119-hr1957

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1957 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1957

 To amend title 38, United States Code, and the United States Housing 
 Act of 1937, to make certain improvements to the supported housing 
 program for veterans commonly known as ``HUD-VASH''.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 March 6, 2025

 Mr. Takano (for himself, Ms. Waters, and Mr. Levin) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial 
Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 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 amend title 38, United States Code, and the United States Housing 
 Act of 1937, to make certain improvements to the supported housing 
 program for veterans commonly known as ``HUD-VASH''.

 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 ``End Veteran Homelessness Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION OF STAFFING NEEDS FOR CASE MANAGERS OF THE 
 VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION WITH REGARDS TO HOMELESS 
 VETERANS AND VETERANS AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS.

    (a) In General.--

Section 2003

    (b) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended--

    (1) by inserting ``

    (1) '' before ``The Secretary'';

    (2) by inserting ``, and who is determined to require case 
 management,'' before ``is assigned''; and

    (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
 ``

    (2) In assigning case managers and providing services under this 
subsection, the Secretary shall prioritize vulnerable homeless 
veterans, including veterans who are homeless and who have disabilities 
(including chronic mental illness, chronic substance abuse disorders, 
or chronic physical disabilities).''.

    (b) Annual Report.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in 
coordination with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, shall 
submit to Congress an annual report on the program under 

section 8

    (o)

    (19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
1437f

    (o)

    (19) ), as amended by 

section 3 of this Act and commonly known 
as the ``HUD-VASH program'', which shall include, for the year covered 
by the report, each of the following, disaggregated by locality and by 
demographics (if the Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines it 
appropriate):

    (1) An identification of the number and demographic 
 characteristics of veterans served by the HUD-VASH program.

    (2) The number, qualifications, and demographics of case 
 managers described in 

section 2003

    (b) of title 38, United 
 States Code, as amended by subsection

    (a) .

    (3) An assessment of the standard and scope of care 
 provided by such case managers to such veterans, including 
 factors such as--
        (A) staffing ratios;
        (B) practices used in case management;
            (C) frequency with which a case manager contacts a 
 veteran;
            (D) whether a case manager successfully connects a 
 veteran to a requested resource or support; and
        (E) professional licenses or certifications 
 possessed by case managers.

    (4) An assessment of the types of services provided by such 
 case managers to such veterans.

    (5) With regard to vouchers made available under the HUD-
 VASH program--
        (A) the number requested;
        (B) the number allocated;
            (C) the number used;
            (D) the number assigned but unused; and
        (E) the average time between such assignation and 
 such use.

    (6) The percentage of such veterans who used such a voucher 
 and received case management from such a case manager.

    (7) An identification of barriers that prevented the use of 
 such vouchers by such veterans.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO HUD-VASH PROGRAM.

 

Section 8

    (o)

    (19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 
U.S.C. 1437f

    (o)

    (19) ) is amended--

    (1) in subparagraph
        (A) --
        (A) in the first sentence--
            (i) by striking ``subparagraph
            (C) '' and 
 inserting ``subparagraph
        (B) ''; and
            (ii) by striking ``the amounts specified in 
 subparagraph
        (B) '' and inserting ``amounts'';
        (B) by striking the second sentence and inserting 
 ``In the course of administering such program--''; and
            (C) by adding at the end the following new clauses:
 ``
            (i) the Secretary shall provide rental 
 assistance on behalf of a veteran who is--
 ``
            (I) homeless;
 ``
            (II) at risk of homelessness; or
 ``
            (III) receiving assistance under 
 another housing assistance program if 
 the Secretary determines a voucher 
 under this paragraph is a more 
 appropriate form of assistance for such 
 veteran;
 ``
            (ii) subject to subparagraph
            (D) , the 
 Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall furnish 
 case management to a veteran described in 
 clause
            (i) whom such Secretary (acting through 
 an appropriately licensed or otherwise 
 qualified employee of the Department of 
 Veterans Affairs or an entity that participates 
 in a centralized or coordinated entry system 
 (as defined in 

section 578.3 of title 24, Code 
 of Federal Regulations, or successor 
 regulation) of the Department of Housing and 
 Urban Development) determines requires case 
 management;
 ``
            (iii) in the case of a veteran described 
 in clause
            (ii) who refuses case management--
 ``
            (I) the Secretary of Veterans 
 Affairs shall--
 ``

    (aa) make recurring 
 attempts to engage and build a 
 relationship with the veteran, 
 in order to provide such case 
 management to the veteran, 
 solicit feedback from the 
 veteran, and promote the 
 veteran's housing stability and 
 opportunities to access health 
 care and other benefits under 
 laws administered by the 
 Secretary; and
 ``

    (bb) provide case 
 management to such veteran if 
 the veteran subsequently 
 requests case management;
 ``
            (II) the Secretary of Housing and 
 Urban Development may not revoke such 
 rental assistance on behalf of the 
 veteran solely on the basis of such 
 refusal;
 ``
            (III) a public housing authority 
 may not revoke rental assistance 
 provided by such authority on behalf of 
 the veteran solely on the basis of such 
 refusal; and
 ``
            (IV) the owner may not evict or 
 otherwise penalize the veteran solely 
 on the basis of such refusal; and
 ``
            (iv) in the case of a veteran described 
 in clause
            (ii) whose case management is 
 suspended for the health and safety of the 
 veteran or the case manager, the owner may not 
 evict or otherwise penalize the veteran solely 
 on the basis of such suspension.'';

    (2) by striking subparagraph
        (B) ;

    (3) by redesignating subparagraphs
            (C) and
            (D) as 
 subparagraphs
        (B) and
        (E) , respectively; and

    (4) by inserting after subparagraph
        (B) , as redesignated 
 the following new subparagraphs:
 ``
            (C) Veterans who do not require case 
 management.--A voucher made available under this 
 paragraph may be used for a homeless veteran, or a 
 veteran at risk of homelessness, whom the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs determines does not require case 
 management if such use is included in the notice of 
 operating requirements of such program.
 ``
            (D) Administrative fees.--There is authorized to 
 be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for 
 administrative fee payments to public housing agencies 
 for costs of administering vouchers under this 
 paragraph and other eligible expenses, as shall be 
 defined by notice issued by the Secretary, to 
 facilitate the leasing of the vouchers, such as 
 security deposit assistance and other costs related to 
 retention and support of participating owners.''.

SEC. 4. GAO REPORT ON HOMELESS VETERANS.

    (a) Report Required.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report 
containing the following, disaggregated by demographics (if the 
Comptroller General determines it appropriate)--

    (1) a description of the demographic characteristics of 
 veterans served by the HUD-VASH program, disaggregated by 
 whether the veteran is receiving services from a case manager 
 described in 

section 2003

    (b) of title 38, United States Code, 
 as amended by 

section 2 of this Act;

    (2) the number, qualifications, and demographic 
 characteristics of such case managers;

    (3) an assessment of the types and quality of case 
 management services provided to veterans by case managers 
 described in 

section 2003

    (b) of title 38, United States Code, 
 as amended by 

section 2, disaggregated by locality;

    (4) an assessment of recruitment and retention of such case 
 managers, disaggregated by locality and demographic 
 characteristics; and

    (5) metrics regarding housing stability and retention for 
 veterans participating in Federal housing assistance programs, 
 including veterans who have participated in more than one such 
 program and reasons why veterans ceased to so participate.

    (b) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means the following:

    (1) The Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
 Representatives.

    (2) The Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate.

    (3) The Committee on Financial Services of the House of 
 Representatives.

    (4) The Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of 
 the Senate.
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