Providing for Unhoused People with Pets Act of 2023 or the PUPP Act of 2023
This bill permits the Department of Agriculture to award grants for interim and permanent housing that accommodates individuals (or families) who are homeless and have pets. Entities eligible for the grant include local governments, nonprofits, and entities that house or shelter homeless individuals.
Additionally, grant recipients must make available supportive services and basic veterinary care.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3957 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3957
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
June 9, 2023
Mr. Crow (for himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. Mace, and Mr. Schiff)
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 with
Pets Act of 2023'' or the ``PUPP Act of 2023''.
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 law
enforcement agencies 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 2024 through 2028.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
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.
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.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
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