[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3848 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3848
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 6, 2023
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To make certain improvements in the laws administered by the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs relating to homelessness, 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 ``Housing our Military Veterans
Effectively Act of 2023'' or the ``HOME Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. PER DIEM PAYMENTS PROVIDED BY THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
FOR SERVICES FURNISHED TO HOMELESS VETERANS.
Section 2012 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (2)(B)--
(i) in clause (i)(II)(aa)(BB), by striking
``115 percent'' and inserting ``133 percent'';
and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
``(iii) During each of fiscal years 2024 through 2026, the
Secretary may waive the maximum rate for per diem payments under clause
(i)(II)(aa)(BB) or (ii) and, subject to the availability of
appropriations, provide such payments at a rate that does not exceed
200 percent of the rate authorized for State homes for domiciliary care
under subsection (a)(1)(A) of section 1741 of this title, as the
Secretary may increase from time to time under subsection (c) of that
section if the Secretary notifies Congress of such waiver.
``(iv) The Secretary may not, pursuant to clause (iii), waive the
maximum rate described in such clause for more than 50 percent of all
grant recipients and eligible entities in a fiscal year.''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
``(4) The Secretary may not provide more than 12,000 per diem
payments under this section in a fiscal year.''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(f) Reports Required.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of the HOME Act of 2023, and not less frequently than
twice each year thereafter, the Secretary 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 rate for per
diem payments under this section that includes, for each Veterans
Integrated Service Network of the Department, the following data:
``(1) The average rate for such a payment.
``(2) A list of locations where the rate for such a payment
is within 10 percent of the maximum rate for such a payment
authorized under this section.
``(3) The average length of stay by a veteran participating
in a program described in section 2012(a) of this title.''.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION FOR SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO USE OF
CERTAIN FUNDS FOR IMPROVED FLEXIBILITY IN ASSISTANCE TO
HOMELESS VETERANS.
(a) Use of Funds.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may use
amounts appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of
Veterans Affairs to carry out section 2011, 2012, 2031, or 2061 of
title 38, United States Code, to provide to a covered veteran, as the
Secretary determines necessary--
(1) food, shelter, clothing, blankets, and hygiene items
required for the safety and survival of the veteran;
(2) transportation required to support the stability and
health of the veteran for appointments with service providers,
the conduct of housing searches, and the obtainment of food and
supplies; and
(3) tablets, smartphones, disposable phones, and related
service plans required to support the stability and health of
the veteran through the maintenance of contact with service
providers, prospective landlords, and family members.
(b) Homeless Veterans on Department of Veterans Affairs Land.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary may collaborate, to the
extent practicable, with one or more organizations to manage
the use of land of the Department of Veterans Affairs for
homeless veterans for living and sleeping.
(2) Forms of collaboration.--Collaboration under paragraph
(1) may include the provision by either the Secretary or the
head of the organization concerned of food services and
security for property, buildings, and other facilities owned or
controlled by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(c) Report Required.--Not later than six months after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and every six months thereafter until the
date specified in subsection (d), the Secretary shall submit to
Congress a report that includes, with respect to the period covered by
such report--
(1) a statement, disaggregated by each medical center of
the Department of Veterans Affairs, of the amount of funds
under this section--
(A) each such medical center requested from the
Secretary; and
(B) to which the Secretary provided each such
medical center;
(2) data, disaggregated by each such medical center,
relating to how each such medical center used amounts provided
by the Secretary under this section;
(3) the number of covered veterans to which the Secretary
provided assistance under this section;
(4) the total amount of assistance the Secretary provided
to covered veterans pursuant to subsection (a)(3) for
communications equipment, broken down by the type of equipment
provided;
(5) the total amount of assistance the Secretary provided
covered veterans pursuant to subsection (a)(2) for ridesharing;
(6) the number of covered veterans who received such
assistance; and
(7) a description, for each rideshare used by a covered
veteran with such assistance, of the reasons such covered
veteran used such rideshare.
(8) the number of covered veterans who lived or slept on
Department land;
(9) the amount of funds used to make available Department
land for covered veterans to live and sleep;
(10) the number of Department employees whose primary
responsibilities involved providing services for covered
veterans living or sleeping on Department land;
(11) the average length of time a covered veteran lived or
slept on Department land, and
(12) the period of time the Secretary expects Department
land will be made available for covered veterans to live and
sleep.
(d) Sunset.--The authority under this section shall terminate on
September 30, 2024.
(e) Definitions.--In this section, the term ``covered veteran''
means--
(1) a homeless veteran; and
(2) a veteran participating in the program carried out
under section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937
(42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)).
SEC. 4. MODIFICATION OF CERTAIN HOUSING LOAN FEES.
The loan fee table in section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, United States
Code, is amended by striking ``November 14, 2031'' each place it
appears and inserting ``May 18, 2032''.
Passed the House of Representatives December 5, 2023.
Attest:
KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,
Clerk.