Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Service Programs Act of 1992
PL 102-590 (H.R.5400), enacted 11/10/1992

106 STAT. 5136 
PUBLIC LAW 102-590—NOV. 10, 1992 
Public Law 102-590 
102d Congress 
An Act 
Nov. 10, 1992 
[H.R. 5400] 
Homeless 
Veterans 
Comprehensive 
Service 
Programs Act of 
1992 
38 u s e 101 note. 
38 use 7721 
note. 
38 u s e 7721 
note. 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a program to provide certain 
housing assistance to homeless veterans, to improve certain other programs that 
provide such assistance, 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 Comprehen-
sive Service Programs Act of 1992". 
SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of appropriations 
provided for under section 12, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall establish and operate, through September 30, 1995, a pilot 
program under this Act to expand and improve the provision of 
benefits and services by the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
homeless veterans. 
(b) COMPREHENSIVE CENTERS.—The pilot program shall include 
the establishment of no more than four demonstration programs 
(in addition to any existing programs providing similar services) 
at sites under the jurisdiction of the Secretary to be centers for 
the provision of comprehensive services to homeless veterans. The 
services to be provided at each site shall include a comprehensive 
and coordinated array of those specialized services which may be 
provided under existing law. 
(c) PLACEMENT OF V B A EMPLOYEES.—The pilot program shall 
also include the services of such employees of the Veterans Benefits 
Administration as the Secretary determines appropriate at— 
(1) no more than 45 sites at which the Secretary provides 
services to homeless chronically mentally ill veterans pursuant 
to section 115 of Public Law 100-322 (38 U.S.C. 1712 note); 
(2) no more than 26 sites at which tJie Secretary furnishes 
domiciliary care to homeless veterans pursuant to section 801(b) 
of PubKc Law 100-628 (102 Stat. 3257); 
(3) no more than 12 centers which provide readjustment 
counseling services under section 1712A of title 38, United 
States Code; and 
(4) each of the demonstration sites established under sub-
section (b). 
SEC. 3. GRANTS. 
(a) AuTHORiry To MAKE GRANTS.—Subject to the availability 
of appropriations provided for under section 12, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs, during fiscal years 1993, 1994, and 1995, shall 
make grants to assist eligible entities in establishing new programs 
to fiimish outreach, rehabilitative services, vocational counseling 
and training, and transitional housing assistance to homeless 
veterans. 
PUBLIC LAW 102-590—NOV. 10, 1992 
106 STAT. 5137 
(b) CRITERIA FOR AWARD OF GRANTS.—The Secretary shall 
establish criteria and requirements for the award of a grant under 
this section, including criteria for entities eligible to receive such 
grants. The Secretary shall publish such criteria and requirements Federal 
in the Federal Register not later than 90 days after the date 
Sj^Son 
of the enactment of this Act. In developing such criteria and require-
ments, the Secretary shall consult with organizations with experi-
ence in the area of providing service to homeless veterans and 
to the maximum extent possible shall take into account the findings 
of the assessment of the Secretary under section 107 of the Veterans' 
Medical Programs Amendments of 1992. The criteria established 
under this section shall include the following: 
(1) Specification as to the kinds of projects for which such 
grant support is available, which shall include (A) expansion, 
remodeling, or alteration of existing buildings, or acquisition 
of facilities, for use as service centers, transitional housing, 
or other facilities to serve homeless veterans, and (B) procure-
ment of vans for use in outreach to, and transportation for, 
homeless veterans to carry out the purposes set forth in sub-
section (a). 
(2) Specification as to the number of projects for which 
grant support is available, which shall include provision for 
no more than 25 service centers and no more than 20 programs 
which incorporate the procurement of vans as described in 
paragraph (1). 
(3) Appropriate criteria for the staffing for the provision 
of the services for which a grant under this section is furnished. 
(4) Provisions to ensure that the award of grants under 
this section (A) shall not result in duplication of ongoing serv-
ices, and (B) to the maximum extent practicable, shall reflect 
appropriate geographic dispersion and an appropriate balance 
between urban and nonurban locations. 
(5) Provisions to ensure that an entity receiving a grant 
shall meet fire and safety requirements established by the 
Secretary, which shall include such State and community 
requirements that may apply, but fire and safety requirements 
applicable to buildings of the Federal Government shall not 
apply to real property to be used by a grantee in carrying 
out the grant. 
(6) Specifications as to the means by which an entity receiv-
ing a grant may contribute in-kind services to the start-up 
costs of any project for which support is sought and the meth-
odology for assigning a cost to that contribution for purposes 
of subsection (c). 
(c) FUNDING LIMITATIONS.—A grant imder this section may 
not be used to support operational costs. The amount of a grant 
under this section may not exceed 65 percent of the estimated 
cost of the expansion, remodeling, alteration, acquisition, or procure-
ment provided for under this section. 
(d) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—^The Secretary may not make a grant 
under this section imless the applicant for the grant— 
(1) is a public or nonprofit private entity with the capacity 
(as determined by the Secretary) to effectively administer a 
grant under this section; 
(2) has demonstrated that adequate financial support will 
be available to carry out the project for which the grant has 
106 STAT. 5138 
PUBLIC LAW 102-590—NOV. 10, 1992 
been sought consistent with the plans, specifications, and sched-
ule submitted by the applicant; and 
(3) has agreed to meet the applicable criteria and require-
ments established under subsection (b) (and the Secretary has 
determined that the applicant has demonstrated the capacity 
to meet those criteria and requirements). 
(e) APPUCATION REQUIREMENT.—An entity described in sub-
section (d) desiring to receive assistance under this section shall 
submit to the Secretary an application. The application shall set 
^ 
forth— 
(1) the amount of the grant requested with respect to 
\ 
a project; 
(2) a description of the site for such project; 
(3) plans, specifications, and the schedule for implementa-
tion of such project in accordance with requirements prescribed 
by the Secretary under subsection (b); and 
(4) reasonable assurance that upon completion of the work 
for which assistance is sought, the program will become oper-
ational and the facilities will be used principally to provide 
to veterans the services for which the project was designed, 
and that not more than 25 percent of the services provided 
will serve clients who are not receiving such services as 
veterans. 
(f) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary may not make 
a grant to an applicant under this section luiless the applicant, 
in the application for the grant, agrees to each of the following 
requirements: 
(1) To provide the services for which the grant is fvimished 
at locations accessible to homeless veterans. 
(2) To maintain referral networks for, and aid homeless 
veterans in, establishing eligibility for assistance, and obtaining 
services, under available entitlement and assistance programs. 
(3) To ensure the confidentiality of records maintained 
on homeless veterans receiving services luider the grant. 
(4) To establish such procedures for fiscal control and fimd 
accounting as may be necessary to ensure proper disbursement 
and accounting with respect to the grant and to such payments 
as may be made under section 4. 
(5) To seek to employ homeless veterans and formerly 
homeless veterans in positions created for purposes of the grant 
for which those veterans are qualified. 
(g) SERVICE CENTER REQUIREMENTS.—In addition to criteria 
established under subsection (b), the Secretary shall, in the case 
of an application for a grant for a service center for homeless 
veterans, require that— 
(1) such center shall provide services to homeless veterans 
during such hours as the Secretary may specify and shall 
be open to such veterans on an as-needed, unscheduled basis; 
(2) space at such center will be made available, as mutually 
agreeable, for use by staff of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, the Department of Labor, and other appropriate agen-
cies and organizations in assisting homeless veterans served 
by such center; 
(3) such center shall be equipped and staffed to provide, 
or to assist in providing, health care, mental health services, 
hygiene facilities, benefits and employment counseling, meals. 
PUBLIC LAW 102-590—NOV. 10, 1992 
106 STAT. 5139 
transportation assistance, and such other services as the Sec-
retary determines necessary; and 
(4) such center may be e(][uipped and staffed to provide, 
or to assist in providing, job training and job placement services 
(including job readiness, job counseling, and literacy and skills 
training), as well as any outreach and case management serv-
ices that may be necessary to carry out this paragraph. 
SEC. 4. PER DIEM PAYMENTS. 
38 USC 7721 
(a) PER DIEM PAYMENTS FOR FURNISHING SERVICES TO HOME- S^giiiations. 
LESS VETERANS.—Subject to the availability of appropriations pro-
vided for under section 12, the Secretarv of Veterans Affairs, pursu-
ant to such criteria as the Secretary shall prescribe, shall provide 
to a recipient of a grant under section 3 (or an entity eligible 
to receive a grant under section 3 virhich after the date of enactment 
of this Act establishes a program which the Secretary determines 
carries out the purposes described in section 3) per diem payments 
at such rates as the Secretary shall prescribe by regulation for 
services furnished to any homeless veteran— 
(1) whom the Secretary has referred to the grant recipient 
(or entity eligible for such a grant); or 
(2) for whom the Secretary has authorized the provision 
of services. 
In a case in which the Secretary has authorized the provision 
of services, per diem pa^onents may be paid retroactively for services 
provided not more than 3 days before the authorization was pro-
vided. 
(b) LIMITATION.—^The amount of per diem pa3anents made with 
respect to a veteran under this section may not exceed one-half 
of the cost to the grant recipient (or other eligible entity) of provid-
ing such service. 
(c) IN-KIND ASSISTANCE.—In lieu of per diem pajrments under 
this section, the Secretary may, with the approval of the grant 
recipient, provide in-kind assistance (through the services of 
Department 
employees 
and 
the 
use 
of other 
Department 
resources) to a grant recipient (or entity eligible for such a 
grant) under section 3. 
(d) INSPECTIONS.—^^The Secretary may inspect any facility of 
an entity eligible for pa3rments imder subsection (a) at such times 
as the Secretary considers necessary. No per diem payment may 
be made to an entity under this section unless the facilities of 
that entity meet such standards as the Secretary shall prescribe. 
SEC. 5. OUTREACH SERVICES. 
Section 7722 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end thereof the following: 
"(e) In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall assign 
such employees of the Veterans Benefits Administration as the 
Secretary considers appropriate to conduct outreach programs and 
provide outreach services for homeless veterans. Such outreach 
services may include site visits through which homeless veterans 
can be identified and provided assistance in obtaining benefits 
and services that may be available to them.". 
SEC. 6. EXPANSION OF PROGRAMS FOR HOMELESS VETERANS. 
Section 801 of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance 
Amendments Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-628; 102 Stat. 3257) 
is amended in subsection (c), by striking out "to homeless" and 
106 STAT. 5140 
PUBLIC LAW 102-590—NOV. 10, 1992 
inserting in lieu thereof 'Vith a primary emphasis on those home-
less". 
SEC. 7. AUTHORITY TO LEASE CERTAIN PROPERTY OF THE DEPART-
MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR EXTENDED LEASE TERMS. 
(a) AuTHORiTy.—Notwithstanding section 8122(aXl) of title 
38, United States Code, and subject to subsection (b), the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs may lease to a representative of the homeless 
for a term in excess of three years any real property at the West 
Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center for which an applica-
tion of the representative for the use of the property has been 
approved by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under 
section 501(e) of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance 
Act (42 U.S.C. 11411(e)). Any such lease shall be subject to the 
provisions of section 501(f) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 11411(f)). 
(b) LIMITATION.—^The Secretary may not lease real property 
under subsection (a) for a term in excess of three years to a 
representative of the homeless unless the representative agrees 
to use the property only as a location for the provision of services 
to homeless veterans and the families of such veterans. 
(c) DEFINITION.—^In this section, the term "representative of 
the homeless" has the meaning given such term in section 501(hX4) 
of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
11411(hX4)). 
SEC. 8. AUTHORITY TO MAKE PROPERTIES AVAILABLE FOR HOME-
LESS PURPOSES. 
(a) LEASE OR DONATION.—Section 3735(a) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) by inserting ", lease, lease with an option to pur-
chase, or donate" after "sell"; and 
(B) by inserting "or lease or donation" after "sale"; 
(2) in paragraph (3XB), by inserting ", leased, or donated" 
after "sold''; 
(3) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (6); and 
(4) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following new para-
graphs: 
"(4) The term of any lease imder this subsection may not 
exceed three years. 
"(5) An approved entity that leases a property from the Sec-
retary under tnis section shall be responsible for the payment 
of any taxes, utilities, liability insurance, and other maintenance 
charges or similar charges that apply to the property.". 
(b) EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY.—Section 3735(b) of such title 
is amended by striking out "September 30, 1993" and inserting 
in lieu thereof "December 31,1995". 
SEC. 9. FINANCING OF PROPERTIES TO ASSIST HOMELESS VETERANS. 
(a) FINANCING.—Section 3735 of title 38, United States Code 
(as amended by section 8), is further amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new sub-
section (b): 
"(bXD Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), the Secretary may 
make loans to organizations described in paragraph (IXA) of sub-
section (a) to finance the purchase of property by such organizations 
imder such subsection. 
PUBLIC LAW 102-590—NOV. 10, 1992 
106 STAT. 5141 
"(2) In making a loan under this subsection, the Secretary— 
"(A) shall establish credit standards to be used for this 
purpose; 
"(B) may, pursuant to section 3733(aX6) of this title, provide 
that the loan will bear interest at a rate below the rate that 
prevails for similar loans in the market in which the loan 
is made; and 
"(C) may waive the collection of a fee under section 3729 
of this title in any case in which the Secretary determines 
that such a waiver would be appropriate.". 
SEC. 10. ANNUAL REPORTS. 
38 USC 7721 
Not later than May 1 of each of 1994, 1995, and 1996, the °°*® 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on 
Veterans' Mfairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a 
report on the implementation of this Act. Each such report shall, 
to the extent feasible, include information on (1) the number of 
veterans assisted, (2) the services provided, and (3) the Secretary's 
analysis of the operational and clinical effectiveness and cost-
effectiveness of the programs established under, or with assistance 
provided by, this Act. 
SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR HOMELESS VET-
ERANS'REINTEGRATION PROJECTS. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 738 of the 
Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11448) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: 
"(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—(1) There are author-
ized to be appropriated to carry out this section the following 
amounts: 
"(A) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1993. 
"(B) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 1994. 
"(C) $14,000,000 for fiscal year 1995. 
"(2) Funds obligated for any fiscal year to carry out this section 
may be expended in that fiscal year and the succeeding fiscal 
year.". 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—(1) Section 739 of the Stewart 
B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11449) is 
amended— 
(A) in subsection (aX3)— 
(i) by striking out "$17,000,000" and inserting in lieu 
thereof "$14,800,000"; and 
(ii) by striking out "1993," and all that follows through 
"this subtitle" and inserting in lieu thereof "1993"; and 
(B) in subsection (b), by striking out "other than section 
738 of this subtitle and for the program imder section 738 
of this subtitle". 
(2) Section 741 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 11451) is amended 42 USC 11450. 
by inserting "738 and" before "740". 
106 STAT. 5142 
PUBLIC LAW 102-590—NOV. 10, 1992 
38 use 7721 
SEC. 12. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
(other than section 8) $48,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 
1993, 1994, and 1995. No funds may be used to carry out the 
provisions of sections 2, 3, and 4 of this Act unless expressly 
provided for in an appropriation law. Nothing in this Act shall 
De construed to diminish funds for, continuation of, or expansion 
of existing programs administered by the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to serve veterans. 
Approved November 10, 1992. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 5400 (S. 2512): 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 102-721 (Comm. on Veterans' Affaire). 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 102-361 accompanying S. 2512 (Comm. on Veterans' Affaire). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 138 (1992): 
July 27, considered and paraed House. 
Sept. 8, considered and passed Senate, amended, in lieu of S. 2512. 
Oct. 3, House concurred in Senate amendments with an amendment. 
Oct. 7, Senate concurred in House amendment.