Title: Homeless Veterans Prevention Act of 2019
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Homeless Veterans Prevention Act of 2019
This bill expands programs, and revises policies, related to veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Currently, grant recipients under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) comprehensive service program for homeless veterans receive per diem payments for services furnished to homeless veterans. The bill provides that furnishing care for a dependent in the care of a homeless veteran (who is receiving services from a grant recipient) may count as a service for which grant recipients may receive per diem payments.
The bill requires the VA to enter into partnerships with public or private entities to fund a portion of the legal services such entities provide to homeless veterans and veterans at risk of homelessness, including legal services related to housing, family law, criminal defense, and income support.
Under the bill, veterans who are receiving assistance under the Housing Choice Voucher Program are eligible for specified VA dental care.
The bill repeals the sunset on the authority of the VA and the Department of Labor to carry out a program of referral and counseling for veterans who are at risk of homelessness and are transitioning from certain institutions (e.g., penal institutions).
The bill also extends authorization through FY2020 for the VA to provide financial assistance for supportive services for very low-income veteran families in permanent housing.
The Government Accountability Office must complete a study of VA assistance to homeless veterans.
Finally, the bill repeals an annual reporting requirement related to VA assistance to homeless veterans.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 980 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 980

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the provision of 
        services for homeless veterans, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 2, 2019

    Mr. Burr (for himself, Mr. Manchin, Mr. Cornyn, and Ms. Hirono) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the provision of 
        services for 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 Prevention Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF PER DIEM PAYMENTS FOR FURNISHING CARE TO 
              DEPENDENTS OF CERTAIN HOMELESS VETERANS.

    Subsection (a) of section 2012 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(4) Services for which a recipient of a grant under section 2011 
of this title (or an entity described in paragraph (1)) may receive per 
diem payments under this subsection may include furnishing care for a 
dependent of a homeless veteran who is under the care of such homeless 
veteran while such homeless veteran receives services from the grant 
recipient (or entity).''.

SEC. 3. PARTNERSHIPS WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENTITIES TO PROVIDE LEGAL 
              SERVICES TO HOMELESS VETERANS AND VETERANS AT RISK OF 
              HOMELESSNESS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 20 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 2022 the following new section:
``Sec. 2022A. Partnerships with public and private entities to provide 
              legal services to homeless veterans and veterans at risk 
              of homelessness
    ``(a) Partnerships Authorized.--Subject to the availability of 
funds for that purpose, the Secretary shall enter into partnerships 
with public or private entities to fund a portion of the general legal 
services specified in subsection (c) that are provided by such entities 
to homeless veterans and veterans at risk of homelessness.
    ``(b) Locations.--(1) The Secretary shall ensure that, to the 
extent practicable, partnerships under this section are made with 
entities equitably distributed across the geographic regions of the 
United States, including rural communities, tribal lands of the United 
States, Native Americans, and tribal organizations.
    ``(2) In this subsection, the terms `Native American' and `tribal 
organization' have the meanings given such terms in section 3765 of 
this title.
    ``(c) Legal Services.--Legal services specified in this subsection 
include legal services provided by public or private entities that 
address the needs of homeless veterans and veterans at risk of 
homelessness as follows:
            ``(1) Legal services related to housing, including eviction 
        defense and representation in landlord-tenant cases and 
        foreclosure proceedings.
            ``(2) Legal services related to family law, including 
        assistance in court proceedings for family reunification, child 
        support, divorce, and estate planning.
            ``(3) Legal services related to income support, including 
        assistance in obtaining public benefits.
            ``(4) Legal services related to criminal defense, including 
        defense in matters symptomatic of homelessness, such as 
        outstanding warrants, fines, and driver's license revocation, 
        to reduce recidivism and facilitate the overcoming of reentry 
        obstacles in employment or housing.
            ``(5) Such other legal services as the Secretary considers 
        appropriate and necessary.
    ``(d) Consultation.--In developing and carrying out partnerships 
under this section, the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, 
consult with public and private entities--
            ``(1) for assistance in identifying and contacting 
        organizations described in subsection (c); and
            ``(2) to coordinate appropriate outreach relationships with 
        such organizations.
    ``(e) Reports.--The Secretary may require entities that have 
entered into partnerships under this section to submit to the Secretary 
periodic reports on legal services provided to homeless veterans and 
veterans at risk of homelessness pursuant to such partnerships.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 20 of such title is amended by adding after the item relating 
to section 2022 the following new item:

``2022A. Partnerships with public and private entities to provide legal 
                            services to homeless veterans and veterans 
                            at risk of homelessness.''.

SEC. 4. EXPANSION OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AUTHORITY TO 
              PROVIDE DENTAL CARE TO HOMELESS VETERANS.

    Subsection (b) of section 2062 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows:
    ``(b) Eligible Veterans.--(1) Subsection (a) applies to a veteran 
who--
            ``(A) is enrolled for care under section 1705(a) of this 
        title; and
            ``(B) for a period of 60 consecutive days, is receiving--
                    ``(i) assistance under section 8(o) of the United 
                States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)); or
                    ``(ii) care (directly or by contract) in any of the 
                following settings:
                            ``(I) A domiciliary under section 1710 of 
                        this title.
                            ``(II) A therapeutic residence under 
                        section 2032 of this title.
                            ``(III) Community residential care 
                        coordinated by the Secretary under section 1730 
                        of this title.
                            ``(IV) A setting for which the Secretary 
                        provides funds for a grant and per diem 
                        provider.
    ``(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), in determining whether a 
veteran has received assistance or care for a period of 60 consecutive 
days, the Secretary may disregard breaks in the continuity of 
assistance or care for which the veteran is not responsible.''.

SEC. 5. REPEAL OF SUNSET ON AUTHORITY TO CARRY OUT PROGRAM OF REFERRAL 
              AND COUNSELING SERVICES FOR VETERANS AT RISK FOR 
              HOMELESSNESS WHO ARE TRANSITIONING FROM CERTAIN 
              INSTITUTIONS.

    Section 2023 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking subsection (d); and
            (2) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (d).

SEC. 6. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR SUPPORTIVE 
              SERVICES FOR VERY LOW-INCOME VETERAN FAMILIES IN 
              PERMANENT HOUSING.

    (a) In General.--Paragraph (1) of section 2044(e) of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph:
            ``(H) $500,000,000 for fiscal year 2020.''.
    (b) Training Entities for Provision of Supportive Services.--
Paragraph (3) of such section is amended by inserting ``and 2020'' 
after ``through 2012''.

SEC. 7. REQUIREMENT FOR COMPTROLLER GENERAL TO STUDY DEPARTMENT OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS HOMELESS VETERANS PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall complete a study of programs of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs that provide assistance to homeless veterans.
    (b) Elements.--The study required by subsection (a) shall include 
the following:
            (1) An assessment of whether programs described in 
        subsection (a) are meeting the needs of veterans who are 
        eligible for assistance provided by such programs.
            (2) A review of recent efforts of the Secretary of Veterans 
        Affairs to improve the privacy, safety, and security of female 
        veterans receiving assistance from such programs.

SEC. 8. REPEAL OF REQUIREMENT FOR ANNUAL REPORTS ON ASSISTANCE TO 
              HOMELESS VETERANS.

    (a) In General.--Section 2065 of title 38, United States Code, is 
hereby repealed.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 20 of such title is amended by striking the item relating to 
section 2065.
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