[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 190 (Thursday, October 28, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7492-S7493]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3987. Mr. TESTER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill H.R. 4350, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2022 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place in title X, insert the following:

     SEC. __. RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR HOMELESS OR AT-RISK INDIAN 
                   VETERANS.

       Section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 
     (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E); 
     and
       (2) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following new 
     subparagraph (D):
       ``(D) Indian veterans housing rental assistance program.--
       ``(i) Definitions.--In this subparagraph:

       ``(I) Eligible indian veteran.--The term `eligible Indian 
     veteran' means an Indian veteran who is--

       ``(aa) homeless or at risk of homelessness; and
       ``(bb) living--
       ``(AA) on or near a reservation; or
       ``(BB) in or near any other Indian area.

       ``(II) Eligible recipient.--The term `eligible recipient' 
     means a recipient eligible to receive a grant under section 
     101 of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-
     Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4111).
       ``(III) Indian; indian area.--The terms `Indian' and 
     `Indian area' have the meanings given those terms in section 
     4 of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-
     Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4103).
       ``(IV) Indian veteran.--The term `Indian veteran' means an 
     Indian who is a veteran.
       ``(V) Program.--The term `Program' means the Tribal HUD-
     VASH program carried out under clause (ii).
       ``(VI) Tribal organization.--The term `tribal organization' 
     has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian 
     Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
     5304).

       ``(ii) Program specifications.--The Secretary shall use not 
     less than 5 percent of the amounts made available for rental 
     assistance under this paragraph to carry out a rental 
     assistance and supported housing program, to be known as the 
     `Tribal HUD-VASH program', in conjunction with the Secretary 
     of Veterans Affairs, by awarding grants for the benefit of 
     eligible Indian veterans.
       ``(iii) Model.--

       ``(I) In general.--Except as provided in subclause (II), 
     the Secretary shall model the Program on the rental 
     assistance and supported housing program authorized under 
     subparagraph (A) and applicable appropriations Acts, 
     including administration in conjunction with the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs.
       ``(II) Exceptions.--

       ``(aa) Secretary of housing and urban development.--After 
     consultation with Indian tribes, eligible recipients, and any 
     other appropriate tribal organizations, the Secretary may 
     make necessary and appropriate modifications to facilitate 
     the use of the Program by eligible recipients to serve 
     eligible Indian veterans.
       ``(bb) Secretary of veterans affairs.--After consultation 
     with Indian tribes, eligible recipients, and any other 
     appropriate tribal organizations, the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs may make necessary and appropriate modifications to 
     facilitate the use of the Program by eligible recipients to 
     serve eligible Indian veterans.
       ``(iv) Eligible recipients.--The Secretary shall make 
     amounts for rental assistance and associated administrative 
     costs under the Program available in the form of grants to 
     eligible recipients.
       ``(v) Funding criteria.--The Secretary shall award grants 
     under the Program based on--

       ``(I) need;
       ``(II) administrative capacity; and
       ``(III) any other funding criteria established by the 
     Secretary in a notice published in the Federal Register after 
     consulting with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

       ``(vi) Administration.--Grants awarded under the Program 
     shall be administered in accordance with the Native American 
     Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 
     U.S.C. 4101 et seq.), except that recipients shall--

       ``(I) submit to the Secretary, in a manner prescribed by 
     the Secretary, reports on the utilization of rental 
     assistance provided under the Program; and
       ``(II) provide to the Secretary information specified by 
     the Secretary to assess the effectiveness of the Program in 
     serving eligible Indian veterans.

       ``(vii) Consultation.--

       ``(I) Grant recipients; tribal organizations.--The 
     Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs, shall consult with eligible recipients and any other 
     appropriate tribal organization on the design of the Program 
     to ensure the effective delivery of rental assistance and 
     supportive services to eligible Indian veterans under the 
     Program.
       ``(II) Indian health service.--The Director of the Indian 
     Health Service shall provide any assistance requested by the 
     Secretary or the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in carrying 
     out the Program.

       ``(viii) Waiver.--

       ``(I) In general.--Except as provided in subclause (II), 
     the Secretary may waive or specify alternative requirements 
     for any provision of law (including regulations) that the 
     Secretary administers in connection with the use of rental 
     assistance made available under the Program if the Secretary 
     finds that the waiver or alternative requirement is necessary 
     for the effective delivery and administration of rental 
     assistance under the Program to eligible Indian veterans.
       ``(II) Exception.--The Secretary may not waive or specify 
     alternative requirements under subclause (I) for any 
     provision of law (including regulations) relating to labor 
     standards or the environment.

       ``(ix) Renewal grants.--The Secretary may--

       ``(I) set aside, from amounts made available for tenant-
     based rental assistance under this subsection and without 
     regard to the amounts used for new grants under clause (ii), 
     such amounts as may be necessary to award renewal grants to 
     eligible recipients that received a grant under the Program 
     in a previous year; and
       ``(II) specify criteria that an eligible recipient must 
     satisfy to receive a renewal grant under subclause (I), 
     including providing data on how the eligible recipient used 
     the amounts of any grant previously received under the 
     Program.

       ``(x) Reporting.--

       ``(I) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this subparagraph, and every 5 years thereafter, 
     the Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs and the Director of the Indian Health Service, 
     shall--

       ``(aa) conduct a review of the implementation of the 
     Program, including any factors that may have limited its 
     success; and
       ``(bb) submit a report describing the results of the review 
     under item (aa) to--
       ``(AA) the Committee on Indian Affairs, the Committee on 
     Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, the Committee on 
     Veterans' Affairs, and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
     Senate; and
       ``(BB) the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the 
     United States of the Committee on Natural Resources, the 
     Committee on Financial Services, the Committee on Veterans' 
     Affairs, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
     Representatives.

       ``(II) Analysis of housing stock limitation.--The Secretary 
     shall include in the initial report submitted under subclause 
     (I) a description of--

       ``(aa) any regulations governing the use of formula current 
     assisted stock (as defined in section 1000.314 of title 24, 
     Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation)) 
     within the Program;
       ``(bb) the number of recipients of grants under the Program 
     that have reported the

[[Page S7493]]

     regulations described in item (aa) as a barrier to 
     implementation of the Program; and
       ``(cc) proposed alternative legislation or regulations 
     developed by the Secretary in consultation with recipients of 
     grants under the Program to allow the use of formula current 
     assisted stock within the Program.''.
                                 ______