[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1257 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1257

 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on the 
  effect of financial and credit counseling for homeless veterans and 
               veterans experiencing housing instability.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 23, 2021

 Mr. Pallone introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on the 
  effect of financial and credit counseling for homeless veterans and 
               veterans experiencing housing instability.

    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 ``Homeless Veterans Credit Repair, 
Enhancement, and Debt Improvement for Tomorrow Act'' or the ``Homeless 
Veterans CREDIT Act''.

SEC. 2. STUDY ON FINANCIAL AND CREDIT COUNSELING.

    (a) Study Required.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
conduct a comprehensive study on--
            (1) the use of and variation of financial and credit 
        counseling services available for homeless veterans and 
        veterans experiencing housing instability;
            (2) barriers to accessing financial and credit counseling 
        for such veterans; and
            (3) the ability to evaluate and assess the potential 
        effects of financial and credit counseling for such veterans 
        with respect to housing, employment, income, and other outcomes 
        the Secretary determines appropriate.
    (b) Methodology.--In conducting the study under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall--
            (1) survey--
                    (A) homeless veterans and veterans experiencing 
                housing instability who are enrolled in the Supportive 
                Services for Veterans Families program;
                    (B) such veterans who do not seek or receive the 
                care or services under such program or a similar 
                program;
                    (C) grantees of the Supportive Services for 
                Veterans Families program;
                    (D) financial and credit counselors; and
                    (E) persons who are subject matter experts 
                regarding the use of financial and credit counseling 
                services that the Secretary determines appropriate; and
            (2) administer the survey to a representative sample of 
        homeless veterans and veterans experiencing housing instability 
        in areas with high veteran homelessness.
    (c) Use and Variation of Services.--In conducting the study under 
subsection (a)(1), the Secretary shall--
            (1) use data from the Supportive Services for Veterans 
        Families program and other data collected by the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs, data collected by other departments or 
        agencies of the Federal Government, and data collected by 
        nongovernmental entities to compare the use of and variation of 
        financial and credit counseling services available for homeless 
        veterans and veterans experiencing housing instability and such 
        use and variation for other individuals; and
            (2) assess such services made available through the 
        Supportive Services for Veterans Families program, including 
        with respect to the types, modes of delivery, duration, 
        consistency, and quality, of such services.
    (d) Barriers to Counseling.--In conducting the study under 
subsection (a)(2), the Secretary shall conduct research on the effects 
of the following perceived barriers to financial and credit counseling 
for homeless veterans and veterans experiencing housing instability 
surveyed in the study:
            (1) The cost of financial and credit counseling services.
            (2) The perceived stigma associated with seeking financial 
        and credit counseling assistance.
            (3) The effect of driving distance or availability of other 
        forms of transportation to the nearest facility that received a 
        grant under the Supportive Services for Veterans Families 
        program.
            (4) The availability of child care.
            (5) The comprehension of eligibility requirements for, and 
        the scope of services available under, the Supportive Services 
        for Veterans Families program.
            (6) The effectiveness of outreach for the services 
        available to such veterans under the Supportive Services for 
        Veterans Families program.
            (7) The location and operating hours of facilities that 
        provide services to such veterans under the Supportive Services 
        for Veterans Families program.
            (8) The COVID-19 pandemic and other health related issues.
            (9) Such other significant barriers as the Secretary 
        considers appropriate.
    (e) Evaluation and Assessment of Effects of Counseling.--
            (1) Effects.--In conducting the study under subsection 
        (a)(3), the Secretary shall conduct research on the ability to 
        evaluate and assess the potential effects of financial and 
        credit counseling services on homeless veterans and veterans 
        experiencing housing instability with respect to the following:
                    (A) The effects of such services on employment by 
                comparing the veterans who received such services and 
                the veterans who did not receive such services.
                    (B) The effects of such services on housing status 
                by comparing the veterans who received such services 
                and the veterans who did not receive such services.
                    (C) The effects of such services on income by 
                comparing the veterans who received such services and 
                the veterans who did not receive such services.
                    (D) The effects of such services on credit score by 
                comparing the veterans who received such services and 
                the veterans who did not receive such services.
                    (E) The effects of such services on other outcomes 
                the Secretary determines appropriate.
            (2) Data and recommendations.--In carrying out paragraph 
        (1), the Secretary shall--
                    (A) determine the relevant data that is available 
                to the Secretary and determine the confidence of the 
                Secretary with respect to accessing any additional data 
                the Secretary may require; and
                    (B) provide recommendations regarding the optimal 
                research or evaluation design that would generate the 
                greatest insights and value.
    (f) Discharge by Contract.--The Secretary may seek to enter into a 
contract with a qualified independent entity or organization to carry 
out the study and research required under this section, including such 
an entity or organization that is able to access credit scores, data 
maintained by the Internal Revenue Service, and other date beneficial 
to studying income.
    (g) Mandatory Review of Data by Certain Elements of Department.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall ensure that the head 
        of each element of the Department of Veterans Affairs specified 
        in paragraph (2) reviews the results of the study conducted 
        under subsection (a). The head of each such element shall 
        submit to the Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations 
        and Management the findings of the head with respect to the 
        study, including recommendations regarding what data the 
        Secretary should collect from grantees under the Supportive 
        Services for Veterans Families program.
            (2) Specified elements.--The elements of the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs specified in this paragraph are the following:
                    (A) The Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans 
                established under section 2066 of title 38, United 
                States Code.
                    (B) The Advisory Committee on Women Veterans 
                established under section 542 of title 38, United 
                States Code.
                    (C) The Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans 
                established under section 544 of title 38, United 
                States Code.
                    (D) The Homeless Programs Office of the Veterans 
                Health Administration.
                    (E) The Office of Tribal Government Relations of 
                the Department.
    (h) Reports.--
            (1) Interim report.--Not later than one year after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 
        Congress an interim report on the study under subsection (a).
            (2) Final report.--Not later than 30 months after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 
        Congress a report on the study under subsection (a). The report 
        shall include--
                    (A) the findings of the head of each element of the 
                Department specified under subsection (g)(2); and
                    (B) recommendations for such administrative and 
                legislative action as the Secretary considers 
                appropriate.
    (i) Definition.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``homeless veterans and veterans experiencing 
        housing instability'' means veterans who are homeless (as that 
        term is defined in subsection (a) or (b) of section 103 of the 
        McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302)).
            (2) The term ``Supportive Services for Veterans Families 
        program'' means the program established pursuant to section 
        2044 of title 38, United States Code.
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