (as added by subsection (a)) and in-
serted after section 2043 (as added by subsection (a)), and
sections 3772, 3773, 3774, and 3775 therein are redesig-
nated as sections 2051, 2052, 2053, and 2054, respectively.
(2) Such subchapter is amended—
(A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘FOR HOME-
LESS VETERANS’’;
(B) in subsection (d)(1) of section 2051, as so
transferred and redesignated, by striking ‘‘section
3773 of this title’’ and inserting ‘‘section 2052 of this
title’’; and
(C) in subsection (a) of section 2052, as so trans-
ferred and redesignated, by striking ‘‘section 3772 of
this title’’ and inserting ‘‘section 2051 of this title’’.
(3) Section 3771 is repealed.
(e) REPEAL OF CODIFIED PROVISIONS.—The following
provisions of law are repealed:
(1) Sections 3, 4, and 12 of the Homeless Vet-
erans Comprehensive Service Programs Act of 1992
(Public Law 102–590; 38 U.S.C. 7721 note).
(2) Section 1001 of the Veterans’ Benefits Im-
provements Act of 1994 (Public Law 103–446; 38
U.S.C. 7721 note).
(3) Section 4111.
(4) Section 738 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11448).
(f) EXTENSION
OF EXPIRING AUTHORITIES.—Sub-
section (b) of section 2031, as redesignated by subsection
(b)(1), and subsection (d) of section 2033, as so redesig-
nated, are amended by striking ‘‘December 31, 2001’’ and
inserting ‘‘December 31, 2006’’.
(g) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—
(1) The table of sections at the beginning of
chapter 17 is amended by striking the item relating
to subchapter VII and the items relating to sections
1771, 1772, 1773, and 1774.
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of
chapter 37 is amended—
(A) by striking the item relating to section
3735; and
(B) by striking the item relating to sub-
chapter VI and the items relating to sections
3771, 3772, 3773, 3774, and 3775.
(3) The table of sections at the beginning of
chapter 41 is amended by striking the item relating
to section 4111.
SEC. 6. EVALUATION OF HOMELESS PROGRAMS.
(a) EVALUATION CENTERS.—The Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall support the continuation within the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs of at least one center for eval-
uation to monitor the structure, process, and outcome of
programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs that ad-
dress homeless veterans.
(b) 
ANNUAL
PROGRAM
ASSESSMENT.—Section
2034(b), as transferred and redesignated by section 5(b)(1),
is amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘annual’’ in paragraph (1) after
‘‘to make an’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new para-
graph:
‘‘(6) The Secretary shall review each annual assess-
ment under this subsection and shall consolidate the find-
ings and conclusions of those assessments into an annual
report to be submitted to Congress.’’.
SEC. 7. STUDY OF OUTCOME EFFECTIVENESS OF GRANT
PROGRAM FOR HOMELESS VETERANS WITH
SPECIAL NEEDS.
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
conduct a study of the effectiveness during fiscal year 2002
through fiscal year 2004 of the grant program under section
2061 of title 38, United States Code, as added by section
5(a), in meeting the needs of homeless veterans with special
needs (as specified in that section). As part of the study,
the Secretary shall compare the results of programs carried
out under that section, in terms of veterans’ satisfaction,
health status, reduction in addiction severity, housing, and
encouragement of productive activity, with results for simi-
lar veterans in programs of the Department or of grant and
per diem providers that are designed to meet the general
needs of homeless veterans.
(b) REPORT.—Not later than March 31, 2005, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs
of the Senate and House of Representatives a report setting
forth the results of the study under subsection (a).
SEC. 8. ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMATIC EXPANSIONS.
(a) ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.—Section
1706 is amended by adding at the end the following new
subsection:
‘‘(c) The Secretary shall develop standards to ensure
that mental health services are available to veterans in a
manner similar to the manner in which primary care is
available to veterans who require services by ensuring that
each primary care health care facility of the Department
has a mental health treatment capacity.’’.
(b) COMPREHENSIVE
HOMELESS
SERVICES
PRO-
GRAM.—Subsection (b) of section 2033, as transferred and
redesignated by section 5(b)(1), is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘not fewer’’ in the first sentence
and all that follows through ‘‘services) at’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new sen-
tence: ‘‘The Secretary shall carry out the program
under this section in sites in at least each of the 20
largest metropolitan statistical areas.’’.
(c) OPIOID SUBSTITUTION THERAPY.—Section 1720A
is amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section:
‘‘(d) The Secretary shall ensure that opioid substi-
tution therapy is available at each Department medical
center.’’.
SEC. 9. COORDINATION OF EMPLOYMENT SERVICES.
(a) DISABLED VETERANS’ OUTREACH PROGRAM.—
Section 4103A(c) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new paragraph:
‘‘(11) Coordination of services provided to vet-
erans with training assistance provided to veterans
by entities receiving financial assistance under sec-
tion 2021 of this title.’’.
(b) LOCAL VETERANS’ EMPLOYMENT REPRESENTA-
TIVES.—Section 4104(b) is amended by adding at the end
the following new paragraph:
‘‘(13) Coordinate services provided to veterans
with training assistance for veterans provided by en-
tities receiving financial assistance under section
2021 of this title.’’.
SEC. 10. USE OF REAL PROPERTY.
(a) LIMITATION ON DECLARING PROPERTY EXCESS TO
THE NEEDS OF THE DEPARTMENT.—Section 8122(d) is
amended by inserting before the period at the end the fol-
lowing: ‘‘and is not suitable for use for the provision of serv-
ices to homeless veterans by the Department or by another
entity under an enhanced-use lease of such property under
section 8162 of this title’’.
(b) WAIVER OF COMPETITIVE SELECTION PROCESS
FOR ENHANCED-USE LEASES FOR PROPERTIES USED TO
SERVE
HOMELESS
VETERANS.—Section 8162(b)(1) is
amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ after ‘‘(b)(1)’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(B) In the case of a property that the Secretary deter-
mines is appropriate for use as a facility to furnish services
to homeless veterans under chapter 20 of this title, the Sec-
retary may enter into an enhanced-use lease without regard
to the selection procedures required under subparagraph
(A).’’.
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by sub-
section (b) shall apply to leases entered into on or after the
date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 11. MEETINGS OF INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON HOME-
LESS.
Section 202(c) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assist-
ance Act (42 U.S.C. 11312(c)) is amended to read as fol-
lows:
‘‘(c) MEETINGS.—The Council shall meet at the call
of its Chairperson or a majority of its members, but not
less often than annually.’’.
SEC. 12. RENTAL ASSISTANCE VOUCHERS FOR HUD VET-
ERANS AFFAIRS SUPPORTED HOUSING PRO-
GRAM.
Section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937
(42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)) is amended by adding at the end the
following new paragraph:
‘‘(19) RENTAL
VOUCHERS
FOR
VETERANS
AF-
FAIRS SUPPORTED HOUSING PROGRAM.—
‘‘(A) SET ASIDE.—Subject to subparagraph
(C), the Secretary shall set aside, from amounts
made available for rental assistance under this
subsection, the amounts specified in subpara-
graph (B) for use only for providing such assist-
ance through a supported housing program ad-
ministered in conjunction with the Department
of Veterans Affairs. Such program shall provide
rental assistance on behalf of homeless veterans
who have chronic mental illnesses or chronic sub-
stance use disorders, shall require agreement of
the veteran to continued treatment for such men-
tal illness or substance use disorder as a condi-
tion of receipt of such rental assistance, and
shall ensure such treatment and appropriate case
management for each veteran receiving such
rental assistance.
‘‘(B) AMOUNT.—The amount specified in
this subparagraph is—
‘‘(i) for fiscal year 2003, the amount
necessary to provide 500 vouchers for rental
assistance under this subsection;
‘‘(ii) for fiscal year 2004, the amount
necessary to provide 1,000 vouchers for
rental assistance under this subsection;