[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 714 Reported in Senate (RS)]






                                                       Calendar No. 236
105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 714

                          [Report No. 105-123]

   To make permanent the Native American Veteran Housing Loan Pilot 
             Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 7, 1997

  Mr. Akaka (for himself, Mr. Daschle, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Hollings, Mr. 
   Wellstone, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Craig, Mr. D'Amato, and Mr. Johnson) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

                            October 30, 1997

  Reported by Mr. Specter, with an amendment and an amendment to the 
                                 title
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To make permanent the Native American Veteran Housing Loan Pilot 
             Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR NATIVE AMERICAN VETERAN 
              HOUSING LOAN PROGRAM.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Permanent Authority.--Section 3761 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by striking out subsection (c).</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Conforming Amendments.--(1) Section 3761(a) of such 
title is amended--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (A) by striking out ``shall establish and 
        implement a pilot program'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
        ``shall carry out a pilot program''; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (B) by striking out ``shall establish and 
        implement the pilot program'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
        ``shall carry out the pilot program''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (2) Sections 3761(b) and 3762(i) of such title are each 
amended by striking out ``pilot program'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
``program''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (3) Section 3762 of such title is amended--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (A) in subsection (b)(1)(E), by striking out 
        ``pilot program established under this subchapter is 
        implemented'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``program under 
        this subchapter is carried out''; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (B) in subsection (c)(1)(B), by striking out the 
        second sentence.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (4)(A) The subchapter heading for subchapter V of chapter 
37 of such title is amended by striking out ``PILOT''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (B) The section heading for section 3761 of such title is 
amended to read as follows:</DELETED>
<DELETED>``Sec. 3761. Native American Veteran Housing Loan 
              Program''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (C) The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 37 
of such title is amended--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (i) in the item relating to subchapter V, by 
        striking out ``PILOT''; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (ii) by striking out the item relating to section 
        3761 and inserting in lieu thereof the following new 
        item:</DELETED>

<DELETED>``3761. Native American Veteran Housing Loan Program.''.

</DELETED>SECTION 1. EXTENSION AND IMPROVEMENT OF NATIVE AMERICAN 
              VETERAN HOUSING LOAN PROGRAM.

    (a) Extension.--Section 3761(c) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by striking out ``September 30, 1997'' and inserting in lieu 
thereof ``December 31, 2003''.
    (b) Outreach.--Section 3762(i) of such title is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(1)'' after ``(i)'';
            (2) in paragraph (1), as so designated--
                    (A) by inserting ``, in consultation with tribal 
                organizations (including the National Congress of 
                American Indians and the National American Indian 
                Housing Council),'' after ``The Secretary shall''; and
                    (B) by striking out ``tribal organizations and''; 
                and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(2) Activities under the outreach program shall include the 
following:
            ``(A) Attending conferences and conventions conducted by 
        the National Congress of American Indians in order to work with 
        the National Congress in providing information and training to 
        tribal organizations and Native American veterans regarding the 
        availability of housing benefits under the pilot program and in 
        assisting such organizations and veterans in participating in 
        the pilot program.
            ``(B) Attending conferences and conventions conducted by 
        the National American Indian Housing Council in order to work 
        with the Housing Council in providing information and training 
        to tribal organizations and tribal housing entities regarding 
        the availability of such benefits.
            ``(C) Attending conferences and conventions conducted by 
        the Department of Hawaiian Homelands in order to work with the 
        Department of Hawaiian Homelands in providing information and 
        training to tribal housing entities in Hawaii regarding the 
        availability of such benefits.
            ``(D) Producing and disseminating information to tribal 
        governments, tribal veterans service organizations, and tribal 
        organizations regarding the availability of such benefits.
            ``(E) Assisting tribal organizations and Native American 
        veterans in participating in the pilot program.''.
    (c) Annual Reports.--Section 3762 of such title is further amended 
by adding at the end the following:
    ``(j) Not later than February 1 of each of 1998 through 2003, the 
Secretary shall transmit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the 
Senate and House of Representatives a report relating to--
            ``(1) the implementation of the pilot program under this 
        subchapter during the fiscal year preceding the date of the 
        report;
            ``(2) the Secretary's exercise during such fiscal year of 
        the authority provided under subsection (c)(1)(B) to make loans 
        exceeding the maximum loan amount;
            ``(3) the appraisals performed for the Secretary during 
        such fiscal year under the authority of subsection (d)(2), 
        including a description of--
                    ``(A) the manner in which such appraisals were 
                performed;
                    ``(B) the qualifications of the appraisers who 
                performed such appraisals; and
                    ``(C) the actions taken by the Secretary with 
                respect to such appraisals to protect the interests of 
                veterans and the United States;
            ``(4) the outreach activities undertaken under subsection 
        (i) during such fiscal year, including--
                    ``(A) a description of such activities on a region-
                by-region basis; and
                    ``(B) an assessment of the effectiveness of such 
                activities in encouraging the participation of Native 
                American veterans in the pilot program;
            ``(5) the pool of Native American veterans who are eligible 
        for participation in the pilot program, including--
                    ``(A) a description and analysis of the pool; and
                    ``(B) a description and assessment of the 
                impediments, if any, to full participation in the pilot 
                program of the Native American veterans in the pool; 
                and
            ``(6) the Secretary's recommendations, if any, for 
        additional legislation regarding the pilot program.''.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITIES RELATING TO HOMELESS VETERANS.

    (a) Drug and Alcohol Abuse and Dependence.--Section 1720A(e) of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking out ``December 31, 
1997'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``December 31, 1999''.
    (b) Agreements for Housing Assistance for Homeless Veterans.--
Section 3735(c) of such title is amended by striking out ``December 31, 
1997'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``December 31, 1999''.
    (c) Authority for Community-Based Residential Care for Homeless 
Chronically Mentally Ill Veterans and Other Veterans.--Section 115(d) 
of the Veterans' Benefits and Services Act of 1988 (38 U.S.C. 1712 
note) is amended by striking out ``December 31, 1998'' and inserting in 
lieu thereof ``December 31, 1999''.
    (d) Demonstration Program of Compensated Work Therapy.--Section 
7(a) of Public Law 102-54 (38 U.S.C. 1718 note) is amended by striking 
out ``December 31, 1997'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``December 31, 
1999''.
    (e) Services and Assistance to Homeless Veterans.--The Homeless 
Veterans Comprehensive Service Programs Act of 1992 (38 U.S.C. 7721 
note) is amended--
            (1) in section 2(a), by striking out ``September 30, 1997'' 
        and inserting in lieu thereof ``September 30, 1999'';
            (2) in section 3(a)(2), by striking out ``September 30, 
        1997'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``September 30, 1999''; 
        and
            (3) in section 12, by striking out ``through 1997'' and 
        inserting in lieu thereof ``through 1999''.
    (f) Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Projects.--(1) Section 
738(e)(1) of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
11448(e)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(G) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1999.''.
    (2) Section 741 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 11450) is amended by 
striking out ``December 31, 1997'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
``December 31, 1999''.

SEC. 3. EXTENSION AND EXPANSION OF ENHANCED-USE LEASE AUTHORITY.

    (a) Expansion.--Section 8168(a) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by striking out ``20'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``40''.
    (b) Extension.--Section 8169 of such title is amended by striking 
out ``December 31, 1997'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``December 31, 
1999''.

SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN OTHER AUTHORITIES OF THE SECRETARY OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Pilot Program for Noninstitutional Alternatives to Nursing Home 
Care.--Section 1720C(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
striking out ``December 31, 1997'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
``December 31, 1999''.
    (b) Health Professional Scholarship Program.--Section 7618 of such 
title is amended by striking out ``December 31, 1997'' and inserting in 
lieu thereof ``December 31, 1999''.
            Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to extend and 
        improve the Native American Veteran Housing Loan Pilot Program 
        of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to extend certain 
        authorities of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating to 
        services for homeless veterans, to extend certain other 
        authorities of the Secretary, and for other purposes.''.
                                     





                                                       Calendar No. 236

105th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                 S. 714

                          [Report No. 105-123]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

   To make permanent the Native American Veteran Housing Loan Pilot 
             Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

_______________________________________________________________________

                            October 30, 1997

        Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the title