Legal Services for Homeless Veterans Act

IIB 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 3749 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES FEBRUARY 27, 2020 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs AN ACT To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Sec- retary of Veterans Affairs to make grants to entities that provide legal services for homeless veterans and veterans at risk for homelessness, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:03 Feb 27, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3749.RFS H3749 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 HR 3749 RFS SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Legal Services for 2 Homeless Veterans Act’’. 3 SEC. 2. LEGAL SERVICES FOR HOMELESS VETERANS AND 4 VETERANS AT RISK FOR HOMELESSNESS. 5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 20 of title 38, United 6 States Code, is amended by inserting after section 2022 7 the following new section: 8 ‘‘§ 2022A. Legal services for homeless veterans and 9 veterans at risk for homelessness 10 ‘‘(a) GRANTS.—Subject to the availability of appro- 11 priations provided for such purpose, the Secretary of Vet- 12 erans Affairs shall make grants to eligible entities that 13 provide legal services to homeless veterans and veterans 14 at risk for homelessness. 15 ‘‘(b) CRITERIA.—(1) The Secretary shall— 16 ‘‘(A) establish criteria and requirements for 17 grants under this section, including criteria for enti- 18 ties eligible to receive such grants; and 19 ‘‘(B) publish such criteria and requirements in 20 the Federal Register. 21 ‘‘(2) In establishing criteria and requirements under 22 paragraph (1), the Secretary shall— 23 ‘‘(A) take into consideration any criteria and 24 requirements needed with respect to carrying out 25 this section in rural communities, Tribal lands, and 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:03 Feb 27, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3749.RFS H3749 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 HR 3749 RFS the territories and possessions of the United States; 1 and 2 ‘‘(B) consult with organizations that have expe- 3 rience in providing services to homeless veterans, in- 4 cluding veterans service organizations, the Equal 5 Justice Works AmeriCorps Veterans Legal Corps, 6 and other organizations the Secretary determines 7 appropriate. 8 ‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—The Secretary may make 9 a grant under this section to an entity applying for such 10 a grant only if the applicant for the grant— 11 ‘‘(1) is a public or nonprofit private entity with 12 the capacity (as determined by the Secretary) to ef- 13 fectively administer a grant under this section; 14 ‘‘(2) demonstrates that adequate financial sup- 15 port will be available to carry out the services for 16 which the grant is sought consistent with the appli- 17 cation; 18 ‘‘(3) agrees to meet the applicable criteria and 19 requirements established under subsection (b)(1); 20 and 21 ‘‘(4) has, as determined by the Secretary, dem- 22 onstrated the capacity to meet such criteria and re- 23 quirements. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:03 Feb 27, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3749.RFS H3749 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 HR 3749 RFS ‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants under this section 1 shall be used to provide homeless veterans and veterans 2 at risk for homelessness the following legal services: 3 ‘‘(1) Legal services related to housing, including 4 eviction defense, representation in landlord-tenant 5 cases, and representation in foreclosure cases. 6 ‘‘(2) Legal services related to family law, in- 7 cluding assistance in court proceedings for child sup- 8 port, divorce, estate planning, and family reconcili- 9 ation. 10 ‘‘(3) Legal services related to income support, 11 including assistance in obtaining public benefits. 12 ‘‘(4) Legal services related to criminal defense, 13 including defense in matters symptomatic of home- 14 lessness, such as outstanding warrants, fines, and 15 driver’s license revocation, to reduce recidivism and 16 facilitate the overcoming of reentry obstacles in em- 17 ployment or housing. 18 ‘‘(5) Legal services related to requests to up- 19 grade the characterization of a discharge or dis- 20 missal of a former member of the Armed Forces 21 under section 1553 of title 10. 22 ‘‘(6) Such other legal services as the Secretary 23 determines appropriate. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:03 Feb 27, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3749.RFS H3749 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 HR 3749 RFS ‘‘(e) FUNDS FOR WOMEN VETERANS.—For any fiscal 1 year, not less than 10 percent of the amount authorized 2 to be appropriated for grants under this section shall be 3 used to provide legal services described in subsection (d) 4 to women veterans. 5 ‘‘(f) REPORTS.—On a biennial basis, the Secretary 6 shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of 7 the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on 8 grants under this section. To the extent feasible, each such 9 report shall include the following with respect to the year 10 covered by the report: 11 ‘‘(1) The number of homeless veterans and vet- 12 erans at risk for homelessness assisted. 13 ‘‘(2) A description of the legal services pro- 14 vided. 15 ‘‘(3) A description of the legal matters ad- 16 dressed. 17 ‘‘(4) An analysis by the Secretary with respect 18 to the operational effectiveness and cost-effectiveness 19 of the services provided.’’. 20 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 21 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 22 after the item relating to section 2022 the following new 23 item: 24 ‘‘2022A. Legal services for homeless veterans and veterans at risk for homeless- ness.’’. VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:03 Feb 27, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6211 E:\BILLS\H3749.RFS H3749 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 HR 3749 RFS (c) CRITERIA.—Not later than 180 days after the 1 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet- 2 erans Affairs shall establish the criteria and requirements 3 in the Federal Register pursuant to subsection (b)(1) of 4 section 2022A of title 38, United States Code, as added 5 by subsection (a). 6 SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL AMOUNT FOR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES 7 FOR VETERAN FAMILIES GRANT PROGRAM 8 TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE A 9 FOCUS ON PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO 10 WOMEN VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES. 11 Section 2044(e) of title 38, United States Code, is 12 amended by adding at the end the following new para- 13 graph: 14 ‘‘(4) There is authorized to be appropriated 15 $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 16 2024 for the provision of financial assistance under 17 subsection (a) to organizations that have a focus on 18 providing assistance to women veterans and their 19 families.’’. 20 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:03 Feb 27, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3749.RFS H3749 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 7 HR 3749 RFS SEC. 4. GAP ANALYSIS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF- 1 FAIRS PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE ASSIST- 2 ANCE TO WOMEN VETERANS WHO ARE HOME- 3 LESS. 4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 5 shall complete an analysis of programs of the Department 6 of Veterans Affairs that provide assistance to women vet- 7 erans who are homeless or precariously housed to identify 8 the areas in which such programs are failing to meet the 9 needs of such women. 10 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 270 days after the date 11 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 12 to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and 13 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep- 14 resentatives a report on the analysis completed under sub- 15 section (a). 16 Passed the House of Representatives February 25, 2020. Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, Clerk. VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:03 Feb 27, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3749.RFS H3749 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS