[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1333 Referred in House (RFH)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 1333
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 25, 2018
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To provide for rental assistance for homeless or at-risk Indian
veterans.
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 ``Tribal HUD-VASH Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR HOMELESS OR AT-RISK INDIAN VETERANS.
Section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42
U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(D) Indian veterans housing rental assistance
program.--
``(i) Definitions.--In this subparagraph:
``(I) Eligible indian veteran.--The
term `eligible Indian veteran' means an
Indian veteran who is--
``(aa) homeless or at risk
of homelessness; and
``(bb) living--
``(AA) on or near a
reservation; or
``(BB) in or near
any other Indian area.
``(II) Eligible recipient.--The
term `eligible recipient' means a
recipient eligible to receive a grant
under section 101 of the Native
American Housing Assistance and Self-
Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C.
4111).
``(III) Indian; indian area.--The
terms `Indian' and `Indian area' have
the meanings given those terms in
section 4 of the Native American
Housing Assistance and Self-
Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C.
4103).
``(IV) Indian veteran.--The term
`Indian veteran' means an Indian who is
a veteran.
``(V) Program.--The term `Program'
means the Tribal HUD-VASH program
carried out under clause (ii).
``(VI) Tribal organization.--The
term `tribal organization' has the
meaning given the term in section 4 of
the Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C.
5304).
``(ii) Program specifications.--The
Secretary shall use not less than 5 percent of
the amounts made available for rental
assistance under this paragraph to carry out a
rental assistance and supported housing
program, to be known as the `Tribal HUD-VASH
program', in conjunction with the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, by awarding grants for the
benefit of eligible Indian veterans.
``(iii) Model.--
``(I) In general.--Except as
provided in subclause (II), the
Secretary shall model the Program on
the rental assistance and supported
housing program authorized under
subparagraph (A) and applicable
appropriations Acts, including
administration in conjunction with the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
``(II) Exceptions.--
``(aa) Secretary of housing
and urban development.--After
consultation with Indian
tribes, eligible recipients,
and any other appropriate
tribal organizations, the
Secretary may make necessary
and appropriate modifications
to facilitate the use of the
Program by eligible recipients
to serve eligible Indian
veterans.
``(bb) Secretary of
veterans affairs.--After
consultation with Indian
tribes, eligible recipients,
and any other appropriate
tribal organizations, the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
may make necessary and
appropriate modifications to
facilitate the use of the
Program by eligible recipients
to serve eligible Indian
veterans.
``(iv) Eligible recipients.--The Secretary
shall make amounts for rental assistance and
associated administrative costs under the
Program available in the form of grants to
eligible recipients.
``(v) Funding criteria.--The Secretary
shall award grants under the Program based on--
``(I) need;
``(II) administrative capacity; and
``(III) any other funding criteria
established by the Secretary in a
notice published in the Federal
Register after consulting with the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
``(vi) Administration.--Grants awarded
under the Program shall be administered in
accordance with the Native American Housing
Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996
(25 U.S.C. 4101 et seq.), except that
recipients shall--
``(I) submit to the Secretary, in a
manner prescribed by the Secretary,
reports on the utilization of rental
assistance provided under the Program;
and
``(II) provide to the Secretary
information specified by the Secretary
to assess the effectiveness of the
Program in serving eligible Indian
veterans.
``(vii) Consultation.--
``(I) Grant recipients; tribal
organizations.--The Secretary, in
coordination with the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, shall consult with
eligible recipients and any other
appropriate tribal organization on the
design of the Program to ensure the
effective delivery of rental assistance
and supportive services to eligible
Indian veterans under the Program.
``(II) Indian health service.--The
Director of the Indian Health Service
shall provide any assistance requested
by the Secretary or the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs in carrying out the
Program.
``(viii) Waiver.--
``(I) In general.--Except as
provided in subclause (II), the
Secretary may waive or specify
alternative requirements for any
provision of law (including
regulations) that the Secretary
administers in connection with the use
of rental assistance made available
under the Program if the Secretary
finds that the waiver or alternative
requirement is necessary for the
effective delivery and administration
of rental assistance under the Program
to eligible Indian veterans.
``(II) Exception.--The Secretary
may not waive or specify alternative
requirements under subclause (I) for
any provision of law (including
regulations) relating to labor
standards or the environment.
``(ix) Renewal grants.--The Secretary may--
``(I) set aside, from amounts made
available for tenant-based rental
assistance under this subsection and
without regard to the amounts used for
new grants under clause (ii), such
amounts as may be necessary to award
renewal grants to eligible recipients
that received a grant under the Program
in a previous year; and
``(II) specify criteria that an
eligible recipient must satisfy to
receive a renewal grant under subclause
(I), including providing data on how
the eligible recipient used the amounts
of any grant previously received under
the Program.
``(x) Reporting.--
``(I) In general.--Not later than 1
year after the date of enactment of the
Tribal HUD-VASH Act of 2017, and every
5 years thereafter, the Secretary, in
coordination with the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs and the Director of
the Indian Health Service, shall--
``(aa) conduct a review of
the implementation of the
Program, including any factors
that may have limited its
success; and
``(bb) submit a report
describing the results of the
review under item (aa) to--
``(AA) the
Committee on Indian
Affairs, the Committee
on Banking, Housing,
and Urban Affairs, the
Committee on Veterans'
Affairs, and the
Committee on
Appropriations of the
Senate; and
``(BB) the
Subcommittee on Indian,
Insular and Alaska
Native Affairs of the
Committee on Natural
Resources, the
Committee on Financial
Services, the Committee
on Veterans' Affairs,
and the Committee on
Appropriations of the
House of
Representatives.
``(II) Analysis of housing stock
limitation.--The Secretary shall
include in the initial report submitted
under subclause (I) a description of--
``(aa) any regulations
governing the use of formula
current assisted stock (as
defined in section 1000.314 of
title 24, Code of Federal
Regulations (or any successor
regulation)) within the
Program;
``(bb) the number of
recipients of grants under the
Program that have reported the
regulations described in item
(aa) as a barrier to
implementation of the Program;
and
``(cc) proposed alternative
legislation or regulations
developed by the Secretary in
consultation with recipients of
grants under the Program to
allow the use of formula
current assisted stock within
the Program.''.
Passed the Senate May 23, 2018.
Attest:
JULIE E. ADAMS,
Secretary.