119-hr4921

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4921 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4921

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

 August 8, 2025

Mr. Crow (for himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. Pettersen, and Mr. Lawler) 
 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 and 
Pets Act of 2025'' or the ``PUPP Act of 2025''.

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 such 
 agencies as the Secretary determines appropriate 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 2026 through 2030.
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