Title: Homeless Veterans Legal Services Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Homeless Veterans Legal Services Act
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs 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, income support, and criminal defense.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 716 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 716

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of 
  Veterans Affairs to enter into partnerships with public and private 
entities to provide legal services to homeless veterans and veterans at 
                         risk of homelessness.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 23, 2019

Mrs. Beatty (for herself, Mr. Stivers, Mr. Ted Lieu of California, and 
 Mr. Turner) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of 
  Veterans Affairs to enter into partnerships with public and private 
entities to provide legal services to homeless veterans and veterans at 
                         risk of homelessness.

    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 Legal Services 
Act''.

SEC. 2. 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 such 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.--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 and tribal lands.
    ``(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, representation in landlord-tenant cases, and 
        representation in foreclosure cases.
            ``(2) Legal services related to family law, including 
        assistance in court proceedings for child support, divorce, 
        estate planning, and family reconciliation.
            ``(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 determines 
        appropriate.
    ``(d) Consultation.--In developing and carrying out partnerships 
under this section, the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable--
            ``(1) consult with veterans service organizations and other 
        appropriate organizations; and
            ``(2) 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 who are 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.''.
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