[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5112 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5112

  To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide grants to 
   States for programs to financially assist veterans who experience 
                          certain emergencies.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 12, 2002

 Mr. Baldacci (for himself, Mr. Doyle, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Frank, 
Mr. Rohrabacher, and Mr. McGovern) introduced the following bill; which 
           was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide grants to 
   States for programs to financially assist veterans who experience 
                          certain emergencies.

    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 ``Veterans Emergency Assistance 
Act''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS TO STATES FOR VETERANS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.

    (a) Grants to States for Veterans Emergency Assistance Programs.--
Part II of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new chapter:

          ``CHAPTER 25--VETERANS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

``Sec.  2501 Grants to States for Veterans Emergency Assistance 
              Programs
    ``(a) Grants for States.--The Secretary may make grants to States 
for programs to assist veterans suffering financial hardship as a 
result of an emergency.
    ``(b) Applications.--
            ``(1) In general.--A State shall submit to the Secretary an 
        application for a grant in such form as the Secretary shall 
        require.
            ``(2) Contents.--An application submitted under paragraph 
        (1) shall contain, at a minimum, the following information:
                    ``(A) A description of the political subdivision of 
                State government that will administer the grant.
                    ``(B) A description of the eligible veterans to 
                receive assistance using grants funds.
                    ``(C) The criteria used for determining which types 
                of emergencies qualify an eligible individual for 
                assistance under the program.
                    ``(D) A description of the types of financial 
                assistance made available under the program.
                    ``(E) A statement of the maximum amount of 
                assistance that an eligible individual may receive 
                under the program in any 12 month period.
                    ``(F) Any restriction on the use of financial 
                assistance received by an eligible individual under the 
                program.
                    ``(G) Such additional information as the Secretary 
                may require.
    ``(c) Use of Grants.--A grant received by a State under subsection 
(a) shall be used by the State (or political subdivision as determined 
by the State) for providing financial assistance to veterans and other 
eligible individuals under a program described in subsection (a).
    ``(d) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost of carrying out 
in any fiscal year a program receiving funding from a grant made under 
subsection (a) shall not exceed 75 percent.
    ``(e) Maximum Amount of Grants.--A State may not receive more than 
5 percent of total amounts appropriated, nor more than $1,000,000 in 
grants under subsection (a) in any fiscal year.
    ``(f) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions 
apply:
            ``(1) Emergency.--The term `emergency' means an illness or 
        accident resulting in interruption or loss of employment, fire 
        or other disaster resulting in loss of a residence, or other 
        event or condition as determined by a State.
            ``(2) Eligible individual.--The term `eligible individual' 
        means a veteran, as defined in section 101(2) of this title, a 
        spouse or surviving spouse of a veteran, as defined in section 
        101(3) of this title, a child, as defined in section 101(4) of 
        this title, or other dependent of a veteran.
    ``(g) Coordination With Other Benefits Paid to the Recipient.--
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, receipt by an individual of 
assistance under this chapter shall not impair, infringe, or otherwise 
affect the right of such individual to apply for or receive any other 
benefit or assistance to which the individual is otherwise entitled 
under any law administered by the Secretary.''.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this Act $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2003 through 2007.
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