[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2274 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2274

    To provide for rental assistance for homeless or at-risk Indian 
                               veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 10, 2015

Mr. Tester (for himself, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Udall, Mr. Franken, and Mr. 
    Daines) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
              referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To provide for rental assistance for homeless or at-risk Indian 
                               veterans.

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

SECTION 1. RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR HOMELESS OR AT-RISK INDIAN VETERANS.

    Section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 
U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(D) Indian veterans housing rental assistance 
                program.--
                            ``(i) Definitions.--In this subparagraph:
                                    ``(I) Indian.--The term `Indian' 
                                has the meaning given the term in 
                                section 4 of the Indian Self-
                                Determination and Education Assistance 
                                Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).
                                    ``(II) Indian area.--The term 
                                `Indian area' has the meaning given the 
                                term in section 4 of the Native 
                                American Housing Assistance and Self-
                                Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 
                                4103).
                                    ``(III) Tribal organization.--The 
                                term `tribal organization' has the 
                                meaning given the term in section 4 of 
                                the Indian Self-Determination and 
                                Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
                                450b).
                            ``(ii) Authorization of program.--The 
                        Secretary may use not more than 5 percent of 
                        the amounts made available for rental 
                        assistance under this subsection to carry out a 
                        rental assistance and supportive housing 
                        program, in conjunction with the Secretary of 
                        Veterans Affairs, for the benefit of Indian 
                        veterans who are homeless or at risk of 
                        homelessness and who are residing on or near an 
                        Indian area.
                            ``(iii) Model.--The program described in 
                        clause (ii) shall be modeled on the rental 
                        assistance and supportive housing program 
                        authorized under this section and applicable 
                        appropriations Acts, including administration 
                        in conjunction with the Secretary of Veterans 
                        Affairs, except that the Secretary may make 
                        necessary and appropriate modifications to 
                        facilitate the use of the program by Indian 
                        grant recipients to serve eligible Indian 
                        veterans.
                            ``(iv) Eligible recipients.--Amounts for 
                        rental assistance and associated administrative 
                        costs under clause (ii) shall be made available 
                        to recipients eligible to receive grants under 
                        section 101 of the Native American Housing 
                        Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 
                        (25 U.S.C. 4111).
                            ``(v) Funding criteria.--Rental assistance 
                        under clause (ii) shall be awarded based on--
                                    ``(I) need;
                                    ``(II) administrative capacity; and
                                    ``(III) any other funding criteria 
                                established by the Secretary in a 
                                notice published in the Federal 
                                Register after consulting with the 
                                Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
                            ``(vi) Administration.--Rental assistance 
                        made available under clause (ii) shall be 
                        administered in accordance with the Native 
                        American Housing Assistance and Self-
                        Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4101 et 
                        seq.), except that grantees shall--
                                    ``(I) submit to the Secretary, in a 
                                manner prescribed by the Secretary, 
                                reports on the utilization of rental 
                                assistance provided under the program; 
                                and
                                    ``(II) provide to the Secretary 
                                information specified by the Secretary 
                                to assess the effectiveness of the 
                                program in serving eligible veterans.
                            ``(vii) Consultation.--The Secretary, in 
                        coordination with the Secretary of Veterans 
                        Affairs, shall consult with recipients of 
                        grants under section 101 of the Native American 
                        Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act 
                        of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4111) and any other 
                        appropriate tribal organization on the design 
                        of the program to ensure the effective delivery 
                        of rental assistance and supportive services to 
                        persons eligible to receive assistance under 
                        this subparagraph.
                            ``(viii) Waiver.--
                                    ``(I) In general.--Except as 
                                provided in subclause (II), the 
                                Secretary may waive or specify 
                                alternative requirements for any 
                                provision of law (including 
                                regulations) that the Secretary 
                                administers in connection with the use 
                                of rental assistance made available 
                                under this subparagraph if the 
                                Secretary finds that the waiver or 
                                alternative requirement is necessary 
                                for the effective delivery and 
                                administration of rental assistance 
                                made available under this subparagraph 
                                to Indian veterans.
                                    ``(II) Exception.--The Secretary 
                                shall not waive or specify alternative 
                                requirements under subclause (I) for 
                                any provision of law (including 
                                regulations) relating to labor 
                                standards or the environment.''.
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