[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1580 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1580

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to require recipients of per 
diem payments from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the provision 
  of services for homeless veterans to comply with codes relevant to 
     operations and level of care provided, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 28, 2013

  Mr. Begich introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to require recipients of per 
diem payments from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the provision 
  of services for homeless veterans to comply with codes relevant to 
     operations and level of care provided, 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 ``Ensuring Safe Shelter for Homeless 
Veterans Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. CONDITIONS ON AWARD OF PER DIEM PAYMENTS BY SECRETARY OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR PROVISION OF HOUSING OR SERVICES TO 
              HOMELESS VETERANS.

    (a) Condition.--
            (1) In general.--Section 2012(c)(1) of title 38, United 
        States Code, is amended by striking ``unless the facilities'' 
        and all that follows through ``may specify.'' and inserting the 
        following: ``unless the Secretary certifies the following:
            ``(A) That the building where the entity provides housing 
        or services for which the entity would receive such payment is 
        in compliance with the codes relevant to the operations and 
        level of care provided, including applicable provisions of the 
        most recently published version of the Life Safety Code of the 
        National Fire Protection Association or such other comparable 
        fire and safety requirements as the Secretary may specify.
            ``(B) That such building and such housing or services are 
        in compliance with licensing requirements, fire and safety 
        requirements, and any other requirements in the jurisdiction in 
        which the building is located regarding the condition of the 
        building and the provision of such housing or services.''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
        shall apply with respect to an application for a per diem 
        payment under section 2012 of title 38, United States Code, 
        submitted on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (b) Annual Inspections Required.--Section 2012 of such title is 
amended by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following new 
subsection (b):
    ``(b)(1) Not less frequently than once each fiscal year, the 
Secretary shall inspect each facility of each grant recipient or entity 
eligible for payments under subsection (a) at which the recipients and 
entities provide services under section 2011 of this title or this 
section.
    ``(2) Except as provided in paragraph (1), inspections made under 
such paragraph shall be made at such times as the Secretary considers 
necessary.
    ``(3) An inspection of a facility of a recipient or entity 
described in paragraph (1) made under such paragraph may be made with 
or without prior notice to the recipient or entity, as the Secretary 
considers appropriate.
    ``(4) No per diem payment may be provided to a grant recipient or 
eligible entity under this section unless the facilities of the grant 
recipient or eligible entity meet such standards as the Secretary shall 
prescribe.''.
    (c) Revocation of Certification Authorized.--Subsection (c) of such 
section is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs 
        (4) and (5), respectively;
            (2) in paragraph (1), as amended by subsection (a)(1), by 
        striking ``in paragraph (2)'' and inserting ``in paragraph 
        (4)''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new 
        paragraph (2):
    ``(2) The Secretary may revoke any certification made under 
paragraph (1) if the Secretary determines that such certification is no 
longer accurate.''.
    (d) Congressional Notification of Termination of Per Diem 
Required.--Such subsection is further amended by inserting after 
paragraph (2) the following new paragraph (3):
    ``(3) Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Secretary 
terminates provision of per diem payment under this section because the 
Secretary has revoked a certification under paragraph (2), the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
Representatives notice of such termination.''.
    (e) Annual Report.--Section 2065(b) of such title is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (7); and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following new 
        paragraph (6):
            ``(6) The Secretary's evaluation of the safety and 
        accessibility of facilities used to provide services under 
        programs established by grant recipients or eligible entities 
        under section 2011 and 2012 of this title, including the number 
        of such grant recipients or eligible entities who have been 
        certified by the Secretary under section 2012(c)(1) of this 
        title.''.
    (f) Treatment of Current Recipients of Per Diem Payments.--
            (1) Assessment.--In the case of the recipient of a per diem 
        payment under section 2012 of title 38, United States Code, 
        that receives such a payment during the year in which this Act 
        is enacted for the provision of housing or services, the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall assess whether the building 
        where such housing or services are provided is and whether the 
        housing and services are in compliance as required by section 
        2012(c)(1) of such title, as amended by subsection (a)(1).
            (2) Failure to comply.--In the case described in paragraph 
        (1), if the Secretary does not certify the compliance of the 
        building and the housing or services under such section before 
        the date that is two years after the date of the enactment of 
        this Act, the Secretary may not make any additional per diem 
        payments to the recipient for the provision of such housing or 
        services under section 2012 of such title until the Secretary 
        certifies that such building is and such housing or services 
        are in compliance.
    (g) Conforming Condition on Award of Grants by Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs for Comprehensive Service Programs.--Section 
2011(b)(5)(A) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
``, including housing and building codes,''.
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