[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3385 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3385

To establish a task force to examine homelessness in the United States 
 and make recommendations to alleviate the causes and effects of such 
                             homelessness.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 3, 2007

   Mr. Cohen (for himself, Ms. Carson, Ms. Clarke, Mr. Ellison, Mr. 
    Fattah, Mr. Al Green of Texas, Mr. Kucinich, Ms. Zoe Lofgren of 
  California, and Mr. Payne) introduced the following bill; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a task force to examine homelessness in the United States 
 and make recommendations to alleviate the causes and effects of such 
                             homelessness.

    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 ``National Homelessness Task Force Act 
of 2007''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is established a task force in the legislative branch to be 
known as the ``National Homelessness Task Force'' (in this Act referred 
to as the ``Task Force'').

SEC. 3. DUTIES.

    The Task Force, in consultation with relevant heads of Federal 
agencies administering Federal programs for homeless individuals that 
were in existence on the date of enactment of this Act, including the 
Interagency Council on Homelessness, shall conduct the following 
activities:
            (1) Review and analyze reports published by Federal, State, 
        and local agencies and academic institutions that relate to 
        homelessness.
            (2) Evaluate--
                    (A) the effectiveness of Federal programs in 
                existence on the date of enactment of this Act that 
                address homelessness;
                    (B) the cost-effectiveness of such programs; and
                    (C) the Federal role in interacting and 
                coordinating with State and local entities that address 
                homelessness.
            (3) Analyze options and make recommendations--
                    (A) to improve Federal programs in existence on the 
                date of enactment of this Act that address 
                homelessness;
                    (B) for State and local shelter and transitional 
                housing programs to reduce the period that people 
                remain homeless;
                    (C) for the establishment of an outreach program 
                that raises awareness among homeless individuals about 
                resources available to such individuals and assists 
                such individuals in accessing such resources, which may 
                include local service and treatment centers, case 
                management agencies, and safe haven services that 
                assist homeless individuals with serious mental 
                illnesses; and
                    (D) to expand the supply of permanent affordable 
                housing for chronically homeless individuals, as well 
                as individuals and families with incomes below the 
                Federal poverty line.
            (4) Conduct research and develop methods--
                    (A) through consultation with State and local 
                agencies, to improve coordination between the 
                Interagency Council on Homelessness and Federal 
                agencies in existence at the date of enactment of this 
                Act which specifically deal with homelessness, 
                including the Department of Housing and Urban 
                Development, the Department of Health and Human 
                Services, and the Department of Veterans Affairs;
                    (B) to minimize the period in which individuals 
                remain homeless; and
                    (C) to establish a system that ensures homeless 
                individuals have access to employment and job-training 
                programs, as well as employment.

SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Number and Appointment.--The Task Force shall be composed of up 
to 10 members (in this Act referred to as the ``TF members''). The 
Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate may each 
appoint, in consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
Development, up to 5 TF members. Appointments shall be made within 90 
days of the enactment of this Act.
    (b) Qualifications.--In making appointments under subsection (a), 
the appointing authorities described in such subsection may select TF 
members from representatives of Federal and State agencies, 
commissions, boards, regional agencies, tribes, colleges and 
universities, and nongovernmental organizations. Such appointing 
authorities shall, to the greatest extent possible, appoint individuals 
who are particularly qualified to perform the functions of the Task 
Force, by reason of either practical experience or academic expertise 
in housing or economic development.
    (c) Compensation.--
            (1) In general.--TF members shall serve without 
        compensation.
            (2) Travel expenses.--Each TF member shall receive travel 
        expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in 
        accordance with applicable provisions under subchapter 1 of 
        chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.
    (d) Chairpersons.--The Task Force shall have 2 Chairpersons. From 
among the TF members, the majority leader of the Senate and the Speaker 
of the House of Representatives shall choose 1 Chairperson, and the 
minority leaders from the Senate and the House of Representatives shall 
choose the other Chairperson.

SEC. 5. STAFF OF THE TASK FORCE AND EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.

    (a) Staff.--Subject to the rules prescribed by the Task Force, the 
Chairpersons of the Task Force may appoint from 3 to 6 individuals as 
personnel and fix the pay of such personnel as the Chairpersons 
consider appropriate.
    (b) Experts and Consultants.--With the approval of the Task Force, 
the Chairpersons may procure temporary and intermittent services in the 
manner prescribed in section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, 
but at rates for individuals not to exceed the daily equivalent of the 
maximum annual rate of basic pay payable for grade GS-15 of the General 
Schedule under section 5332 of such title.
    (c) Staff of Federal Agencies.--Upon the request of the Task Force, 
the head of any Federal department or agency may detail, on a 
reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of that department or agency 
to the Task Force to assist it in performing its duties under this Act.

SEC. 6. POWERS.

    (a) Members and Agents.--Any member or agent of the Task Force may, 
if authorized by the Task Force, take any action that the Task Force is 
authorized to take under this Act.
    (b) Obtaining Official Data.--The Task Force may secure directly 
from any Federal department or agency information necessary to enable 
it to carry out this Act. Upon the request of the Task Force, the head 
of that department or agency shall furnish the information to the Task 
Force.
    (c) Mails.--The Task Force may use the United States mails in the 
same manner and under the same conditions as Federal departments and 
agencies.

SEC. 7. REPORTS.

    (a) Initial Report.--Not later than 3 months after the date of 
completion of the appointment of the TF members under section 4(a), the 
Task Force shall submit to Congress a report describing how the Task 
Force will undertake the duties described in section 3.
    (b) Final Report.--Not later than 12 months after the date of 
completion of the appointment of the TF members under section 4(a), the 
Task Force shall submit to Congress a report that--
            (1) describes the activities of the Task Force conducted 
        under section 3; and
            (2) makes recommendations on--
                    (A) long-term goals for Congress to reduce 
                homelessness; and
                    (B) strategies for Congress to achieve such goals.

SEC. 8. TERMINATION.

    The Task Force shall terminate 10 days after the date on which the 
Task Force submits the final report under section 7(b).

SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act:
     (a) Affordable Housing.--The term ``affordable housing'' includes 
properties for which assistance is provided under section 8 of the 
United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f), and single-room 
occupancy units.
    (b) Chronically Homeless Individual.--The term ``chronically 
homeless individual'' means an unaccompanied, disabled individual with 
a disabling condition who has been continually homeless for at least 
the duration of 1 year or who has been homeless for 4 or more episodes 
in the previous 3 years.
    (c) Disabling Condition.--A ``disabling condition'' means a 
diagnosable substance use disorder, serious mental illness, 
developmental disability, or chronic physical illness or disability, 
including the co-occurrence of 2 or more of such conditions.
    (d) Homeless; Homeless Individual.--The terms ``homeless'' and 
``homeless individual'' have the meaning given such terms in section 
103 of the McKinney-Vento Act (42 U.S.C. 11302).

SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000 to carry out 
this Act.
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