Title: Tribal HUD-VASH Act of 2017
Policy area: Native Americans

Summary:
Tribal HUD-VASH Act of 2017
This bill amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to direct the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to use at least 5% of the amounts made available for rental assistance under the low-income housing assistance program to carry out a rental assistance and supported housing program, in conjunction with the Department of Veterans Affairs, for the benefit of Indian veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and residing in or near an Indian area.
Rental assistance shall be: (1) made available to recipients eligible for housing assistance block grants under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996; and (2) awarded based on need, administrative capacity, and any other funding criteria established by HUD.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4359 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4359

    To provide for rental assistance for homeless or at-risk Indian 
                               veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 9, 2017

 Mr. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico (for himself and Mr. Ruiz) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial 
                                Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To provide for rental assistance for homeless or at-risk Indian 
                               veterans.

    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 ``Tribal HUD-VASH Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR HOMELESS OR AT-RISK INDIAN VETERANS.

    Section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 
U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(D) Indian veterans housing rental assistance 
                program.--
                            ``(i) Definitions.--In this subparagraph:
                                    ``(I) Eligible indian veteran.--The 
                                term `eligible Indian veteran' means an 
                                Indian veteran who is--
                                            ``(aa) homeless or at risk 
                                        of homelessness; and
                                            ``(bb) residing in or near 
                                        an Indian area.
                                    ``(II) Eligible recipient.--The 
                                term `eligible recipient' means a 
                                recipient eligible to receive a grant 
                                under section 101 of the Native 
                                American Housing Assistance and Self-
                                Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 
                                4111).
                                    ``(III) Indian.--The term `Indian' 
                                has the meaning given the term in 
                                section 4 of the Indian Self-
                                Determination and Education Assistance 
                                Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
                                    ``(IV) Indian area.--The term 
                                `Indian area' has the meaning given the 
                                term in section 4 of the Native 
                                American Housing Assistance and Self-
                                Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 
                                4103).
                                    ``(V) Indian veteran.--The term 
                                `Indian veteran' means an Indian who is 
                                a veteran.
                                    ``(VI) Tribal organization.--The 
                                term `tribal organization' has the 
                                meaning given the term in section 4 of 
                                the Indian Self-Determination and 
                                Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
                                5304).
                            ``(ii) Program specifications.--The 
                        Secretary shall use not less than 5 percent of 
                        the amounts made available for rental 
                        assistance under this subsection to carry out a 
                        rental assistance and supported housing program 
                        (in this subparagraph referred to as the 
                        `Program'), in conjunction with the Secretary 
                        of Veterans Affairs, for the benefit of 
                        eligible Indian veterans.
                            ``(iii) Model.--
                                    ``(I) In general.--Except as 
                                provided in subclause (II), the 
                                Secretary shall model the Program on 
                                the rental assistance and supported 
                                housing program authorized under 
                                subparagraph (A) and applicable 
                                appropriations Acts, including 
                                administration in conjunction with the 
                                Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
                                    ``(II) Exceptions.--
                                            ``(aa) Secretary of housing 
                                        and urban development.--After 
                                        consultation with Indian 
                                        tribes, eligible recipients, 
                                        and any other appropriate 
                                        tribal organizations, the 
                                        Secretary may make necessary 
                                        and appropriate modifications 
                                        to facilitate the use of the 
                                        Program by eligible recipients 
                                        to serve eligible Indian 
                                        veterans.
                                            ``(bb) Secretary of 
                                        veterans affairs.--After 
                                        consultation with Indian 
                                        tribes, eligible recipients, 
                                        and any other appropriate 
                                        tribal organizations, the 
                                        Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
                                        may make necessary and 
                                        appropriate modifications to 
                                        facilitate the use of the 
                                        Program by eligible recipients 
                                        to serve eligible Indian 
                                        veterans.
                            ``(iv) Eligible recipients.--The Secretary 
                        shall make amounts for rental assistance and 
                        associated administrative costs under the 
                        Program available to eligible recipients.
                            ``(v) Funding criteria.--The Secretary 
                        shall award rental assistance under the Program 
                        based on--
                                    ``(I) need;
                                    ``(II) administrative capacity; and
                                    ``(III) any other funding criteria 
                                established by the Secretary in a 
                                notice published in the Federal 
                                Register after consulting with the 
                                Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
                            ``(vi) Administration.--Rental assistance 
                        made available under the Program shall be 
                        administered in accordance with the Native 
                        American Housing Assistance and Self-
                        Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4101 et 
                        seq.), except that grantees shall--
                                    ``(I) submit to the Secretary, in a 
                                manner prescribed by the Secretary, 
                                reports on the utilization of rental 
                                assistance provided under the Program; 
                                and
                                    ``(II) provide to the Secretary 
                                information specified by the Secretary 
                                to assess the effectiveness of the 
                                Program in serving eligible Indian 
                                veterans.
                            ``(vii) Consultation.--
                                    ``(I) Grant recipients; tribal 
                                organizations.--The Secretary, in 
                                coordination with the Secretary of 
                                Veterans Affairs, shall consult with 
                                eligible recipients and any other 
                                appropriate tribal organization on the 
                                design of the Program to ensure the 
                                effective delivery of rental assistance 
                                and supportive services to eligible 
                                Indian veterans under the Program.
                                    ``(II) Indian health service.--The 
                                Director of the Indian Health Service 
                                shall provide any assistance requested 
                                by the Secretary or the Secretary of 
                                Veterans Affairs in carrying out the 
                                Program.
                            ``(viii) Waiver.--
                                    ``(I) In general.--Except as 
                                provided in subclause (II), the 
                                Secretary may waive or specify 
                                alternative requirements for any 
                                provision of law (including 
                                regulations) that the Secretary 
                                administers in connection with the use 
                                of rental assistance made available 
                                under the Program if the Secretary 
                                finds that the waiver or alternative 
                                requirement is necessary for the 
                                effective delivery and administration 
                                of rental assistance under the Program 
                                to eligible Indian veterans.
                                    ``(II) Exception.--The Secretary 
                                may not waive or specify alternative 
                                requirements under subclause (I) for 
                                any provision of law (including 
                                regulations) relating to labor 
                                standards or the environment.
                            ``(ix) Reporting.--Every 5 years, the 
                        Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary 
                        of Veterans Affairs and the Director of the 
                        Indian Health Service, shall--
                                    ``(I) conduct a review of the 
                                implementation of the Program, 
                                including any factors that may have 
                                limited its success; and
                                    ``(II) submit a report describing 
                                the results of the review under 
                                subclause (I) to--
                                            ``(aa) the Committee on 
                                        Indian Affairs, the Committee 
                                        on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
                                        Affairs, the Committee on 
                                        Veterans' Affairs, and the 
                                        Committee on Appropriations of 
                                        the Senate; and
                                            ``(bb) the Subcommittee on 
                                        Indian, Insular and Alaska 
                                        Native Affairs of the Committee 
                                        on Natural Resources, the 
                                        Committee on Financial 
                                        Services, the Committee on 
                                        Veterans' Affairs, and the 
                                        Committee on Appropriations of 
                                        the House of 
                                        Representatives.''.
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