[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3848 Engrossed in House (EH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3848

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To make certain improvements in the laws administered by the Secretary 
 of Veterans Affairs relating to homelessness, 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 ``Housing our Military Veterans 
Effectively Act of 2023'' or the ``HOME Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. PER DIEM PAYMENTS PROVIDED BY THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
              FOR SERVICES FURNISHED TO HOMELESS VETERANS.

    Section 2012 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)(B)--
                            (i) in clause (i)(II)(aa)(BB), by striking 
                        ``115 percent'' and inserting ``133 percent''; 
                        and
                            (ii) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(iii) During each of fiscal years 2024 through 2026, the 
Secretary may waive the maximum rate for per diem payments under clause 
(i)(II)(aa)(BB) or (ii) and, subject to the availability of 
appropriations, provide such payments at a rate that does not exceed 
200 percent of the rate authorized for State homes for domiciliary care 
under subsection (a)(1)(A) of section 1741 of this title, as the 
Secretary may increase from time to time under subsection (c) of that 
section if the Secretary notifies Congress of such waiver.
    ``(iv) The Secretary may not, pursuant to clause (iii), waive the 
maximum rate described in such clause for more than 50 percent of all 
grant recipients and eligible entities in a fiscal year.''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
    ``(4) The Secretary may not provide more than 12,000 per diem 
payments under this section in a fiscal year.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(f) Reports Required.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
the enactment of the HOME Act of 2023, and not less frequently than 
twice each year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee 
on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the rate for per 
diem payments under this section that includes, for each Veterans 
Integrated Service Network of the Department, the following data:
            ``(1) The average rate for such a payment.
            ``(2) A list of locations where the rate for such a payment 
        is within 10 percent of the maximum rate for such a payment 
        authorized under this section.
            ``(3) The average length of stay by a veteran participating 
        in a program described in section 2012(a) of this title.''.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION FOR SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO USE OF 
              CERTAIN FUNDS FOR IMPROVED FLEXIBILITY IN ASSISTANCE TO 
              HOMELESS VETERANS.

    (a) Use of Funds.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may use 
amounts appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of 
Veterans Affairs to carry out section 2011, 2012, 2031, or 2061 of 
title 38, United States Code, to provide to a covered veteran, as the 
Secretary determines necessary--
            (1) food, shelter, clothing, blankets, and hygiene items 
        required for the safety and survival of the veteran;
            (2) transportation required to support the stability and 
        health of the veteran for appointments with service providers, 
        the conduct of housing searches, and the obtainment of food and 
        supplies; and
            (3) tablets, smartphones, disposable phones, and related 
        service plans required to support the stability and health of 
        the veteran through the maintenance of contact with service 
        providers, prospective landlords, and family members.
    (b) Homeless Veterans on Department of Veterans Affairs Land.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary may collaborate, to the 
        extent practicable, with one or more organizations to manage 
        the use of land of the Department of Veterans Affairs for 
        homeless veterans for living and sleeping.
            (2) Forms of collaboration.--Collaboration under paragraph 
        (1) may include the provision by either the Secretary or the 
        head of the organization concerned of food services and 
        security for property, buildings, and other facilities owned or 
        controlled by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
    (c) Report Required.--Not later than six months after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, and every six months thereafter until the 
date specified in subsection (d), the Secretary shall submit to 
Congress a report that includes, with respect to the period covered by 
such report--
            (1) a statement, disaggregated by each medical center of 
        the Department of Veterans Affairs, of the amount of funds 
        under this section--
                    (A) each such medical center requested from the 
                Secretary; and
                    (B) to which the Secretary provided each such 
                medical center;
            (2) data, disaggregated by each such medical center, 
        relating to how each such medical center used amounts provided 
        by the Secretary under this section;
            (3) the number of covered veterans to which the Secretary 
        provided assistance under this section;
            (4) the total amount of assistance the Secretary provided 
        to covered veterans pursuant to subsection (a)(3) for 
        communications equipment, broken down by the type of equipment 
        provided;
            (5) the total amount of assistance the Secretary provided 
        covered veterans pursuant to subsection (a)(2) for ridesharing;
            (6) the number of covered veterans who received such 
        assistance; and
            (7) a description, for each rideshare used by a covered 
        veteran with such assistance, of the reasons such covered 
        veteran used such rideshare.
            (8) the number of covered veterans who lived or slept on 
        Department land;
            (9) the amount of funds used to make available Department 
        land for covered veterans to live and sleep;
            (10) the number of Department employees whose primary 
        responsibilities involved providing services for covered 
        veterans living or sleeping on Department land;
            (11) the average length of time a covered veteran lived or 
        slept on Department land, and
            (12) the period of time the Secretary expects Department 
        land will be made available for covered veterans to live and 
        sleep.
    (d) Sunset.--The authority under this section shall terminate on 
September 30, 2024.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section, the term ``covered veteran'' 
means--
            (1) a homeless veteran; and
            (2) a veteran participating in the program carried out 
        under section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 
        (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)).

SEC. 4. MODIFICATION OF CERTAIN HOUSING LOAN FEES.

    The loan fee table in section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ``November 14, 2031'' each place it 
appears and inserting ``May 18, 2032''.

            Passed the House of Representatives December 5, 2023.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.
118th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 3848

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

To make certain improvements in the laws administered by the Secretary 
 of Veterans Affairs relating to homelessness, and for other purposes.