Empowering Local Officials to Combat Homelessness Act of 2022
Bill: H.R.6426 | Sponsor: Rep. Gooden, Lance (R-TX)
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
Empowering Local Officials to Combat Homelessness Act of 2022
This bill requires every Continuum of Care board to comply with transparency guidelines regarding grant awards and to have on the board at least one member who is the chief executive officer of a local government in the area and at least one member who is a law enforcement officer with jurisdiction in the area. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to conduct oversight of Continuum of Care boards that have violated Continuum of Care grant requirements within the past three years.

To increase accountability, transparency, and local control of 
governing boards under the Continuum of Care program of the Department 
       of Housing and Urban Development, 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 ``Empowering Local Officials to Combat 
Homelessness Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. CONTINUUM OF CARE BOARD REQUIREMENTS.

    Section 426 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 11386) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection:
    ``(h) Continuum of Care Boards.--
            ``(1) HUD requirements.--To be eligible to act as a 
        governing board for a continuum of care assisted under this 
        subtitle, a continuum of care board shall comply with such 
        requirements as the Secretary shall establish to ensure the 
        following:
                    ``(A) Membership.--A continuum of care board shall 
                have at all times--
                            ``(i) at least one member who is the mayor 
                        or other chief executive officer of a unit of 
                        general local government within the geographic 
                        area served by the continuum of care; and
                            ``(ii) at least one member who is a law 
                        enforcement officer of a law enforcement agency 
                        whose jurisdiction includes any area within the 
                        geographic area served by the continuum of 
                        care.
                    ``(B) Transparency.-- A continuum of care board 
                shall comply with guidelines, that the Secretary shall 
                establish, that--
                            ``(i) provide requirements and best 
                        practices guidance regarding the scoring or 
                        awarding grants and preventing, monitoring, and 
                        reporting conflicts of interest among members 
                        of a continuum of care board; and
                            ``(ii) require each continuum of care board 
                        to submit to the Secretary, for each grant 
                        cycle, the scoring criteria used in awarding 
                        grants.
            ``(2) GAO requirements.--The Comptroller General of the 
        United States shall--
                    ``(A) provide technical assistance to the Secretary 
                in establishing the guidelines under paragraph (1)(B); 
                and
                    ``(B) conduct oversight of grant amounts 
                distributed pursuant to this subtitle for any continuum 
                of care program that has been notified by the 
                Secretary, the Inspector General of the Department of 
                Housing and Urban Development, the Comptroller General, 
                or any relevant State agency during the past 36 months 
                of a violation relating to the use of funds provided 
                under this subtitle, to ensure use of such grant 
                amounts in accordance with this subtitle.
    ``(i) Applicability.--This subsection may not be construed to alter 
or affect any other requirement established by the Secretary with 
respect to continuum of care boards.''.
                                 <all>