[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 223 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 223

   To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a pilot 
program on awarding grants for provision of furniture, household items, 
     and other assistance to homeless veterans to facilitate their 
       transition into permanent housing, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 21, 2015

 Mrs. Boxer (for herself and Mrs. Feinstein) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a pilot 
program on awarding grants for provision of furniture, household items, 
     and other assistance to homeless veterans to facilitate their 
       transition into permanent housing, 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. PILOT PROGRAM ON PROVISION OF FURNITURE, HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, 
              AND OTHER ASSISTANCE TO HOMELESS VETERANS MOVING INTO 
              PERMANENT HOUSING.

    (a) Pilot Program Required.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
        shall commence a pilot program to assess the feasibility and 
        advisability of awarding grants to eligible entities to provide 
        furniture, household items, and other assistance to covered 
        veterans moving into permanent housing to facilitate the 
        settlement of such covered veterans in such housing.
            (2) Eligible entities.--For purposes of the pilot program, 
        an eligible entity is any of the following:
                    (A) A veterans service agency.
                    (B) A veterans service organization.
                    (C) A nongovernmental organization that--
                            (i) is described in paragraph (3), (4), or 
                        (19) of section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue 
                        Code of 1986 and is exempt from taxation under 
                        section 501(a) of such code; and
                            (ii) has an established history of 
                        providing assistance to veterans or the 
                        homeless.
            (3) Covered veterans.--For purposes of the pilot program, a 
        covered veteran is any of the following:
                    (A) A formerly homeless veteran who is receiving 
                housing, clinical services, and case management 
                assistance under section 8(o)(19) of the United States 
                Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)).
                    (B) A veteran who is receiving--
                            (i) assistance from, or is the beneficiary 
                        of a service furnished by, a program that is in 
                        receipt of a grant under section 2011 of title 
                        38, United States Code; or
                            (ii) services for which per diem payment is 
                        received under section 2012 of such title.
                    (C) A veteran who is--
                            (i) a beneficiary of the outreach program 
                        carried out under section 2022(e) of such 
                        title; or
                            (ii) in receipt of referral or counseling 
                        services from the program carried out under 
                        section 2023 of such title.
                    (D) A veteran who is receiving a service or 
                assistance under section 2031 of such title.
                    (E) A veteran who is residing in therapeutic 
                housing operated under section 2032 of such title.
                    (F) A veteran who is receiving domiciliary services 
                under section 2043 of such title or domiciliary care 
                under section 1710(b) of such title.
                    (G) A veteran who is receiving supportive services 
                under section 2044 of such title.
            (4) Duration.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot 
        program during the three-year period beginning on the date of 
        the commencement of the pilot program.
    (b) Grants.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot 
        program through the award of grants to eligible entities for 
        the provision of furniture and other household items as 
        described in subsection (a)(1).
            (2) Maximum amount.--The amount of a grant awarded under 
        the pilot program shall not exceed $500,000.
    (c) Selection of Grant Recipients.--
            (1) Application.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under 
        the pilot program shall submit to the Secretary an application 
        therefor in such form and in such manner as the Secretary 
        considers appropriate.
            (2) Selection priority.--
                    (A) Communities with greatest need.--Subject to 
                subparagraph (B), in accordance with regulations the 
                Secretary shall prescribe, the Secretary shall give 
                priority in the awarding of grants under the pilot 
                program to eligible entities who serve communities 
                which the Secretary determines have the greatest need 
                of homeless services.
                    (B) Geographic distribution.--The Secretary may 
                give priority in the awarding of grants under the pilot 
                program to achieve a fair distribution, as determined 
                by the Secretary, among eligible entities serving 
                covered veterans in different geographic regions, 
                including in rural communities and tribal lands.
    (d) Use of Grant Funds.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), each 
        eligible entity receiving a grant under the pilot program shall 
        use the grant--
                    (A) to coordinate with the Secretary to facilitate 
                distribution of furniture and other household items to 
                covered veterans moving into permanent housing;
                    (B) to purchase, or otherwise obtain via donation, 
                furniture and household items for use by such covered 
                veterans;
                    (C) to distribute such furniture and household 
                items to such covered veterans; and
                    (D) to pay for background checks, provide security 
                deposits, provide funds for utilities, and provide 
                moving expenses for such covered veterans that are 
                necessary for the settlement of such covered veterans 
                in such housing.
            (2) Maximum amount of assistance.--A recipient of a grant 
        awarded under the pilot program may not expend more than $2,500 
        of the amount of the grant awarded for the provision to a 
        single covered veteran of assistance under the pilot program.
            (3) Memorandums of understanding.--In the case of an 
        eligible entity receiving a grant under the pilot program that 
        entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Secretary 
        before the date of the enactment of this Act that provides for 
        the provision of furniture and other household items to covered 
        veterans as described in subsection (a) without Federal 
        compensation, the eligible entity may use the grant in 
        accordance with the provisions of such memorandum of 
        understanding in lieu of paragraph (1).
            (4) Full use of funds.--
                    (A) In general.--A recipient of a grant awarded 
                under the pilot program shall use the full amount of 
                the grant by not later than one year after the date on 
                which the Secretary awards such grant.
                    (B) Recovery.--The Secretary may recover from a 
                recipient of a grant awarded under this section all of 
                the unused amounts of the grant if all of the amounts 
                of the grant are not used--
                            (i) pursuant to paragraph (1) and 
                        subparagraph (A) of this paragraph; or
                            (ii) in a case described in paragraph (3), 
                        pursuant to an applicable memorandum of 
                        understanding.
    (e) Outreach.--The Secretary shall conduct outreach, including 
under chapter 63 of title 38, United States Code, to inform covered 
veterans about their eligibility to receive household items, furniture, 
and other assistance under the pilot program.
    (f) Regulations.--The Secretary shall prescribe regulations for--
            (1) evaluating an application by an eligible entity for a 
        grant under the pilot program; and
            (2) otherwise administering the pilot program.
    (g) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than the date that is 90 days 
        after the last day of the pilot program, the Secretary shall 
        submit to Congress a report on the pilot program.
            (2) Contents.--The report submitted under paragraph (1) 
        shall include the following:
                    (A) An assessment of the pilot program.
                    (B) The findings of the Secretary with respect to 
                the feasibility and advisability of awarding grants to 
                eligible entities as described in subsection (a)(1).
                    (C) Such recommendations as the Secretary may have 
                for legislative or administrative action to facilitate 
                the settlement of covered veterans into permanent 
                housing.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $5,000,000 for 
each year of the pilot program.
    (i) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Outreach.--The term ``outreach'' has the meaning given 
        such term in section 6301(b)(1) of title 38, United States 
        Code.
            (2) Veterans service agency.--The term ``veterans service 
        agency'' means a unit of a State government, or a political 
        subdivision thereof, that has primary responsibility for 
        programs and activities of such government or subdivision 
        related to veterans benefits.
            (3) Veterans service organization.--The term ``veterans 
        service organization'' means any organization recognized by the 
        Secretary for the representation of veterans under section 5902 
        of title 38, United States Code.
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