[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 168 (Thursday, December 6, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12578-S12579]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HOMELESS VETERANS COMPREHENSIVE ASSISTANCE ACT OF 2001

  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 201, H.R. 2716.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 2716) to amend title 38, United States Code, 
     to revise, improve, and consolidate provisions of law 
     providing benefits and services for homeless veterans.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Madam President, as chairman of the Committee on 
Veterans' Affairs, I urge prompt Senate passage of H.R. 2716, the 
``Comprehensive Homeless Veterans Assistance Act of 2001,'' a bill that 
enhances VA's efforts to combat homelessness among our Nation's 
veterans. This bill represents a compromise between S. 739, as passed 
by the Senate on November 15, 2001; and H.R. 2716, which passed the 
House on October 16, 2001.
  This bill sets a rather lofty--but, in my view, attainable--goal of 
ending chronic homelessness among veterans within a decade. Unless we 
aim high, we will never end the problem. The bill also encourages 
interagency cooperation to facilitate meeting that goal. With the 
Departments of Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, and 
Health and Human Services administering most programs targeting 
homelessness, it seeks to revive the Interagency Council on the 
Homeless, of which all three agencies are members.
  I will highlight some of the other key provisions in this important 
piece of legislation.
  Proposed new section 2062 of title 38, United States Code, is 
intended to authorize VA to provide essential dental care services to 
those homeless veterans who demonstrate a commitment to rehabilitation 
and reintegration into society. In the course of developing this 
provision, the Committee members agreed that there is a unique and 
urgent need for basic dental care within the homeless population.
  Consequently, the bill provides a one-time course of dental care to 
those homeless veterans who enroll and remain in a specified VA, grant 
or contract assistance, or specialized health program for 60 
consecutive days. The treatment is limited to a ``one-time'' course of 
care that would allow VA to carry out a treatment plan as medically 
indicated by the veteran's needs. The Committee members also recognized 
there may be a break in treatment services that could occur through no 
fault of the veteran. In those cases, the compromise agreement makes 
allowance for the Secretary to aggregate days of treatment, by 
disregarding these breaks in continuous treatment.
  Section 8(a) of the compromise agreement contains a provision 
requiring that every VA facility develop a plan to treat patients who 
present themselves at the facility and are in need of mental health 
care. This can include referral to another facility that has the mental 
health treatment capability if the original facility does not. A 
similar provision was included in section 8(c) with regard to the 
availability of substance abuse treatment at every VA medical center. 
It requires VA to have a plan ready to implement should a veteran walk 
into a VA medical center and require such treatment. Opioid 
substitution therapy is specifically mentioned in this section because 
it has proven to be very successful for the treatment of heroin 
addiction.
  In closing, I acknowledge the tireless efforts of the original 
namesake of the bill, Heather French Henry, Miss America 2000. She 
dedicated her tenure to raising the Nation's awareness of the plight of 
homeless veterans, traveling some 20,000 miles a month to visit with 
veterans in recovery programs and offer encouragement.
  Mrs. Henry's father and uncle provided the inspiration for her to 
commit herself to the issue, as they both had suffered and recovered 
from substance abuse and ultimately homelessness following their 
military service. The work that Heather French Henry has done on behalf 
of homeless veterans did not stop at the end of her reign, but has 
continued on. This bill is a testament to her profound dedication.
  I also thank my good friend and colleague Senator Wellstone for his 
strong dedication to this issue. His unwavering commitment to homeless 
veterans was exemplified by his introduction of the Senate version of 
the bill and his tenacious efforts to get it passed. I applaud his 
efforts on behalf of this forgotten segment of the veterans population.
  Finally, Mr. President, I recognize the hard work of Alexandra 
Sardegna of the Democratic staff of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs; 
Bill Cahill of the Republican staff of the Committee; and John Bradley 
and Susan Edgerton of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee in 
developing this legislation and seeing it through the legislative 
process.
  I ask unanimous consent that a summary of provisions be printed in 
the Record.
  There being no objection, the materials were ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

    Summary of H.R. 2716 (as Amended): The ``Comprehensive Homeless 
                   Veterans Assistance Act of 2001''

       The Compromise Agreement incorporates provisions from S. 
     739, passed by the Senate on November 15, 2001; with 
     provisions of H.R. 2716, passed by the House on October 16, 
     2001. It seeks to enhance and provide additional support for 
     VA programs that combat homelessness among veterans.


                         SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS

       The following is a summary of key provisions in the 
     Compromise Agreement, H.R. 2716:
       Programmatic Expansions: Authorizes VA to spend up to $60 
     million per year on the transitional housing Grant and Per 
     Diem program. Requires VA to establish at least twenty new 
     comprehensive service centers for homeless veterans in those 
     metropolitan areas found to have the greatest need. Extends 
     the Homeless Chronically Mentally Ill and Comprehensive 
     Homeless Programs until December 31, 2006.
       Mental Health Treatment Capability: Requires VA to develop 
     and carry out a comprehensive plan to treat those patients, 
     either on-site or through referral to another

[[Page S12579]]

     facility, who present themselves at VA facilities and are in 
     need of mental health services.
       Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans: Establishes a 
     Committee that will examine and report to the Secretary on 
     various services provided to homeless veterans.
       Interagency Council on the Homeless: Requires annual 
     meetings of the Interagency Council on the Homeless, as the 
     Council has yet to get underway.
       Dental Care: Provides a one-time course of dental care to 
     homeless veterans who complete 60 consecutive days of a 
     rehabilitative program. Makes an exception for those veterans 
     who have a break in services through no fault of their own.
       Evaluation of Homeless Programs: Encourages the continued 
     support of at least one evaluation center to monitor the 
     effectiveness of VA's various homeless programs. Requires VA 
     to report on both the benefits and health care aspects of 
     combating homelessness.
       Life Safety Code: Requires that real property of grantees 
     under VA's homeless Grant and Per Diem program meet fire and 
     safety requirements applicable under the Life Safety Code of 
     the National Fire Protection Association.
       Technical Assistance Grants: Authorizes the Secretary to 
     conduct a technical assistance grants program to assist 
     nonprofit groups in applying for grants relating to 
     addressing problems of homeless veterans. Provides $750,000 
     for each of fiscal years 2002 through 2006 for these 
     purposes.
       Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program: Extends the 
     Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program and authorizes $50 
     million a year for each of fiscal years 2002 through 2006.

  Mr. REID. Madam President, I understand that Senators Rockefeller and 
Specter have a substitute amendment at the desk. I ask unanimous 
consent that the amendment be agreed to, the act, as amended, be read 
three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, and that any statements relating thereto be printed in the 
Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 2308) was agreed to.
  (The text of the amendment is printed in today's Record under 
``Amendments Submitted.'')
  The bill (H.R. 2716), as amended, was read the third time and passed.

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