Expanding Service Coordinators Act
Bill: H.R.8866 | Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Adam (D-WA)
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
Expanding Service Coordinators Act
This bill reauthorizes through FY2027 funding for service coordinator programs, which embed staff in certain federally assisted housing to arrange for transportation, case management, and other supportive services for eligible residents.
The bill also makes service coordinators eligible to have qualifying student loans discharged through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must study best practices and other matters concerning service coordinator programs in federally assisted housing in rural areas.

To amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 to expand 
     certain service coordinator programs, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Expanding Service Coordinators 
Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF COVERED SERVICE COORDINATOR PROGRAMS.

    (a) Additional Requirements for Service Coordinators.--Subtitle E 
of title VI of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 (42 
U.S.C. 13631 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 678. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.

    ``(a) Funding for Service Coordinator Training.--An owner of a 
federally assisted housing project shall, each year, reserve not less 
than $2,500 of amounts received to carry out a covered service 
coordinator program for use by a service coordinator to access training 
in areas described in section 802(d)(4) of the Cranston-Gonzalez 
National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 8011(d)(4)).
    ``(b) Service Coordinator Training Reporting Requirement.--A 
service coordinator operating pursuant to a covered service coordinator 
program shall, on an annual basis, submit to the Secretary information, 
as determined appropriate by the Secretary, with respect to training 
completed by the service coordinator in the preceding year.
    ``(c) Grant Applications.--The Secretary may not require an 
applicant for a grant under a covered service coordinator program to 
use all of the amounts available to the applicant prior to submitting 
an application for such grant.
    ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary for the operation of covered service 
coordinator programs and the continuation of existing congregate 
service grants for residents of federally assisted housing projects 
$225,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.
    ``(e) Covered Service Coordinator Program Defined.--The term 
`covered service coordinator program' means the service coordinator 
programs established pursuant to--
            ``(1) this subtitle;
            ``(2) section 802 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National 
        Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 8011);
            ``(3) section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C. 
        1701q); and
            ``(4) section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 
        (42 U.S.C. 1437f).''.
    (b) Provision of Services.--Section 202(g)(3) of the Housing Act of 
1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q(g)(3)) is amended by inserting ``, including with 
respect to the calculation of initial rents'' after ``eligible cost 
under subsection (c)(2)''.

SEC. 3. PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS ELIGIBILITY.

    Section 455(m)(3)(B)(i) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1087e(m)(3)(B)(i)) is amended by inserting ``public service as a 
service coordinator,'' after ``school-based services,''.

SEC. 4. EXPANSION OF FUNDING FOR SERVICES FOR PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING 
              RESIDENTS.

    Section 34 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
1437z-6) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $45,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.''.

SEC. 5. STUDY ON RURAL SERVICE COORDINATION.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this section, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall conduct a study regarding the coordination of the provision of 
supportive services (in this section referred to as ``service 
coordination'') by one or more individuals (in this section referred to 
as a ``service coordinator'') in rural covered federally assisted 
housing projects, which shall include the following:
            (1) An identification of the number of service coordinators 
        that work in rural covered federally assisted housing projects.
            (2) An identification of the number of rural covered 
        federally assisted housing projects that do not employ a 
        service coordinator.
            (3) A description of the effect of service coordinators on 
        the well-being of residents of rural covered federally assisted 
        housing projects.
            (4) A comparison of the met and unmet needs of residents of 
        rural covered federally assisted housing projects--
                    (A) that employ a service coordinator; and
                    (B) that do not employ a service coordinator.
            (5) A description of models of service coordination that 
        are used in programs other than rural covered federally 
        assisted housing projects.
            (6) A description of barriers, if any, to the operation of 
        service coordinators in rural covered federally assisted 
        housing projects.
            (7) A description of promising service coordination 
        practices that should be explored for use by service 
        coordinators in rural covered federally assisted housing 
        projects, including the following:
                    (A) Multi-site service coordination.
                    (B) Part-time service coordination.
                    (C) Remote service coordination.
    (b) Report.--Upon completion of the study required under subsection 
(a), the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report regarding the results of 
such study.
    (c) Covered Federally Assisted Housing Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``covered federally assisted housing'' means--
            (1) federally assisted housing, as such term is defined in 
        section 683(2) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 
        1992 (42 U.S.C. 13641(2)); and
            (2) housing that is assisted under section 514, 515, 516, 
        or 538 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1484, 1485, 1486, 
        or 1490p-2).
                                 <all>