Veteran Housing Opportunities and Unemployment Support Extension Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-2061
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2019-07-09
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Homelessness and emergency shelter

Veterans' loans, housing, homeless programs
Latest action: action_date: 2019-07-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-07-09
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Veteran Housing Opportunities and Unemployment Support Extension Act of 2019</b></p> <p>This bill expands eligibility for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Veterans Affairs-Supported Housing (VASH) rental voucher assistance to homeless veterans honorably discharged or released from active military, naval, or air service regardless of length of service. According to federal regulations, HUD was granted authority in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 to waive or provide an alternative for the current requirement that HUD-VASH assistance be targeted to homeless veterans who have chronic mental illnesses or chronic substance-use disorders.</p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2061 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 9, 2019 Mr. Tester (for himself, Mr. Young , and Mr. Murphy ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs A BILL To amend the United States Housing Act of 1937 and title 38, United States Code, to expand eligibility for the HUD–VASH program, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit annual reports to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives regarding homeless veterans, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Veteran Housing Opportunities and Unemployment Support Extension Act of 2019 . 2. Expansion of eligibility for HUD–VASH (a) HUD provisions 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 new subparagraph: (D) Veteran defined In this paragraph, the term veteran has the meaning given that term in section 2002(b) of title 38, United States Code. . (b) VHA case managers Subsection (b) of section 2003 of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (1) by inserting (1) before The Secretary ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (2) In the case of vouchers provided under the HUD–VASH program under section 8(o)(19) of such Act, for purposes of paragraph (1), the term veteran shall have the meaning given such term in section 2002(b) of this title. . (c) Annual reports on homelessness services provided by Department of Veterans Affairs (1) In general Not less frequently than once each year, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the homelessness services provided under programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, including services under HUD–VASH program under section 8(o)(1) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 ( 42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19) ). (2) Included information Each such annual report shall include, with respect to the year preceding the submittal of the report, a statement of the number of eligible individuals who were furnished such homelessness services and the number of individuals furnished such services under each such program, disaggregated by the number of men who received such services and the number of women who received such services, and such other information as the Secretary considers appropriate.