Homeless Veterans Coronavirus Response Act of 2020
This bill addresses the administration of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs and benefits for homeless veterans during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency.
During the COVID-19 public health emergency, the bill authorizes the VA to
Per diem payments may be used to provide assistance required for safety and survival (e.g., food) for homeless veterans and formerly homeless veterans residing in a facility operated by a grant recipient or entity that receives per diem payments for furnishing services to homeless veterans.
Finally, the bill requires the VA to ensure that veterans participating in or receiving services under a program for homeless veterans have access to telehealth services. The VA must ensure telehealth capabilities are available to such veterans, VA case managers, and community-based service providers.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3898 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3898
To provide flexibility for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in caring
for homeless veterans during a covered public health emergency, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 4, 2020
Mr. Sullivan (for himself, Ms. Sinema, Mr. Moran, Mr. Tester, Mr.
Crapo, Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. Loeffler, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Tillis, Ms.
Hirono, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Cruz, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Risch,
Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Hoeven, Ms. Hassan, Ms. Ernst, Ms. Collins, Mr.
Cramer, and Ms. McSally) introduced the following bill; which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide flexibility for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in caring
for homeless veterans during a covered public health emergency, 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 ``Homeless Veterans Coronavirus
Response Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. FLEXIBILITY FOR THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS IN CARING FOR
HOMELESS VETERANS DURING A COVERED PUBLIC HEALTH
EMERGENCY.
(a) General Support.--
(1) Use of funds.--During a covered public health
emergency, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may use amounts
appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of
Veterans Affairs to carry out sections 2011, 2012, 2031, and
2061 of title 38, United States Code, to provide to homeless
veterans and veterans participating in the program carried out
under section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937
(42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)) (commonly referred to as ``HUD-
VASH''), as the Secretary determines is needed, the following:
(A) Assistance required for safety and survival
(such as food, shelter, clothing, blankets, and hygiene
items).
(B) Transportation required to support stability
and health (such as for appointments with service
providers, conducting housing searches, and obtaining
food and supplies).
(C) Communications equipment and services (such as
tablets, smartphones, disposable phones, and related
service plans) required to support stability and health
(such as maintaining contact with service providers,
prospective landlords, and family).
(D) Such other assistance as the Secretary
determines is needed.
(2) Homeless veterans on land of the department.--
(A) Collaboration.--During a covered public health
emergency, to the extent possible, the Secretary may
collaborate with one or more organizations to manage
use of land of the Department for homeless veterans for
living and sleeping.
(B) Elements.--Collaboration under subparagraph (A)
may include the provision by either the Secretary or
the organization of food services and security for
property, buildings, and other facilities owned or
controlled by the Department.
(b) Grant and Per Diem Program.--
(1) Limits on rates for per diem payments.--Section
20013(b) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security
Act (Public Law 116-136) is amended--
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as
subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively;
(B) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), as so
redesignated, by inserting ``(1)'' before ``In the
case''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) If the Secretary waives any limit on grant amounts or rates
for per diem payments under paragraph (1), notwithstanding section
2012(a)(2)(B) of such title, the maximum rate for per diem payments
described in paragraph (1)(B) shall be three times the rate authorized
for State homes for domiciliary care under section 1741 of such
title.''.
(2) Use of per diem payments.--During a covered public
health emergency, a recipient of a grant or an eligible entity
under the grant and per diem program of the Department (in this
subsection referred to as the ``program'') may use per diem
payments under sections 2012 and 2061 of title 38, United
States Code, to provide assistance required for safety and
survival (such as food, shelter, clothing, blankets, and
hygiene items) for--
(A) homeless veterans; and
(B) formerly homeless veterans residing in a
facility operated wholly or in part by such a recipient
or eligible entity receiving per diem payments under
section 2012 of such title.
(3) Additional transitional housing.--
(A) In general.--During a covered public health
emergency, under the program, the Secretary may provide
amounts for additional transitional housing beds to
facilitate access to housing and services provided to
homeless veterans.
(B) Notice; competition; period of performance.--
The Secretary may provide amounts under subparagraph
(A)--
(i) without notice or competition; and
(ii) for a period of performance determined
by the Secretary.
(4) Inspections and life safety code requirements.--
(A) In general.--During a covered public health
emergency, the Secretary may waive any requirement
under subsection (b) or (c) of section 2012 of title
38, United States Code, in order to allow the recipient
of a grant or an eligible entity under the program--
(i) to quickly identify temporary alternate
sites of care for homeless veterans that are
suitable for habitation;
(ii) to facilitate social distancing or
isolation needs; or
(iii) to facilitate activation or
continuation of a program for which a grant has
been awarded.
(B) Limitation.--The Secretary may waive a
requirement pursuant to the authority provided by
subparagraph (A) with respect to a facility of a
recipient of a grant or an eligible entity under the
program only if the facility meets applicable local
safety requirements, including fire safety
requirements.
(c) Inspection and Life Safety Code Requirements for Therapeutic
Housing.--
(1) In general.--During a covered public health emergency,
the Secretary may waive any inspection or life safety code
requirement under subsection (c) of section 2032 of title 38,
United States Code--
(A) to allow quick identification of temporary
alternate sites of care for homeless veterans that are
suitable for habitation;
(B) to facilitate social distancing or isolation
needs; or
(C) to facilitate the operation of housing under
such section.
(2) Limitation.--The Secretary may waive a requirement
pursuant to the authority provided by paragraph (1) with
respect to a residence or facility referred to in such section
2032 only if the residence or facility, as the case may be,
meets applicable local safety requirements, including fire
safety requirements.
(d) Access to Department of Veterans Affairs Telehealth Services.--
To the extent practicable, during a covered public health emergency,
the Secretary shall ensure that veterans participating in or receiving
services from a program under chapter 20 of title 38, United States
Code, have access to telehealth services to which such veterans are
eligible under the laws administered by the Secretary, including by
ensuring that telehealth capabilities are available to--
(1) such veterans;
(2) case managers of the Department of programs for
homeless veterans authorized under such chapter; and
(3) community-based service providers for homeless veterans
receiving funds from the Department through grants or
contracts.
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered public health emergency.--The term ``covered
public health emergency'' means an emergency with respect to
COVID-19 declared by a Federal, State, or local authority.
(2) Homeless veteran; veteran.--The terms ``homeless
veteran'' and ``veteran'' have the meanings given those terms
in section 2002 of title 38, United States Code.
(3) Telehealth.--
(A) In general.--The term ``telehealth'' means the
use of electronic information and telecommunications
technologies to support and promote long-distance
clinical health care, patient and professional health-
related education, public health, and health
administration.
(B) Technologies.--For purposes of subparagraph
(A), ``telecommunications technologies'' include video
conferencing, the internet, streaming media, and
terrestrial and wireless communications.
SEC. 3. EMERGENCY DESIGNATIONS.
(a) In General.--This Act is designated as an emergency requirement
pursuant to section 4(g) of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (2
U.S.C. 933(g)).
(b) Designation in Senate.--In the Senate, this Act is designated
as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 4112(a) of H. Con. Res.
71 (115th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal
year 2018.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
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