Legal Services for Homeless Veterans Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3749) to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make grants to entities that provide legal services for homeless veterans and veterans at risk for homelessness, and for other purposes, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 3749

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 ``Legal Services for Homeless Veterans Act''. SEC. 2. LEGAL SERVICES FOR HOMELESS VETERANS AND VETERANS AT RISK FOR HOMELESSNESS.

(a) In General.--Chapter 20 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 2022 the following new section: ``Sec. 2022A. Legal services for homeless veterans and

veterans at risk for homelessness

``(a) Grants.--Subject to the availability of appropriations provided for such purpose, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall make grants to eligible entities that provide legal services to homeless veterans and veterans at risk for homelessness.

``(b) Criteria.--(1) The Secretary shall--

``(A) establish criteria and requirements for grants under this section, including criteria for entities eligible to receive such grants; and

``(B) publish such criteria and requirements in the Federal Register.

``(2) In establishing criteria and requirements under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall--

``(A) take into consideration any criteria and requirements needed with respect to carrying out this section in rural communities, Tribal lands, and the territories and possessions of the United States; and

``(B) consult with organizations that have experience in providing services to homeless veterans, including veterans service organizations, the Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Veterans Legal Corps, and other organizations the Secretary determines appropriate.

``(c) Eligible Entities.--The Secretary may make a grant under this section to an entity applying for such a grant only if the applicant for the grant--

``(1) is a public or nonprofit private entity with the capacity (as determined by the Secretary) to effectively administer a grant under this section;

``(2) demonstrates that adequate financial support will be available to carry out the services for which the grant is sought consistent with the application;

``(3) agrees to meet the applicable criteria and requirements established under subsection (b)(1); and

``(4) has, as determined by the Secretary, demonstrated the capacity to meet such criteria and requirements.

``(d) Use of Funds.--Grants under this section shall be used to provide homeless veterans and veterans at risk for homelessness the following legal services:

``(1) Legal services related to housing, including eviction defense, representation in landlord-tenant cases, and representation in foreclosure cases.

``(2) Legal services related to family law, including assistance in court proceedings for child support, divorce, estate planning, and family reconciliation.

``(3) Legal services related to income support, including assistance in obtaining public benefits.

``(4) Legal services related to criminal defense, including defense in matters symptomatic of homelessness, such as outstanding warrants, fines, and driver's license revocation, to reduce recidivism and facilitate the overcoming of reentry obstacles in employment or housing.

``(5) Legal services related to requests to upgrade the characterization of a discharge or dismissal of a former member of the Armed Forces under section 1553 of title 10.

``(6) Such other legal services as the Secretary determines appropriate.

``(e) Funds for Women Veterans.--For any fiscal year, not less than ten percent of the amount authorized to be appropriated for grants under this section shall be used to provide legal services described in subsection (d) to women veterans.

``(f) Reports.--On a biennial basis, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on grants under this section. To the extent feasible, each such report shall include the following with respect to the year covered by the report:

``(1) The number of homeless veterans and veterans at risk for homelessness assisted.

``(2) A description of the legal services provided.

``(3) A description of the legal matters addressed.

``(4) An analysis by the Secretary with respect to the operational effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the services provided.''.

(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 2022 the following new item: ``2022A. Legal services for homeless veterans and veterans at risk for homelessness.''.

(c) Criteria.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish the criteria and requirements in the Federal Register pursuant to subsection (b)(1) of section 2022A of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a). SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL AMOUNT FOR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR VETERAN FAMILIES GRANT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE A FOCUS ON PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO WOMEN VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

Section 2044(e) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

``(4) There is authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2024 for the provision of financial assistance under subsection (a) to organizations that have a focus on providing assistance to women veterans and their families.''. SEC. 4. GAP ANALYSIS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO WOMEN VETERANS WHO ARE HOMELESS.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall complete an analysis of programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs that provide assistance to women veterans who are homeless or precariously housed to identify the areas in which such programs are failing to meet the needs of such women.

(b) Report.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the analysis completed under subsection (a).

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Mr. TAKANO. 3749, as amended.

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Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3749, as amended, the Legal Services for Homeless Veterans Act.

Over the past decade, Congress and the Obama and Trump administrations have prioritized ending veteran homelessness. However, while rates of veteran homelessness have fallen, even one veteran without shelter is unacceptable.

This committee is committed to providing services to prevent homelessness and to assist veterans who become homeless by providing them housing and access to healthcare and social services.

According to the Project CHALENG, otherwise known as Community Homelessness Assessment, Local Education and Networking Groups, and VA survey, legal services are one of the top unmet needs for homeless veterans. H.R. 3749 directly addresses that need.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 3749, as amended, is sponsored by Congressman Panetta and includes legislation authored by Congresswoman Beatty, Congresswoman Wild, and Congressman Levin. It authorizes VA to provide grants or enter into cooperative agreements with eligible entities that provide legal services to homeless veterans and veterans at risk for homelessness.

The VA would be required to consult with organizations that have experience providing services to homeless veterans when establishing these criteria and requirements, and these grants or cooperative agreements would only be available to highly rated public or nonprofit entities.

Additionally, at least 10 percent of the funds made available each fiscal year for this grant program must be reserved for providing legal services to homeless women veterans. As we know, women veterans are the fastest growing population of homeless veterans.

Finally, this legislation authorizes $20 million of the funding for the Supportive Services for Veteran Families grant program to go to organizations that assist homeless veterans with children. The SSVF program has been one of the most effective tools to address veteran homelessness since its creation by President Obama, and I thank this administration and Congress for supporting it.

Madam Speaker, southern California is ground zero for addressing veteran homelessness. Riverside, California, in my own district, reached functional zero veteran homelessness, but many communities surrounding my district need additional resources and programs to reach functional zero. Providing legal services to veterans who need them also prevents those veterans who are at risk of becoming homeless.

Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Panetta, Congresswoman Beatty, Congresswoman Wild, and Congressman Levin, the chair of our Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, for their advocacy and work to pass legislation that will end veteran homelessness.

Madam Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support H.R.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, today, I rise in support of H.R. 3749, as amended, the Legal Services for Homeless Veterans Act.

This bill would authorize a new legal services grant program for homeless veteran providers.

The Department of Veterans Affairs would administer this grant program to organizations serving homeless veterans that provide legal services for issues regarding housing, family matters, criminal defense, and upgrading military discharges. Grantees would provide these services to veterans who are or who are at risk of becoming homeless.

This bill would also require that not less than 10 percent of grant funds go toward providing legal services for veterans who are women.

The committee's oversight of the homeless program has found that simple legal services can be a barrier to reintegration for the homeless or at-risk veterans because they can prevent them from gaining meaningful employment and stable housing.

I believe that providing grants to homeless veteran providers that offer legal services to this vulnerable population would be providing another avenue for these veterans to appropriately work through their legal issues and, hopefully, move closer to independence.

The bill would also direct $20 million from VA's Supportive Services for Veteran Families program to grantees that provide services specifically for homeless women veterans.

It would further require an advanced study on what type of services are available for homeless women veterans and how to ensure these services are meeting their needs.

While I am supportive of this new program grant as well as the steps the bill would take to help homeless women veterans, I am concerned that there is no limit to the amount of medical service dollars that could be spent on this new program. I worry that if we continue to use the medical service account as a cash cow for new, unfunded priorities, other veteran programs eventually could be negatively impacted.

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Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta), my good friend and also the author of H.R. 3749, a veteran himself.

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Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I want to echo the sentiment of my colleague, Ranking Member Roe. We have both said in public and acknowledged the tremendous progress the VA has made in reducing homelessness. It began with the commitment under President Obama and has been continued under President Trump.

We have not done enough, I fear, to celebrate the tremendous reduction in homelessness across our country with respect to veteran homelessness. It still persists in my home State of California. We have a number of initiatives teed up, which, I trust, we are going to cooperate on.

The VA gets knocked around a lot for its shortcomings, but I have to say that this is one of the accomplishments that we have to celebrate more.

Mr. Panetta's bill, H.R. 3749, is a continuation of this work. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in passing it, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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