[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 92 (Monday, June 18, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4241-S4243]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. MURRAY:
  S. 3309. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the 
assistance provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to homeless 
veterans, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, today, as Chairman of the Senate 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I am pleased to introduce the Homeless 
Veterans Assistance Improvement Act of 2012. No one who has made 
sacrifices to serve our Nation should ever be homeless, and this 
problem should never be ignored. The bill I am introducing today would 
allow the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA, to continue the important 
work of ending veteran homelessness.
  The administration reported that on any given night in January 2011, 
an estimated 67,500 veterans were homeless. I want to commend the VA 
for its efforts to reduce the number of veterans sleeping in the 
streets. Between 2010 and 2011 the number of homeless veterans 
decreased by 12 percent, but the number of homeless women veterans has 
continued to increase. We are making great progress, in large part due 
to interagency collaborations, but there is still more work to be done.
  In light of recent reports from VA's Office of Inspector General and 
the Government Accountability Office, VA must do more to make its 
homeless veterans programs more welcoming to women and veterans with 
families. The reports highlighted limitations in available housing 
options for women veterans with children. Additionally, infrastructure 
needs such as private and secure rooms and showering facilities are 
often lacking placing women veterans in uncomfortable and potentially 
unsafe situations. We can and should do better.
  The Homeless Veterans Assistance Improvement Act of 2012 helps 
achieve this goal by allowing VA to provide

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transitional housing services to the children of homeless veterans, 
where it is appropriate to do so. It also requires grantees who receive 
funding for transitional housing to meet the privacy, safety, and 
security needs of women veterans and veterans with families. No veteran 
should have to choose between housing and their safety or between 
housing and remaining with their family.
  Other provisions in this legislation help VA to meet the self-
identified, unmet needs of homeless veterans. VA conducts an annual 
assessment of homeless veterans, homeless programs staff, and grantees 
that ranks the top ten unmet needs of homeless veterans. The most 
recent report, which was from fiscal year 2010, highlights the fact 
that many homeless veterans ranked legal assistance among their top ten 
unmet needs for the last several years. Among the top-ranked needs for 
the last several years have been legal services and dental care. My 
legislation makes veterans in the HUD-VASH program eligible to 
participate in the Homeless Veterans Dental Program. It also ensures 
that a percentage of the funding available for homelessness prevention 
and rapid re-housing will be used for legal services to remove some of 
the barriers to obtaining or maintaining stable housing for homeless 
veterans.
  This is not a full summary of all the provisions within this 
legislation. However, I hope that I have provided an appropriate 
overview of the major benefits this legislation would provide.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 3309

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Homeless 
     Veterans Assistance Improvement Act of 2012''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act 
     is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Requirement that recipients of grants from Department of 
              Veterans Affairs for comprehensive service programs for 
              homeless veterans meet physical privacy, safety, and 
              security needs of such veterans.
Sec. 3. Modification of authority of Department of Veteran Affairs to 
              provide capital improvement grants for comprehensive 
              service programs that assist homeless veterans.
Sec. 4. Funding for furnishing legal services to very low-income 
              veteran families in permanent housing.
Sec. 5. Modifications to requirements relating to per diem payments for 
              services furnished to homeless veterans.
Sec. 6. Authorization of grants by Department of Veterans Affairs to 
              centers that provide services to homeless veterans for 
              operational expenses.
Sec. 7. Expansion of Department of Veterans Affairs authority to 
              provide dental care to homeless veterans.
Sec. 8. Extensions of authorities and programs affecting homeless 
              veterans.

     SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT THAT RECIPIENTS OF GRANTS FROM DEPARTMENT 
                   OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE 
                   PROGRAMS FOR HOMELESS VETERANS MEET PHYSICAL 
                   PRIVACY, SAFETY, AND SECURITY NEEDS OF SUCH 
                   VETERANS.

       Section 2011(f) of title 38, United States Code, is amended 
     by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(6) To meet the physical privacy, safety, and security 
     needs of homeless veterans receiving services through the 
     project.''.

     SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF AUTHORITY OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN 
                   AFFAIRS TO PROVIDE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT GRANTS 
                   FOR COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE PROGRAMS THAT ASSIST 
                   HOMELESS VETERANS.

       Section 2011(a) of title 38, United States Code, is 
     amended, in the matter before paragraph (1), by inserting 
     ``and maintaining'' after ``in establishing''.

     SEC. 4. FUNDING FOR FURNISHING LEGAL SERVICES TO VERY LOW-
                   INCOME VETERAN FAMILIES IN PERMANENT HOUSING.

       Section 2044(e) of title 38, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs 
     (3) and (4), respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new 
     paragraph (2):
       ``(2) Of amounts made available under paragraph (1), not 
     less than one percent shall be available for the furnishing 
     of services described in subsection (b)(1)(D)(vii).''.

     SEC. 5. MODIFICATIONS TO REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO PER DIEM 
                   PAYMENTS FOR SERVICES FURNISHED TO HOMELESS 
                   VETERANS.

       (a) Authorization of Per Diem Payments for Furnishing Care 
     to Dependents of Certain Homeless Veterans.--Section 2012(a) 
     of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
     end the following new paragraph:
       ``(4) Services for which a recipient of a grant under 
     section 2011 of this title (or an entity described in 
     paragraph (1)) may receive per diem payments under this 
     subsection may include furnishing care for a dependent of a 
     homeless veteran who is under the care of such homeless 
     veteran while such homeless veteran receives services from 
     the grant recipient (or entity).''.
       (b) Provision of Funds for Per Diem Payments for 
     Nonconforming Entities.--
       (1) In general.--Section 2012(d)(1) of such title is 
     amended, in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by 
     striking ``may make'' and inserting ``shall make''.
       (2) Regulations required.--Not later than one year after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs shall prescribe such regulations as may be 
     necessary to implement the amendment made by paragraph (1).

     SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF GRANTS BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
                   AFFAIRS TO CENTERS THAT PROVIDE SERVICES TO 
                   HOMELESS VETERANS FOR OPERATIONAL EXPENSES.

       (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 20 of title 38, 
     United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 
     2012 the following new section:

     ``Sec.  2012A. Service center operational grants

       ``(a) In General.--Subject to the availability of 
     appropriations provided for such purpose, the Secretary may 
     award to a recipient of a grant under section 2011 of this 
     title for the establishment of a service center described in 
     subsection (g) of such section a grant for the operational 
     expenses of such service center not otherwise covered by the 
     receipt of per diem payments under section 2012 of this 
     section.
       ``(b) Limitation.--The aggregate amount of all grants 
     awarded under subsection (a) in any fiscal year may not 
     exceed $500,000.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
     item relating to section 2012 the following new item:

``2012A. Service center operational grants.''.

       (c) Regulations.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
     promulgate regulations to carry out section 2012A of title 
     38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), not later 
     than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 7. EXPANSION OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AUTHORITY 
                   TO PROVIDE DENTAL CARE TO HOMELESS VETERANS.

       Subsection (b) of section 2062 of title 38, United States 
     Code, is amended to read as follows:
       ``(a) Eligible Veterans.--(1) Subsection (a) applies to a 
     veteran who--
       ``(A) is enrolled for care under section 1705(a) of this 
     title; and
       ``(B) for a period of 60 consecutive days, is receiving--
       ``(i) assistance under section 8(o) of the United States 
     Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)); or
       ``(ii) care (directly or by contract) in any of the 
     following settings:
       ``(I) A domiciliary under section 1710 of this title.
       ``(II) A therapeutic residence under section 2032 of this 
     title.
       ``(III) Community residential care coordinated by the 
     Secretary under section 1730 of this title.
       ``(IV) A setting for which the Secretary provides funds for 
     a grant and per diem provider.
       ``(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), in determining whether 
     a veteran has received assistance or care for a period of 60 
     consecutive days, the Secretary may disregard breaks in the 
     continuity of assistance or care for which the veteran is not 
     responsible.''.

     SEC. 8. EXTENSIONS OF AUTHORITIES AND PROGRAMS AFFECTING 
                   HOMELESS VETERANS.

       (a) Comprehensive Service Programs.--Section 2013 of title 
     38, United States Code, is amended by striking paragraph (5) 
     and inserting the following new paragraphs:
       ``(5) $250,000,000 for fiscal year 2013.
       ``(6) $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2014 and each subsequent 
     fiscal year.''.
       (b) Homeless Veterans Reintegration Programs.--Section 
     2021(e)(1)(F) of such title is amended by striking ``2012'' 
     and inserting ``2013''.
       (c) Outreach, Care, Treatment, Rehabilitation, and 
     Therapeutic Transitional Housing for Veterans Suffering From 
     Serious Mental Illness.--Section 2031(b) of such title is 
     amended by striking ``December 31, 2012'' and inserting 
     ``December 31, 2014''.
       (d) Program to Expand and Improve Provision of Benefits and 
     Services by Department of Veterans Affairs to Homeless 
     Veterans.--Section 2033(d) of such title is amended by 
     striking ``December 31, 2012'' and inserting ``December 31, 
     2014''.
       (e) Housing Assistance for Homeless Veterans.--Section 
     2041(c) of such title is amended by striking ``December 31, 
     2012'' and inserting ``December 31, 2013''.
       (f) Financial Assistance for Supportive Services for Very 
     Low-income Veteran

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     Families in Permanent Housing.--Section 2044(e)(1) of such 
     title is amended by adding at the end the following new 
     subparagraph:
       ``(E) $300,000,000 for fiscal year 2013.''.
       (g) Grant Program for Homeless Veterans With Special 
     Needs.--Section 2061(c)(1) of such title is amended by 
     striking ``through 2012'' and inserting ``through 2015''.
       (h) Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans.--Section 
     2066(d) of such title is amended by striking ``December 31, 
     2012'' and inserting ``December 31, 2014''.

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