What This Bill Does
This bill changes federal law to let the Department of Veterans Affairs use money more flexibly when helping homeless veterans. The bill allows the department to provide various types of assistance and lets it work with organizations to use department land for homeless veterans.
Who It Affects
- Homeless veterans (military service members no longer on active duty who lack permanent housing)
- Veterans participating in a specific housing program under the United States Housing Act of 1937
- The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (the official who runs the Veterans Affairs department)
- Organizations that partner with the Veterans Affairs department
Key Provisions
- The Secretary of Veterans Affairs can use money meant for certain veteran programs to give homeless veterans safety and survival items like food, shelter, clothing, blankets and hygiene products (Sec. 2)
- The Secretary can use program funds to pay for transportation that helps veterans stay stable and healthy, such as rides to appointments, housing searches and getting food and supplies (Sec. 2)
- The Secretary can use program funds to provide communication equipment and services like tablets, smartphones and phone plans to help veterans stay in contact with service providers, landlords and family members (Sec. 2)
- The Secretary can work with organizations to manage department land for homeless veterans to use for living and sleeping (Sec. 2)
- The Secretary or partner organizations can provide food services and security for department buildings and facilities as part of this collaboration (Sec. 2)
What Changes
A new section of federal law is added that specifically allows the Veterans Affairs department to spend money on these flexible types of assistance for homeless veterans instead of limiting spending to narrower purposes.
Important Definitions
None defined in the bill text.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 645
To amend title 38, United States Code, to permanently authorize the use
of certain funds to improve flexibility in the provision of assistance
to homeless veterans, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 31, 2023
Mrs. CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK (for herself, Mr. TAKANO, Ms. CASTOR of Flor-
ida, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. DELUZIO, Mr. CASE, Ms. TLAIB, Ms.
KAMLAGER-DOVE, Ms. NORTON, and Ms. BROWNLEY) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to permanently au-
thorize the use of certain funds to improve flexibility
in the provision of assistance to homeless veterans, 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
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Healthy Foundations
4
for Homeless Veterans Act’’.
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•HR 645 IH
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF USE OF CERTAIN FUNDS FOR
1
IMPROVED FLEXIBILITY IN ASSISTANCE TO
2
HOMELESS VETERANS.
3
Subtitle VII of chapter 20 of title 38, United States
4
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new
5
section (and conforming the table of sections at the begin-
6
ning of such chapter accordingly):
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‘‘§ 2068. Flexibility in provision of assistance to home-
8
less veterans
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‘‘(a) USE OF FUNDS.—The Secretary of Veterans Af-
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fairs may use amounts appropriated or otherwise made
11
available to the Department of Veterans Affairs to carry
12
out section 2011, 2012, 2031, or 2061 of this chapter to
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provide to homeless veterans and veterans participating in
14
the program carried out under section 8(o)(19) of the
15
United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.
16
1437f(o)(19)), as the Secretary determines necessary, the
17
following:
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‘‘(1) Assistance required for the safety and sur-
19
vival of the veteran (such as food, shelter, clothing,
20
blankets, and hygiene items).
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‘‘(2) Transportation required to support the
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stability and health of the veteran (such as transpor-
23
tation for appointments with service providers, the
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conduct of housing searches, and the obtainment of
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food and supplies).
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•HR 645 IH
‘‘(3) Communications equipment and services
1
(such as tablets, smartphones, disposable phones,
2
and related service plans) required to support the
3
stability and health of the veteran (such as through
4
the maintenance of contact with service providers,
5
prospective landlords, and family members).
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‘‘(4) Such other assistance as the Secretary de-
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termines necessary.
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‘‘(b)
HOMELESS
VETERANS
ON
DEPARTMENT
9
LAND.—(1) The Secretary may collaborate, to the extent
10
practicable, with one or more organizations to manage the
11
use of land of the Department for homeless veterans for
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living and sleeping.
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‘‘(2) Collaboration under paragraph (1) may include
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the provision by either the Secretary or the head of the
15
organization concerned of food services and security for
16
property, buildings, and other facilities owned or con-
17
trolled by the Department.’’.
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Æ
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