[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3957 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3957

To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to make grants to modify and 
    upgrade structures to serve as interim and permanent housing to 
  accommodate unhoused individuals with pets, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 9, 2023

   Mr. Crow (for himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. Mace, and Mr. Schiff) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
 Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
                        the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to make grants to modify and 
    upgrade structures to serve as interim and permanent housing to 
  accommodate unhoused individuals with pets, 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 ``Providing for Unhoused People with 
Pets Act of 2023'' or the ``PUPP Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM FOR UPGRADING STRUCTURES TO SERVE AS INTERIM AND 
              PERMANENT HOUSING TO ACCOMMODATE UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS 
              WITH PETS.

    (a) Authority.--The Secretary of Agriculture, acting in direct 
consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, may 
carry out a program under this section to make grants to eligible 
entities for providing interim and permanent housing that accommodates 
homeless persons, and homeless families, who have pets.
    (b) Use.--Amounts from a grant under this section may be used only 
for--
            (1) costs of acquiring, renovating, rehabilitating, re-
        purposing, retrofitting, or constructing a property to be used 
        as interim or permanent housing that accommodates homeless 
        persons, and homeless families, who have pets;
            (2) pet-related costs of operating such housing as provided 
        in this section; and
            (3) costs of training staff and volunteers associated with 
        such housing in basic pet care, including nutrition, behavioral 
        training, and health maintenance.
    (c) Requirements.--Interim or permanent housing assisted with 
amounts from a grant under this Act shall comply with the following 
requirements:
            (1) Services.--
                    (A) Supportive services.--Appropriate supportive 
                services, including mental health, employment, 
                substance use disorder, and wellness services, shall be 
                made available to occupants of the housing.
                    (B) Veterinary services.--Basic veterinary care and 
                behavioral support for pets, including spay and neuter, 
                basic wellness examinations, vaccinations, dental care, 
                heartworm treatment and prevention, flea and tick 
                treatment and prevention, and basic medical procedures, 
                shall be made available for pets of occupants of the 
                housing.
                    (C) Location.--Services required under this 
                paragraph shall be made available on-site in such 
                housing, except that services that cannot be furnished 
                on-site may be made available off-site, but only if 
                direct linkage to transportation services is made 
                available to occupants to access such services.
            (2) Animal housing.--The housing shall provide 
        accommodations for pets of occupants of the housing that are 
        appropriate for the layout and type of the interim or permanent 
        housing, which may include crates and kennels.
            (3) Coordination.--The manager of the housing shall--
                    (A) coordinate with public services and law 
                enforcement agencies to provide services and safety for 
                the housing, as the Secretary shall require;
                    (B) coordinate with local veterinary service and 
                animal care providers to provide care for pets that 
                accompany occupants of the housing; and
                    (C) in making occupancy available in the housing, 
                coordinate with the administrative entity for the 
                Continuum of Care under subtitle C of title IV of the 
                McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11381 
                et seq.) for the area in which the housing is located.
    (d) Applications; Plan.--
            (1) Application.--The Secretary shall provide for eligible 
        entities to submit applications for grants under this section 
        and shall require such applications to include a plan under 
        paragraph (2).
            (2) Plan.--A plan under this paragraph shall--
                    (A) identify existing housing, shelters, or unused 
                structures or land within the area served by the 
                eligible entity submitting the application that will be 
                used for providing the housing to be assisted under 
                subsection (b) with amounts from a grant under this 
                section;
                    (B) identify the extent of need, in the area of 
                such housing, shelters, structures, or land identified, 
                for interim or permanent housing for homeless persons 
                with pets;
                    (C) identify partnering veterinary service and 
                animal care providers that will provide care for pets 
                that accompany occupants of the housing and any 
                partnering animal welfare organization;
                    (D) include such assurances as the Secretary 
                considers necessary to ensure that such housing will be 
                provided using grant amounts, that such housing will 
                accommodate homeless persons, and homeless families, 
                who have pets, and that such housing will comply with 
                the requirements under subsection (c); and
                    (E) provide for targeted outreach to individuals 
                experiencing homelessness within the area served by the 
                eligible entity receiving a grant under this section to 
                inform such individuals regarding the availability of 
                the housing assisted with grant amounts.
            (3) Selection.--The Secretary shall select applications to 
        be awarded such grants on a competitive basis, based on 
        criteria that the Secretary shall establish.
    (e) Reports.--Each eligible entity that receives a grant under this 
section for a fiscal year shall submit a report to the Secretary, not 
later than 90 days after the end of the fiscal year for which the grant 
was made, that shall include the following information:
            (1) A description of the activities undertaken by the 
        eligible entity using such grant amounts.
            (2) Identification of the costs of each of the services 
        provided in connection with the housing assisted with such 
        grant amounts.
            (3) An assessment of the effectiveness of the program 
        grants under this section and any recommendations for improving 
        the program.
    (f) Definitions.--For purposes of this section, the following 
definitions shall apply:
            (1) Eligible entity.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``eligible entity'' 
                means--
                            (i) a unit of general local government;
                            (ii) a nonprofit organization; and
                            (iii) an entity providing housing or 
                        shelters for homeless persons.
                    (B) Limitation.--Such term does not include an 
                animal wellness or welfare organization or an animal 
                shelter, except that this subparagraph may not be 
                construed to prevent any such organization or shelter 
                from partnering with an eligible entity to provide 
                interim or permanent housing assisted with amounts from 
                a grant under this Act.
            (2) Homeless.--The term ``homeless'' has the meaning given 
        such term in section 103 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless 
        Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302).
            (3) Interim housing.--The term ``interim housing'' means 
        any housing or shelter that does not provide permanent housing. 
        Such term includes transitional housing (as such term is 
        defined in such section 401) and emergency shelters (as such 
        term is defined in section 321 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 13351)).
            (4) Permanent housing.--The term ``permanent housing'' has 
        the meaning given such term in section 401 of the McKinney-
        Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11360).
            (5) Pet.--The term ``pet'' means any domesticated animal 
        that is normally maintained as a companion or pet animal near 
        the owner or person who cares for the animal, such as a 
        domestic dog (including a service dog), domestic cat, ferret, 
        gerbil, mouse, rat, guinea pig, rabbit, hamster, or bird.
            (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
            (7) Unit of general local government.--The term ``unit of 
        general local government'' has the meaning given such term in 
        the first sentence of paragraph (1) of section 102(a) of the 
        Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 
        5302(a)(1)).
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2024 through 2028.
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