Title: Homeless Veterans Community Care Act of 2018
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Homeless Veterans Community Care Act of 2018
This bill requires the outreach program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for homeless veterans and veterans who are at risk of homelessness to include collaboration with federally qualified health centers and primary care associations. The bill also extends certain housing assistance for homeless veterans through FY2020, requires the submission of new reports on outreach activities with respect to homeless veterans, and provides for 2,500 vouchers each for FY2019-FY2020 for certain homeless veterans under a housing program supported by the VA.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6572 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6572

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to include Federally qualified 
   health centers and primary care associations in efforts to assist 
               homeless veterans, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 26, 2018

 Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. Cuellar) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to include Federally qualified 
   health centers and primary care associations in efforts to assist 
               homeless veterans, 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 ``Homeless Veterans Community Care Act 
of 2018''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 2002(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
    ``(3) The term `Federally qualified health center' has the meaning 
given that term in section 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395x(aa)).
    ``(4) The term `primary care association' means an entity that is 
awarded a grant or contract under section 330(l) of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(l)).''.

SEC. 3. CHANGES TO PLAN FOR COORDINATION OF OUTREACH SERVICES.

    Section 2022 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``, including 
                Federally qualified health centers and primary care 
                associations,'' after ``non-Department entities''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (6)--
                            (i) by inserting ``primary care,'' after 
                        ``referral sources for''; and
                            (ii) by inserting a comma after ``mental 
                        health'';
            (2) in subsection (c), by inserting ``, including Federally 
        qualified health centers and primary care associations,'' after 
        ``entities outside the Department'';
            (3) in subsection (e)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ``and 
                community resources, including Federally qualified 
                health centers and primary care associations,'' after 
                ``about benefits''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``Federally 
                qualified health centers, primary care associations,'' 
                after ``the Department of Defense,''; and
            (4) in subsection (f)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by striking ``October 1, 2002'' and 
                        inserting ``90 days after the date of the 
                        enactment of the Homeless Veterans 
                        Comprehensive Assistance Act of 2018''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``an initial report'' and 
                        inserting ``a report'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) by striking ``December 31, 2005'' and 
                        inserting ``120 days after the date of the 
                        enactment of the Homeless Veterans 
                        Comprehensive Assistance Act of 2018''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``an interim report'' and 
                        inserting ``a report''; and
                    (C) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) by striking ``July 1, 2007'' and 
                        inserting ``360 days after the date of the 
                        enactment of the Homeless Veterans 
                        Comprehensive Assistance Act of 2018''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``final''.

SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR HOUSING ASSISTANCE FOR HOMELESS 
              VETERANS.

    Section 2041(c) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``2017'' and inserting ``2020''.

SEC. 5. ADDITIONAL OPTIONS FOR DENTAL CARE.

    Section 2062 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(2), by adding at the end the 
        following:
                    ``(E) A Federally qualified health center.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) Providers.--For purposes of section 1712(a)(1)(H), the 
Secretary may award a contract to a Federally qualified health center 
that provides services to a veteran described in subsection (b).''.

SEC. 6. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS FOR 
              NONPROFIT COMMUNITY-BASED GROUPS.

    Section 2064(b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``2007 through 2012'' and inserting ``2019 through 2022''.

SEC. 7. ADDITIONS TO ANNUAL REPORT.

    Section 2065(c) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (9); and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
            ``(7) Information about the number of veterans referred to 
        Federally qualified health centers.
            ``(8) Information about the methods used to communicate to 
        veterans the availability of care at Federally qualified health 
        centers and an evaluation of the effectiveness of such 
        methods.''.

SEC. 8. ADDITION TO ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND EXTENSION.

    Section 2066 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ``, including 
                Federally qualified health centers and primary care 
                associations'' after ``homeless individuals'';
                    (B) by redesignating subparagraph (J) as 
                subparagraph (K); and
                    (C) by inserting after subparagraph (I) the 
                following:
            ``(J) Advocates for women veterans.''; and
            (2) in subsection (d), by striking ``September 30, 2018'' 
        and inserting ``December 31, 2022''.

SEC. 9. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR VETERANS AFFAIRS SUPPORTED HOUSING 
              PROGRAM.

    Subparagraph (B) of section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing 
Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)) is amended by striking clauses (i) 
through (v) and inserting the following:
                            ``(i) for fiscal year 2019, the amount 
                        necessary to provide 2,500 vouchers for rental 
                        assistance under this subsection; and
                            ``(ii) for fiscal year 2020, the amount 
                        necessary to provide 2,500 vouchers for rental 
                        assistance under this subsection.''.
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