H.R. 7105 (116th Congress) — Flexibility for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in caring for homeless veterans
Summary
H.R. 7105 is an Act to provide flexibility for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in caring for homeless veterans during a covered public health emergency, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a retraining assistance program for unemployed veterans, and for other purposes. The Senate received it on September 24, 2020, read it twice, and referred it to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. It may be cited as the Dependable Employment and Living Improvements for Veterans Economic Recovery Act or the DELIVER Act. The table of contents lists Title I, Assistance for Homeless Veterans, and Title II, Retraining Assistance for Veterans, including a COVID–19 Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program.
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“H.R. 7105 (116th Congress) — Flexibility for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in caring for homeless veterans.”
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IIB
116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 7105
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
SEPTEMBER 24, 2020
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
AN ACT
To provide flexibility for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
in caring for homeless veterans during a covered public
health emergency, to direct the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs to carry out a retraining assistance program for
unemployed veterans, and for other purposes.
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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
5 ‘‘Dependable Employment and Living Improvements for
6 Veterans Economic Recovery Act’’ or the ‘‘DELIVER
7 Act’’.
8 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for
9 this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
TITLE I—ASSISTANCE FOR HOMELESS VETERANS
Sec. 101. Flexibility for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in caring for home-
less veterans during a covered public health emergency.
Sec. 102. Expansion of eligibility for HUD–VASH.
Sec. 103. Legal services for homeless veterans and veterans at risk for home-
lessness.
Sec. 104. Gap analysis of Department of Veterans Affairs Programs that pro-
vide assistance to women veterans who are homeless.
Sec. 105. Improvements to grants and agreements between the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs and entities that provide services to homeless
veterans.
Sec. 106. Repeal of sunset on authority to carry out program of referral and
counseling services for veterans at risk for homelessness who
are transitioning from certain institutions.
Sec. 107. Coordination of case management services for veterans receiving
housing vouchers under Tribal HUD-VASH program.
Sec. 108. Contracting for HUD-VASH case managers.
Sec. 109. Report on HUD-VASH staffing, training, and data systems.
TITLE II—RETRAINING ASSISTANCE FOR VETERANS
Sec. 201. COVID–19 Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program.
Sec. 202. Access for the Secretaries of Labor and Veterans Affairs to the Fed-
eral directory of new hires.
Sec. 203. Expansion of eligible class of providers of high technology programs
of education for veterans.
Sec. 204. Pilot program for off-base transition training for veterans and
spouses.
Sec. 205. Grants for provision of transition assistance to members of the
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Armed Forces after separation, retirement, or discharge.
Sec. 206. One-year independent assessment of the effectiveness of Transition
Assistance Program.
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Sec. 207. Longitudinal study on changes to TAP.
Sec. 208. Department of Veterans Affairs loan fees.
1 TITLE I—ASSISTANCE FOR
2 HOMELESS VETERANS
3 SEC. 101. FLEXIBILITY FOR THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS
4 AFFAIRS IN CARING FOR HOMELESS VET-
5 ERANS DURING A COVERED PUBLIC HEALTH
6 EMERGENCY.
7 (a) GENERAL SUPPORT.—
8 (1) USE OF FUNDS.—During a covered public
9 health emergency, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
10 may use amounts appropriated or otherwise made
11 available to the Department of Veterans Affairs to
12 carry out sections 2011, 2012, 2031, and 2061 of
13 title 38, United States Code, to provide to homeless
14 veterans and veterans participating in the program
15 carried out under section 8(o)(19) of the United
16 States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.
17 1437f(o)(19)) (commonly referred to as ‘‘HUD–
18 VASH’’), as the Secretary determines is needed, the
19 following:
20 (A) Assistance required for safety and sur-
21 vival (such as food, shelter, clothing, blankets,
22 and hygiene items).
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23 (B) Transportation required to support
24 stability and health (such as for appointments
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1 with service providers, conducting housing
2 searches, and obtaining food and supplies).
3 (C) Communications equipment and serv-
4 ices (such as tablets, smartphones, disposable
5 phones, and related service plans) required to
6 support stability and health (such as maintain-
7 ing contact with service providers, prospective
8 landlords, and family).
9 (D) Such other assistance as the Secretary
10 determines is needed.
11 (2) HOMELESS VETERANS ON LAND OF THE
12 DEPARTMENT.—
13 (A) COLLABORATION.—During a covered
14 public health emergency, to the extent possible,
15 the Secretary may collaborate with one or more
16 organizations to manage use of land of the De-
17 partment for homeless veterans for living and
18 sleeping.
19 (B) ELEMENTS.—Collaboration under sub-
20 paragraph (A) may include the provision by ei-
21 ther the Secretary or the organization of food
22 services and security for property, buildings,
23 and other facilities owned or controlled by the
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24 Department.
25 (b) GRANT AND PER DIEM PROGRAM.—
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1 (1) LIMITS ON RATES FOR PER DIEM PAY-
2 MENTS.—Section 20013(b) of the Coronavirus Aid,
3 Relief, and Economic Security Act (Public Law
4 116–136) is amended—
5 (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and
6 (2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively;
7 (B) in the matter preceding subparagraph
8 (A), as so redesignated, by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ be-
9 fore ‘‘In the case’’; and
10 (C) by adding at the end the following:
11 ‘‘(2) If the Secretary waives any limit on grant
12 amounts or rates for per diem payments under paragraph
13 (1), notwithstanding section 2012(a)(2)(B) of such title,
14 the maximum rate for per diem payments described in
15 paragraph (1)(B) shall be three times the rate authorized
16 for State homes for domiciliary care under section 1741
17 of such title.’’.
18 (2) USE OF PER DIEM PAYMENTS.—During a
19 covered public health emergency, a recipient of a
20 grant or an eligible entity under the grant and per
21 diem program of the Department (in this subsection
22 referred to as the ‘‘program’’) may use per diem
23 payments under sections 2012 and 2061 of title 38,
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24 United States Code, to provide assistance required
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1 for safety and survival (such as food, shelter, cloth-
2 ing, blankets, and hygiene items) for—
3 (A) homeless veterans; and
4 (B) formerly homeless veterans residing in
5 a facility operated wholly or in part by such a
6 recipient or eligible entity receiving per diem
7 payments under section 2012 of such title.
8 (3) ADDITIONAL TRANSITIONAL HOUSING.—
9 (A) IN GENERAL.—During a covered pub-
10 lic health emergency, under the program, the
11 Secretary may provide amounts for additional
12 transitional housing beds to facilitate access to
13 housing and services provided to homeless vet-
14 erans.
15 (B) NOTICE; COMPETITION; PERIOD OF
16 PERFORMANCE.—The Secretary may provide
17 amounts under subparagraph (A)—
18 (i) without notice or competition; and
19 (ii) for a period of performance deter-
20 mined by the Secretary.
21 (4) INSPECTIONS AND LIFE SAFETY CODE RE-
22 QUIREMENTS.—
23 (A) IN GENERAL.—During a covered pub-
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24 lic health emergency, the Secretary may waive
25 any requirement under subsection (b) or (c) of
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1 section 2012 of title 38, United States Code, in
2 order to allow the recipient of a grant or an eli-
3 gible entity under the program—
4 (i) to quickly identify temporary alter-
5 nate sites of care for homeless veterans
6 that are suitable for habitation;
7 (ii) to facilitate social distancing or
8 isolation needs; or
9 (iii) to facilitate activation or continu-
10 ation of a program for which a grant has
11 been awarded.
12 (B) LIMITATION.—The Secretary may
13 waive a requirement pursuant to the authority
14 provided by subparagraph (A) with respect to a
15 facility of a recipient of a grant or an eligible
16 entity under the program only if the facility
17 meets applicable local safety requirements, in-
18 cluding fire safety requirements.
19 (c) INSPECTION AND LIFE SAFETY CODE REQUIRE-
20 MENTS FOR THERAPEUTIC HOUSING.—
21 (1) IN GENERAL.—During a covered public
22 health emergency, the Secretary may waive any in-
23 spection or life safety code requirement under sub-
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24 section (c) of section 2032 of title 38, United States
25 Code—
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1 (A) to allow quick identification of tem-
2 porary alternate sites of care for homeless vet-
3 erans that are suitable for habitation;
4 (B) to facilitate social distancing or isola-
5 tion needs; or
6 (C) to facilitate the operation of housing
7 under such section.
8 (2) LIMITATION.—The Secretary may waive a
9 requirement pursuant to the authority provided by
10 paragraph (1) with respect to a residence or facility
11 referred to in such section 2032 only if the residence
12 or facility, as the case may be, meets applicable local
13 safety requirements, including fire safety require-
14 ments.
15 (d) ACCESS TO DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF-
16 FAIRS TELEHEALTH SERVICES.—To the extent prac-
17 ticable, during a covered public health emergency, the Sec-
18 retary shall ensure that veterans participating in or receiv-
19 ing services from a program under chapter 20 of title 38,
20 United States Code, have access to telehealth services to
21 which such veterans are eligible under the laws adminis-
22 tered by the Secretary, including by ensuring that tele-
23 health capabilities are available to—
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24 (1) such veterans;
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1 (2) case managers of the Department of pro-
2 grams for homeless veterans authorized under such
3 chapter; and
4 (3) community-based service providers for
5 homeless veterans receiving funds from the Depart-
6 ment through grants or contracts.
7 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
8 (1) COVERED PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.—
9 The term ‘‘covered public health emergency’’ means
10 an emergency with respect to COVID–19 declared
11 by a Federal, State, or local authority.
12 (2) HOMELESS VETERAN; VETERAN.—The
13 terms ‘‘homeless veteran’’ and ‘‘veteran’’ have the
14 meanings given those terms in section 2002 of title
15 38, United States Code.
16 (3) TELEHEALTH.—
17 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘telehealth’’
18 means the use of electronic information and
19 telecommunications technologies to support and
20 promote long-distance clinical health care, pa-
21 tient and professional health-related education,
22 public health, and health administration.
23 (B) TECHNOLOGIES.—For purposes of
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24 subparagraph (A), ‘‘telecommunications tech-
25 nologies’’ include video conferencing, the inter-
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1 net, streaming media, and terrestrial and wire-
2 less communications.
3 (f) EMERGENCY DESIGNATIONS.—
4 (1) IN GENERAL.—This section is designated as
5 an emergency requirement pursuant to section 4(g)
6 of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (2
7 U.S.C. 933(g)).
8 (2) DESIGNATION IN SENATE.—In the Senate,
9 this section is designated as an emergency require-
10 ment pursuant to section 4112(a) of H. Con. Res.
11 71 (115th Congress), the concurrent resolution on
12 the budget for fiscal year 2018.
13 SEC. 102. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR HUD–VASH.
14 (a) HUD PROVISIONS.—Section 8(o)(19) of the
15 United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.
16 1437f(o)(19)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
17 lowing new subparagraph:
18 ‘‘(D) VETERAN DEFINED.—In this para-
19 graph, the term ‘veteran’ has the meaning given
20 that term in section 2002(b) of title 38, United
21 States Code.’’.
22 (b) VHA CASE MANAGERS.—Subsection (b) of sec-
23 tion 2003 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by
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24 adding at the end the following: ‘‘In the case of vouchers
25 provided under the HUD–VASH program under section
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1 8(o)(19) of such Act, for purposes of the preceding sen-
2 tence, the term ‘veteran’ shall have the meaning given
3 such term in section 2002(b) of this title.’’.
4 (c) ANNUAL REPORT.—
5 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not less frequently than
6 once each year, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
7 shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
8 of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Af-
9 fairs of the House of Representatives a report on the
10 homelessness services provided under programs of
11 the Department of Veterans Affairs, including serv-
12 ices under the program carried out under section
13 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937
14 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)) (commonly referred to as
15 ‘‘HUD-VASH’’).
16 (2) INCLUDED INFORMATION.—Each such an-
17 nual report shall include, with respect to the year
18 preceding the submittal of the report—
19 (A) a statement of the number of eligible
20 individuals who were furnished such homeless-
21 ness services;
22 (B) the number of individuals furnished
23 such services under each such program,
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24 disaggregated by the number of men who re-
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1 ceived such services and the number of women
2 who received such services; and
3 (C) such other information the Secretary
4 determines appropriate.
5 SEC. 103. LEGAL SERVICES FOR HOMELESS VETERANS AND
6 VETERANS AT RISK FOR HOMELESSNESS.
7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 20 of title 38, United
8 States Code, is amended by inserting after section 2022
9 the following new section:
10 ‘‘§ 2022A. Legal services for homeless veterans and
11 veterans at risk for homelessness
12 ‘‘(a) GRANTS.—Subject to the availability of appro-
13 priations provided for such purpose, the Secretary of Vet-
14 erans Affairs shall make grants to eligible entities that
15 provide legal services to homeless veterans and veterans
16 at risk for homelessness.
17 ‘‘(b) CRITERIA.—(1) The Secretary shall—
18 ‘‘(A) establish criteria and requirements for
19 grants under this section, including criteria for enti-
20 ties eligible to receive such grants; and
21 ‘‘(B) publish such criteria and requirements in
22 the Federal Register.
23 ‘‘(2) In establishing criteria and requirements under
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24 paragraph (1), the Secretary shall—
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1 ‘‘(A) take into consideration any criteria and
2 requirements needed with respect to carrying out
3 this section in rural communities, Tribal lands, and
4 the territories and possessions of the United States;
5 and
6 ‘‘(B) consult with organizations that have expe-
7 rience in providing services to homeless veterans, in-
8 cluding veterans service organizations, the Equal
9 Justice Works AmeriCorps Veterans Legal Corps,
10 and other organizations the Secretary determines
11 appropriate.
12 ‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—The Secretary may make
13 a grant under this section to an entity applying for such
14 a grant only if the applicant for the grant—
15 ‘‘(1) is a public or nonprofit private entity with
16 the capacity (as determined by the Secretary) to ef-
17 fectively administer a grant under this section;
18 ‘‘(2) demonstrates that adequate financial sup-
19 port will be available to carry out the services for
20 which the grant is sought consistent with the appli-
21 cation;
22 ‘‘(3) agrees to meet the applicable criteria and
23 requirements established under subsection (b)(1);
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24 and
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1 ‘‘(4) has, as determined by the Secretary, dem-
2 onstrated the capacity to meet such criteria and re-
3 quirements.
4 ‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants under this section
5 shall be used to provide homeless veterans and veterans
6 at risk for homelessness the following legal services:
7 ‘‘(1) Legal services related to housing, including
8 eviction defense, representation in landlord-tenant
9 cases, and representation in foreclosure cases.
10 ‘‘(2) Legal services related to family law, in-
11 cluding assistance in court proceedings for child sup-
12 port, divorce, estate planning, and family reconcili-
13 ation.
14 ‘‘(3) Legal services related to income support,
15 including assistance in obtaining public benefits.
16 ‘‘(4) Legal services related to criminal defense,
17 including defense in matters symptomatic of home-
18 lessness, such as outstanding warrants, fines, and
19 driver’s license revocation, to reduce recidivism and
20 facilitate the overcoming of reentry obstacles in em-
21 ployment or housing.
22 ‘‘(5) Legal services related to requests to up-
23 grade the characterization of a discharge or dis-
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24 missal of a former member of the Armed Forces
25 under section 1553 of title 10.
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1 ‘‘(6) Such other legal services as the Secretary
2 determines appropriate.
3 ‘‘(e) FUNDS FOR WOMEN VETERANS.—For any fiscal
4 year, not less than 10 percent of the amount authorized
5 to be appropriated for grants under this section shall be
6 used to provide legal services described in subsection (d)
7 to women veterans.
8 ‘‘(f) LOCATIONS.—To the extent practicable, the Sec-
9 retary shall make grants under this section to eligible enti-
10 ties in a manner that is equitably distributed across the
11 geographic regions of the United States, including with
12 respect to—
13 ‘‘(1) rural communities;
14 ‘‘(2) Tribal lands;
15 ‘‘(3) Native Americans; and
16 ‘‘(4) Tribal organizations.
17 ‘‘(g) REPORTS.—On a biennial basis, the Secretary
18 shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of
19 the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on
20 grants under this section. To the extent feasible, each such
21 report shall include the following with respect to the year
22 covered by the report:
23 ‘‘(1) The number of homeless veterans and vet-
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24 erans at risk for homelessness assisted.
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1 ‘‘(2) A description of the legal services pro-
2 vided.
3 ‘‘(3) A description of the legal matters ad-
4 dressed.
5 ‘‘(4) An analysis by the Secretary with respect
6 to the operational effectiveness and cost-effectiveness
7 of the services provided.’’.
8 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections
9 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting
10 after the item relating to section 2022 the following new
11 item:
‘‘2022A. Legal services for homeless veterans and veterans at risk for homeless-
ness.’’.
12 (c) CRITERIA.—Not later than 180 days after the
13 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet-
14 erans Affairs shall establish the criteria and requirements
15 in the Federal Register pursuant to subsection (b)(1) of
16 section 2022A of title 38, United States Code, as added
17 by subsection (a).
18 SEC. 104. GAP ANALYSIS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
19 AFFAIRS PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE ASSIST-
20 ANCE TO WOMEN VETERANS WHO ARE HOME-
21 LESS.
22 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs
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23 shall complete an analysis of programs of the Department
24 of Veterans Affairs that provide assistance to women vet-
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1 erans who are homeless or precariously housed to identify
2 the areas in which such programs are failing to meet the
3 needs of such women.
4 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 270 days after the date
5 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit
6 to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and
7 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep-
8 resentatives a report on the analysis completed under sub-
9 section (a).
10 SEC. 105. IMPROVEMENTS TO GRANTS AND AGREEMENTS
11 BETWEEN THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AF-
12 FAIRS AND ENTITIES THAT PROVIDE SERV-
13 ICES TO HOMELESS VETERANS.
14 (a) INCREASE IN PER DIEM PAYMENTS.—Subsection
15 (a)(2)(B) of section 2012 of title 38, United States Code,
16 is amended—
17 (1) by striking clause (i) and inserting the fol-
18 lowing:
19 ‘‘(i) Except as provided in clause (ii) or (iii) and sub-
20 ject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary
21 shall determine the rate under this paragraph, which—
22 ‘‘(I) may not—
23 ‘‘(aa) be lower than the amount in effect
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24 under this clause as in effect immediately pre-
25 ceding the enactment of the Dependable Em-
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1 ployment and Living Improvements for Vet-
2 erans Economic Recovery Act; or
3 ‘‘(bb) exceed the amount that is 115 per-
4 cent of the rate authorized for State homes for
5 domiciliary care under subsection (a)(1)(A) of
6 section 1741 of this title, as the Secretary may
7 increase from time to time under subsection (c)
8 of that section; and
9 ‘‘(II) may be determined on the basis of local-
10 ity.’’; and
11 (2) by adding at the end the following new
12 clause:
13 ‘‘(iii) With respect to a homeless veteran who has
14 care of a minor dependent while receiving services from
15 the grant recipient or eligible entity, the daily cost of care
16 shall be the sum of the daily cost of care determined under
17 subparagraph (A) plus, for each such minor dependent,
18 an amount that equals 50 percent of such daily cost of
19 care.’’.
20 (b) REIMBURSEMENT OF CERTAIN FEES.—Such sec-
21 tion is further amended by adding at the end the following
22 new subsection:
23 ‘‘(e) REIMBURSEMENT OF ENTITIES FOR CERTAIN
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24 FEES.—The Secretary may reimburse the recipient of a
25 grant under section 2011, 2012, 2013, or 2061 of this
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1 title for fees charged to that grant recipient for the use
2 of the homeless management information system described
3 in section 402 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assist-
4 ance Act (Public Law 100–77; 42 U.S.C. 11630a)—
5 ‘‘(1) in amounts the Secretary determines to be
6 reasonable; and
7 ‘‘(2) if the Secretary determines that the grant
8 recipient is unable to obtain information contained
9 in such system through other means and at no cost
10 to the grant recipient.’’.
11 SEC. 106. REPEAL OF SUNSET ON AUTHORITY TO CARRY
12 OUT PROGRAM OF REFERRAL AND COUN-
13 SELING SERVICES FOR VETERANS AT RISK
14 FOR HOMELESSNESS WHO ARE
15 TRANSITIONING FROM CERTAIN INSTITU-
16 TIONS.
17 Section 2023 of title 38, United States Code, is
18 amended—
19 (1) by striking subsection (d); and
20 (2) by redesignating subsection (e) as sub-
21 section (d).
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1 SEC. 107. COORDINATION OF CASE MANAGEMENT SERV-
2 ICES FOR VETERANS RECEIVING HOUSING
3 VOUCHERS UNDER TRIBAL HUD-VASH PRO-
4 GRAM.
5 Section 2003 of title 38, United States Code, is
6 amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
7 section:
8 ‘‘(c) MOU ON IHS ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary
9 may enter into a memorandum of understanding with the
10 Secretary of Health and Human Services under which
11 case managers of the Indian Health Service may provide
12 case management assistance to veterans who receive hous-
13 ing vouchers under the Tribal HUD-VASH program of
14 the Department of Housing and Urban Development.’’.
15 SEC. 108. CONTRACTING FOR HUD-VASH CASE MANAGERS.
16 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 304 of the Honoring
17 America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Fami-
18 lies Act of 2012 (Public Law 112–154; 38 U.S.C. 2041
19 note) is amended—
20 (1) in subsection (a)—
21 (A) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘The Sec-
22 retary’’;
23 (B) by adding at the end the following new
24 paragraphs:
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1 ‘‘(2)(A) Subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C), the
2 director of a covered medical center shall seek to enter
3 into a contract or agreement described in paragraph (1).
4 ‘‘(B) A contract or agreement under subparagraph
5 (A) may require that a case manager employed by an eligi-
6 ble entity have credentials equivalent to those of a case
7 manager of the Department.
8 ‘‘(C) The Secretary may waive the requirement under
9 subparagraph (A) if the Secretary determines that ful-
10 filling such requirement is infeasible. If the Secretary
11 grants such a waiver, the Secretary shall submit, not later
12 than 90 days after granting such waiver, to the Commit-
13 tees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Rep-
14 resentatives, a report containing—
15 ‘‘(i) an explanation of that determination;
16 ‘‘(ii) a plan to increase the number of case
17 managers of the Department; and
18 ‘‘(iii) a plan for the covered medical center to
19 increase use of such vouchers.
20 ‘‘(D) In this paragraph, the term ‘covered medical
21 center’ means a medical center of the Department that
22 the Secretary determines—
23 ‘‘(i) had more than 15 percent of all vouchers
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24 allocated to that medical center under the program
25 described in paragraph (1) through the fiscal year
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1 preceding such determination go unused due to a
2 lack of case management services provided by the
3 Secretary; and
4 ‘‘(ii) has a case manager position that has been
5 vacant for at least nine consecutive months imme-
6 diately preceding the date of such determination.’’;
7 and
8 (2) in subsection (b)(2)—
9 (A) in the matter before subparagraph (A),
10 by striking ‘‘, including because—’’ and insert-
11 ing a period; and
12 (B) by striking subparagraphs (A), (B),
13 and (C).
14 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
15 this section shall take effect on the first day of the first
16 fiscal year to begin on or after the date of the enactment
17 of this Act.
18 SEC. 109. REPORT ON HUD-VASH STAFFING, TRAINING, AND
19 DATA SYSTEMS.
20 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
21 ment of this Act, and every three years thereafter, the Sec-
22 retary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees
23 on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and
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24 the Senate a report that includes the following:
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1 (1) An assessment of the hiring needs of the
2 program carried out under section 8(o)(19) of the
3 United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.
4 1437f(o)(19)) (commonly referred to as ‘‘HUD-
5 VASH’’), including—
6 (A) identification of the number of HUD-
7 VASH case managers as of the date of the re-
8 port including—
9 (i) the total number of vacancies; and
10 (ii) the vacancies at each medical cen-
11 ter of the Department of Veterans Affairs;
12 (B) the number of HUD-VASH case man-
13 agers that the Secretaries of Veterans Affairs
14 and Housing and Urban Development deter-
15 mine necessary to meet the needs of the De-
16 partment and program; and
17 (C) the amount of turnover among HUD-
18 VASH case managers and whether the turnover
19 was planned or unexpected.
20 (2) An assessment of how compensation, includ-
21 ing recruitment and retention incentives, for HUD-
22 VASH case managers affects turnover, and what
23 percentage of retention compensation is provided to
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24 case managers at each medical center of the Depart-
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1 ment of Veterans Affairs (compared to other posi-
2 tions).
3 (3) A comparison of compensation described in
4 paragraph (2) with the compensation provided to
5 State, local, and nongovernmental housing employees
6 at comparable training and experience levels.
7 (4) Examples of how the Departments have
8 worked with non-Federal partners (such as local
9 governments, nongovernmental organizations, vet-
10 erans service organizations, and employee unions) to
11 meet the staffing needs of the HUD-VASH pro-
12 gram.
13 (5) Examples of how medical centers of the De-
14 partment of Veterans Affairs with high retention
15 rates for HUD-VASH case managers have been able
16 to maintain their staffing levels.
17 TITLE II—RETRAINING
18 ASSISTANCE FOR VETERANS
19 SEC. 201. COVID–19 VETERAN RAPID RETRAINING ASSIST-
20 ANCE PROGRAM.
21 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs
22 shall carry out a program under which the Secretary shall
23 provide up to 12 months of retraining assistance to an
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24 eligible veteran for the pursuit of a covered program of
25 education. Such retraining assistance shall be in addition
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1 to any other entitlement to educational assistance or bene-
2 fits for which a veteran is, or has been, eligible.
3 (b) ELIGIBLE VETERANS.—
4 (1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of this section,
5 the term ‘‘eligible veteran’’ means a veteran who—
6 (A) as of the date of the receipt by the De-
7 partment of Veterans Affairs of the application
8 for assistance under this section, is at least 22
9 years of age but not more than 66 years of age;
10 (B) as of such date, is unemployed by rea-
11 son of the covered public health emergency, as
12 certified by the veteran;
13 (C) as of such date, is not eligible to re-
14 ceive educational assistance under chapter 30,
15 31, 32, 33, or 35 of title 38, United States
16 Code, or chapter 1606 of title 10, United States
17 Code;
18 (D) is not enrolled in any Federal or State
19 jobs program;
20 (E) is not in receipt of compensation for a
21 service-connected disability rated totally dis-
22 abling by reason of unemployability; and
23 (F) will not be in receipt of unemployment
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24 compensation (as defined in section 85(b) of the
25 Internal Revenue Code of 1986), including any
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26
1 cash benefit received pursuant to subtitle A of
2 title II of division A of the CARES Act (Public
3 Law 116–136), as of the first day on which the
4 veteran would receive a housing stipend pay-
5 ment under this section.
6 (2) TREATMENT OF VETERANS WHO TRANSFER
7 ENTITLEMENT.—For purposes of paragraph (1)(C),
8 a veteran who has transferred all of the veteran’s
9 entitlement to educational assistance under section
10 3319 of title 38, United States Code, shall be con-
11 sidered to be a veteran who is not eligible to receive
12 educational assistance under chapter 33 of such
13 title.
14 (3) FAILURE TO COMPLETE.—A veteran who
15 receives retraining assistance under this section to
16 pursue a program of education and who fails to com-
17 plete the program of education shall not be eligible
18 to receive additional assistance under this section.
19 (c) COVERED PROGRAMS OF EDUCATION.—
20 (1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of this section,
21 a covered program of education is a program of edu-
22 cation (as such term is defined in section 3452(b) of
23 title 38, United States Code) for training, pursued
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24 on a full-time or part-time basis—
25 (A) that—
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1 (i) is approved under chapter 36 of
2 such title;
3 (ii) does not lead to a bachelors or
4 graduate degree; and
5 (iii) is designed to provide training for
6 a high-demand occupation, as determined
7 under paragraph (3); or
8 (B) that is a high technology program of
9 education offered by a qualified provider, under
10 the meaning given such terms in section 116 of
11 the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational
12 Assistance Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–48; 38
13 U.S.C. 3001 note).
14 (2) ACCREDITED PROGRAMS.—In the case of an
15 accredited program of education, the program of
16 education shall not be considered a covered program
17 of education under this section if the program has
18 received a show cause order from the accreditor of
19 the program during the five-year period preceding
20 the date of the enactment of this Act.
21 (3) DETERMINATION OF HIGH-DEMAND OCCU-
22 PATIONS.—
23 (A) INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION.—In car-
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24 rying out this section, the Secretary shall use
25 the list of high-demand occupations compiled by
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1 the Commissioner of Labor Statistics until the
2 final list under subparagraph (C) is complete.
3 (B) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Secretary of
4 Veterans Affairs shall enter into an agreement
5 with a federally funded research and develop-
6 ment corporation or another appropriate non-
7 Department entity for the conduct of a study to
8 determine which occupations are high-demand
9 occupations. Such study shall be completed not
10 later than 90 days after the date of the enact-
11 ment of this Act.
12 (C) FINAL LIST.—The Secretary—
13 (i) may add or remove occupation
14 from the list in use pursuant to subpara-
15 graph (A) during the 90-day period fol-
16 lowing the completion of the study required
17 by subparagraph (B);
18 (ii) shall issue a final list of high-de-
19 mand occupations for use under this sec-
20 tion by not later than 90 days after the
21 date of the completion of the study; and
22 (iii) shall make such final list publicly
23 available on a website of the Department.
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24 (D) USE OF LIST.—The Secretary shall
25 use the list developed under this paragraph in
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1 order to apply the requirement that retraining
2 assistance under this section is used for train-
3 ing for a high-demand occupation, but the Sec-
4 retary may remove occupations from the list as
5 the Secretary determines appropriate.
6 (4) FULL-TIME DEFINED.—For purposes of
7 this subsection, the term ‘‘full-time’’ has the mean-
8 ing given such term under section 3688 of title 38,
9 United States Code.
10 (d) AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE.—
11 (1) RETRAINING ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary
12 of Veterans Affairs shall provide to an eligible vet-
13 eran pursuing a covered program of education under
14 the retraining assistance program under this section
15 an amount equal to the amount of educational as-
16 sistance payable under section 3313(c)(1)(A) of title
17 38, United States Code, for each month the veteran
18 pursues the covered program of education. Such
19 amount shall be payable directly to the educational
20 institution offering the covered program of education
21 pursued by the veteran as follows:
22 (A) 50 percent of the total amount payable
23 shall be paid when the eligible veteran begins
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24 the program of education.
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1 (B) 25 percent of the total amount payable
2 shall be paid when the eligible veteran com-
3 pletes the program of education.
4 (C) 25 percent of the total amount payable
5 shall be paid when the eligible veteran finds em-
6 ployment in a field related to the program of
7 education.
8 (2) FAILURE TO COMPLETE.—
9 (A) PRO-RATED PAYMENTS.—In the case
10 of a veteran who pursues a covered program of
11 education under the retraining assistance pro-
12 gram under this section, but who does not com-
13 plete the program of education, the Secretary
14 shall pay to the educational institution offering
15 such program of education a pro-rated amount
16 based on the number of months the veteran
17 pursued the program of education in accordance
18 with this paragraph.
19 (B) PAYMENT OTHERWISE DUE UPON
20 COMPLETION OF PROGRAM.—The Secretary
21 shall pay to the educational institution a pro-
22 rated amount under paragraph (1)(B) when the
23 veteran provides notice to the educational insti-
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24 tution that the veteran no longer intends to
25 pursue the program of education.
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1 (C) NONRECOVERY FROM VETERAN.—In
2 the case of a veteran referred to in subpara-
3 graph (A), the educational institution may not
4 seek payment from the veteran for any amount
5 that would have been payable under paragraph
6 (1)(B) had the veteran completed the program
7 of education.
8 (D) PAYMENT DUE UPON EMPLOYMENT.—
9 (i) VETERANS WHO FIND EMPLOY-
10 MENT.—In the case of a veteran referred
11 to in subparagraph (A) who finds employ-
12 ment in a field related to the program of
13 education during the 180-day period begin-
14 ning on the date on which the veteran
15 withdraws from the program of education,
16 the Secretary shall pay to the educational
17 institution a pro-rated amount under para-
18 graph (1)(C) when the veteran finds such
19 employment.
20 (ii) VETERANS WHO DO NOT FIND EM-
21 PLOYMENT.—In the case of a veteran re-
22 ferred to in subparagraph (A) who does
23 not find employment in a field related to
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24 the program of education during the 180-
25 day period beginning on the date on which
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1 the veteran withdraws from the program of
2 education—
3 (I) the Secretary shall not make
4 a payment to the educational institu-
5 tion under paragraph (1)(C); and
6 (II) the educational institution
7 may not seek payment from the vet-
8 eran for any amount that would have
9 been payable under paragraph (1)(C)
10 had the veteran found employment
11 during such 180-day period.
12 (3) HOUSING STIPEND.—For each month that
13 an eligible veteran pursues a covered program of
14 education under the retraining assistance program
15 under this section, the Secretary shall pay to the
16 veteran a monthly housing stipend in an amount
17 equal to—
18 (A) in the case of a covered program of
19 education leading to a degree, or a covered pro-
20 gram of education not leading to a degree, at
21 an institution of higher learning (as that term
22 is defined in section 3452(f) of title 38, United
23 States Code) pursued on more than a half-time
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24 basis, the amount specified under subsection
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1 (c)(1)(B) of section 3313 of title 38, United
2 States Code;
3 (B) in the case of a covered program of
4 education other than a program of education
5 leading to a degree at an institution other than
6 an institution of higher learning pursued on
7 more than a half-time basis, the amount speci-
8 fied under subsection (g)(3)(A)(ii) of such sec-
9 tion; or
10 (C) in the case of a covered program of
11 education pursued on less than a half-time
12 basis, or a covered program of education pur-
13 sued solely through distance learning on more
14 than a half-time basis, the amount specified
15 under subsection (c)(1)(B)(iii) of such section.
16 (4) FAILURE TO FIND EMPLOYMENT.—The
17 Secretary shall not make a payment under para-
18 graph (1)(C) with respect to an eligible veteran who
19 completes or fails to complete a program of edu-
20 cation under the retraining assistance program
21 under this section if the veteran fails to find employ-
22 ment in a field related to the program of education
23 within the 180-period beginning on the date on
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24 which the veteran withdraws from or completes the
25 program.
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1 (e) NO TRANSFERABILITY.—Retraining assistance
2 provided under this section may not be transferred to an-
3 other individual.
4 (f) EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE.—
5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Labor shall
6 contact each veteran who pursues a covered program
7 of education under this section—
8 (A) not later than 30 days after the date
9 on which the veteran begins the program of
10 education to notify the veteran of the avail-
11 ability of employment placement services upon
12 completion of the program; and
13 (B) not later than 14 days after the date
14 on which the veteran completes, or terminates
15 participation in, such program to facilitate the
16 provision of employment placement services to
17 such veteran.
18 (2) PROVISION OF INFORMATION.—The Sec-
19 retary of Veterans Affairs shall provide to the Sec-
20 retary of Labor such information as may be nec-
21 essary to carry out paragraph (1).
22 (g) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.—
23 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans
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24 Affairs shall seek to enter into a memorandum of
25 understanding with one or more qualified nonprofit
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1 organizations for the purpose of facilitating the em-
2 ployment of veterans who participate in the retrain-
3 ing assistance program under this section.
4 (2) QUALIFIED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.—
5 For purposes of this subsection, a qualified non-
6 profit organization is a nonprofit organization
7 that—
8 (A) is an association of businesses; and
9 (B) has at least two years of experience
10 providing job placement services for veterans.
11 (h) FOLLOW UP OUTREACH.—The Secretary of Vet-
12 erans Affairs, in coordination with the Secretary of Labor
13 shall contact each veteran who completes a covered pro-
14 gram of education under the retraining assistance pro-
15 gram under this section 30, 60, 90, and 180 days after
16 the veteran completes such program of education to ask
17 the veteran about the experience of the veteran in the re-
18 training assistance program and the veteran’s employment
19 status.
20 (i) QUARTERLY REPORTS.—Not later than the date
21 that is one year after the date of the enactment of this
22 Act, and quarterly thereafter, the Secretary of Labor shall
23 submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Sen-
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24 ate and House of Representatives a report containing the
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1 following information about veterans who participate in
2 the retraining assistance program under this section:
3 (1) The percentage of such veterans who found
4 employment before the end of the second calendar
5 quarter after exiting the program.
6 (2) The percentage of such veterans who found
7 employment before the end of the fourth calendar
8 quarter after exiting the program.
9 (3) The median earnings of all such veterans
10 for the second quarter after exiting the program.
11 (4) The percentage of such veterans who attain
12 a recognized postsecondary credential during the 12-
13 month period after exiting the program.
14 (j) LIMITATION.—Not more than 17,250 eligible vet-
15 erans may receive retraining assistance under this section.
16 (k) TERMINATION.—No retraining assistance may be
17 paid under this section after the date that is 21 months
18 after the date of the enactment of this Act.
19 (l) GAO REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the
20 termination of the retraining assistance program under
21 subsection (k), the Comptroller General shall submit to
22 the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and
23 House of Representatives a report on the outcomes and
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24 effectiveness of the program.
25 (m) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
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1 (1) The term ‘‘covered public health emer-
2 gency’’ means the declaration—
3 (A) of a public health emergency, based on
4 an outbreak of COVID–19 by the Secretary of
5 Health and Human Services under section 319
6 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
7 247d); or
8 (B) of a domestic emergency, based on an
9 outbreak of COVID–19 by the President, the
10 Secretary of Homeland Security, or State, or
11 local authority.
12 (2) The term ‘‘veteran’’ means—
13 (A) a person who served in the active mili-
14 tary, naval, or air service, and who was dis-
15 charged or released therefrom under conditions
16 other than dishonorable; or
17 (B) a member of a reserve component of
18 the Armed Forces who performs active service
19 for a period of 30 days or longer by reason of
20 the covered public health emergency.
21 (3) The term ‘‘active service’’ has the meaning
22 given such term in section 101 of title 10, United
23 States Code.
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24 (n) FUNDING.—
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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—For each fiscal year for
2 which the Secretary provides retraining assistance
3 under this section, such sums as may be necessary
4 shall be made available for such assistance from
5 funds appropriated to, or otherwise made available
6 to, the Department for the payment of readjustment
7 benefits.
8 (2) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—There is author-
9 ized to be appropriated $15,000,000 to carry out ad-
10 ministrative functions of this section.
11 (o) INITIATION OF PAYMENTS.—The Secretary may
12 begin providing retraining assistance under this section on
13 the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment
14 of this Act.
15 SEC. 202. ACCESS FOR THE SECRETARIES OF LABOR AND
16 VETERANS AFFAIRS TO THE FEDERAL DIREC-
17 TORY OF NEW HIRES.
18 Section 453A(h) of the Social Security Act (42
19 U.S.C. 653a(h)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
20 lowing new paragraph:
21 ‘‘(4) VETERAN EMPLOYMENT.—The Secretaries
22 of Labor and of Veterans Affairs shall have access
23 to information reported by employers pursuant to
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24 subsection (b) of this section for purposes of track-
25 ing employment of veterans.’’.
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1 SEC. 203. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBLE CLASS OF PROVIDERS
2 OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS OF EDU-
3 CATION FOR VETERANS.
4 Section 116 of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Edu-
5 cational Assistance Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–48; 38
6 U.S.C. 3001 note) is amended—
7 (1) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the
8 following: ‘‘The Secretary shall treat an individual as
9 an eligible veteran if the Secretary determines that
10 the individual shall become an eligible veteran fewer
11 than 180 days after the date of such determination.
12 If an individual treated as an eligible veteran by rea-
13 son of the preceding sentence does anything to make
14 the veteran ineligible during the 180-day period re-
15 ferred to in such sentence, the Secretary may re-
16 quire the veteran to repay any benefits received by
17 such veteran by reason of such sentence.’’;
18 (2) in subsection (c)—
19 (A) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking ‘‘has
20 been operational for at least 2 years’’ and in-
21 serting ‘‘employs instructors whom the Sec-
22 retary determines are experts in their respective
23 fields in accordance with paragraph (6)’’; and
24 (B) by adding at the end the following new
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25 paragraph:
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1 ‘‘(6) EXPERTS.—The Secretary shall determine
2 whether instructors are experts under paragraph
3 (3)(A) based on evidence furnished to the Secretary
4 by the provider regarding the ability of the instruc-
5 tors to—
6 ‘‘(A) identify professions in need of new
7 employees to hire, tailor the programs to meet
8 market needs, and identify the employers likely
9 to hire graduates;
10 ‘‘(B) effectively teach the skills offered to
11 eligible veterans;
12 ‘‘(C) provide relevant industry experience
13 in the fields of programs offered to incoming el-
14 igible veterans; and
15 ‘‘(D) demonstrate relevant industry experi-
16 ence in such fields of programs.’’;
17 (3) in subsection (d), in the matter preceding
18 paragraph (1)—
19 (A) by inserting ‘‘(not including an indi-
20 vidual described in the second sentence of sub-
21 section (b))’’ after ‘‘each eligible veteran’’; and
22 (B) by inserting ‘‘or part-time’’ after ‘‘full-
23 time’’;
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24 (4) in subsection (g), by striking
25 ‘‘$15,000,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$45,000,000’’; and
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1 (5) by adding at the end the following new sub-
2 section (i):
3 ‘‘(i) PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN ACCOUNTING OF AS-
4 SISTANCE.—The Secretary may not consider enrollment in
5 a high technology program of education under this section
6 to be assistance under a provision of law referred to in
7 section 3695 of title 38, United States Code.’’.
8 SEC. 204. PILOT PROGRAM FOR OFF-BASE TRANSITION
9 TRAINING FOR VETERANS AND SPOUSES.
10 (a) EXTENSION OF PILOT PROGRAM.—Subsection
11 (a) of section 301 of the Dignified Burial and Other Vet-
12 erans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2012 (Public Law
13 112–260; 10 U.S.C. 1144 note) is amended—
14 (1) by striking ‘‘During the two-year period be-
15 ginning on the date of the enactment of this Act’’
16 and inserting ‘‘During the 5-year period beginning
17 on the date of the enactment of the Dependable Em-
18 ployment and Living Improvements for Veterans
19 Economic Recovery Act’’; and
20 (2) by striking ‘‘to assess the feasibility and ad-
21 visability of providing such program to eligible indi-
22 viduals at locations other than military installa-
23 tions’’.
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24 (b) LOCATIONS.—Subsection (c) of such section is
25 amended—
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1 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘not less than
2 three and not more than five States’’ and inserting
3 ‘‘not fewer than 50 locations in States (as defined
4 in section 101 of title 38, United States Code)’’;
5 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘at least two’’
6 and inserting ‘‘at least 20’’; and
7 (3) by adding at the end the following new
8 paragraphs:
9 ‘‘(5) PREFERENCES.—In selecting States for
10 participation in the pilot program, the Secretary
11 shall provide a preference for any State with—
12 ‘‘(A) a high rate of usage of unemployment
13 benefits for recently separated members of the
14 Armed Forces; or
15 ‘‘(B) a labor force or economy that has
16 been significantly impacted by the covered pub-
17 lic health emergency.
18 ‘‘(6) COVERED PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.—
19 In this subsection, the term ‘covered public health
20 emergency’ means the declaration—
21 ‘‘(A) of a public health emergency, based
22 on an outbreak of COVID–19 by the Secretary
23 of Health and Human Services under section
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24 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42
25 U.S.C. 247d); or
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1 ‘‘(B) of a domestic emergency, based on an
2 outbreak of COVID–19 by the President, the
3 Secretary of Homeland Security, or State, or
4 local authority.’’.
5 (c) ANNUAL REPORT.—Subsection (e) of such section
6 is amended by adding at the end the following new sen-
7 tence: ‘‘Each such report shall include information about
8 the employment outcomes of the eligible individuals who
9 received such training during the year covered by the re-
10 port.’’.
11 (d) CONFORMING REPEAL.—Subsection (f) of such
12 section is repealed.
13 SEC. 205. GRANTS FOR PROVISION OF TRANSITION ASSIST-
14 ANCE TO MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES
15 AFTER SEPARATION, RETIREMENT, OR DIS-
16 CHARGE.
17 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs
18 shall make grants to eligible organizations for the provi-
19 sion of transition assistance to members of the Armed
20 Forces who are separated, retired, or discharged from the
21 Armed Forces, and spouses of such members.
22 (b) USE OF FUNDS.—The recipient of a grant under
23 this section shall use the grant to provide to members of
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24 the Armed Forces and spouses described in subsection (a)
25 resume assistance, interview training, job recruitment
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1 training, and related services leading directly to successful
2 transition, as determined by the Secretary.
3 (c) ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.—To be eligible for a
4 grant under this section, an organization shall submit to
5 the Secretary an application containing such information
6 and assurances as the Secretary, in consultation with the
7 Secretary of Labor, may require.
8 (d) PRIORITY.—In making grants under this section,
9 the Secretary shall give priority to an organization that—
10 (1) provides multiple forms of services described
11 in subsection (b); or
12 (2) is located in a State with—
13 (A) a high rate of veteran unemployment;
14 (B) a high rate of usage of unemployment
15 benefits for recently separated members of the
16 Armed Forces; or
17 (C) a labor force or economy that has been
18 significantly impacted by the covered public
19 health emergency (as such term is defined in
20 section 201(l)(1)).
21 (e) AMOUNT OF GRANT.—A grant under this section
22 shall be in an amount that does not exceed 50 percent
23 of the amount required by the organization to provide the
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24 services described in subsection (b).
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1 (f) DEADLINE.—The Secretary shall carry out this
2 section not later than six months after the effective date
3 of this Act.
4 (g) TERMINATION.—The authority to provide a grant
5 under this section shall terminate on the date that is five
6 years after the date on which the Secretary implements
7 the grant program under this section.
8 (h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
9 authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 to carry out
10 this section.
11 SEC. 206. ONE-YEAR INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT OF THE
12 EFFECTIVENESS OF TRANSITION ASSIST-
13 ANCE PROGRAM.
14 (a) INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 90
15 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
16 retary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the cov-
17 ered officials, shall enter into an agreement with an appro-
18 priate entity with experience in adult education to carry
19 out a one-year independent assessment of the Transition
20 Assistance Program under sections 1142 and 1144 of title
21 10, United States Code (in this section referred to as
22 ‘‘TAP’’), including—
23 (1) the effectiveness of TAP for members of
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24 each military department during the entire military
25 life cycle;
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1 (2) the appropriateness of the TAP career read-
2 iness standards;
3 (3) a review of information that is provided to
4 the Department of Veterans Affairs under TAP, in-
5 cluding mental health data;
6 (4) whether TAP effectively addresses the chal-
7 lenges veterans face entering the civilian workforce
8 and in translating experience and skills from mili-
9 tary service to the job market;
10 (5) whether TAP effectively addresses the chal-
11 lenges faced by the families of veterans making the
12 transition to civilian life;
13 (6) appropriate metrics regarding TAP out-
14 comes for members of the Armed Forces one year
15 after separation, retirement, or discharge from the
16 Armed Forces;
17 (7) what the Secretary, in consultation with the
18 covered officials and veterans service organizations
19 determine to be successful outcomes for TAP;
20 (8) whether members of the Armed Forces
21 achieve successful outcomes for TAP, as determined
22 under paragraph (7);
23 (9) how the Secretary and the covered officials
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24 provide feedback to each other regarding such out-
25 comes;
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1 (10) recommendations for the Secretaries of the
2 military departments regarding how to improve out-
3 comes for members of the Armed Forces after sepa-
4 ration, retirement, and discharge; and
5 (11) other topics the Secretary and the covered
6 officials determine would aid members of the Armed
7 Forces as they transition to civilian life.
8 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the com-
9 pletion of the independent assessment under subsection
10 (a), the Secretary and the covered officials, shall submit
11 to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and
12 House of Representatives and the Committees on Armed
13 Services of the Senate and House of Representatives—
14 (1) the findings and recommendations (includ-
15 ing recommended legislation) of the independent as-
16 sessment prepared by the entity described in sub-
17 section (a); and
18 (2) responses of the Secretary and the covered
19 officials to the findings and recommendations de-
20 scribed in paragraph (1).
21 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
22 (1) The term ‘‘covered officials’’ means—
23 (A) the Secretary of Defense;
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24 (B) the Secretary of Labor;
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1 (C) the Administrator of the Small Busi-
2 ness Administration; and
3 (D) the Secretaries of the military depart-
4 ments.
5 (2) The term ‘‘military department’’ has the
6 meaning given that term in section 101 of title 10,
7 United States Code.
8 SEC. 207. LONGITUDINAL STUDY ON CHANGES TO TAP.
9 (a) STUDY.—Not later than 90 days after the date
10 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans
11 Affairs, in consultation with the Secretaries of Defense
12 and Labor and the Administrator of the Small Business
13 Administration, shall conduct a five-year longitudinal
14 study regarding the Transition Assistance Program under
15 sections 1142 and 1144 of title 10, United States Code
16 (in this section referred to as ‘‘TAP’’), on three separate
17 cohorts of members of the Armed Forces who have sepa-
18 rated from the Armed Forces, including—
19 (1) a cohort that has attended TAP counseling
20 as implemented on the date of the enactment of this
21 Act;
22 (2) a cohort that attends TAP counseling after
23 the Secretaries of Defense and Labor implement
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24 changes recommended in the report under section
25 206(b); and
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1 (3) a cohort that has not attended TAP coun-
2 seling.
3 (b) PROGRESS REPORTS.—Not later than 90 days
4 after the date that is one year after the date of the initi-
5 ation of the study under subsection (a) and annually
6 thereafter for the three subsequent years, the Secretaries
7 of Veterans Affairs, Defense, and Labor, and the Adminis-
8 trator of the Small Business Administration, shall submit
9 to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and
10 House of Representatives and the Committees on Armed
11 Services of the Senate and House of Representatives a
12 progress report of activities under the study during the
13 immediately preceding year.
14 (c) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after
15 the completion of the study under subsection (a), the Sec-
16 retaries of Veterans Affairs, Defense, and Labor, and the
17 Administrator of the Small Business Administration, shall
18 submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Sen-
19 ate and House of Representatives and the Committees on
20 Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representa-
21 tives a report of final findings and recommendations based
22 on the study.
23 (d) ELEMENTS.—The final report under subsection
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24 (c) shall include information regarding the following:
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1 (1) The percentage of each cohort that received
2 unemployment benefits during the study.
3 (2) The numbers of months members of each
4 cohort were employed during the study.
5 (3) Annual starting and ending salaries of
6 members of each cohort who were employed during
7 the study.
8 (4) How many members of each cohort enrolled
9 in an institution of higher learning, as that term is
10 defined in section 3452(f) of title 38, United States
11 Code.
12 (5) The academic credit hours, degrees, and
13 certificates obtained by members of each cohort dur-
14 ing the study.
15 (6) The annual income of members of each co-
16 hort.
17 (7) The total household income of members of
18 each cohort.
19 (8) How many members of each cohort own
20 their principal residences.
21 (9) How many dependents that members of
22 each cohort have.
23 (10) The percentage of each cohort that
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24 achieves a successful outcome for TAP, as deter-
25 mined under section 206(a)(7).
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1 (11) Other criteria the Secretaries and the Ad-
2 ministrator of the Small Business Administration
3 determine appropriate.
4 SEC. 208. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS LOAN FEES.
5 The loan fee table in section 3729(b)(2) of title 38,
6 United States Code, is amended by striking subparagraph
7 (E) and inserting the following:
(E)(i) Interest rate reduc- 0.50 0.50 NA
tion refinancing loan
issued before January 1,
2021
(E)(ii) Interest rate reduc- 0.85 0.85 NA
tion refinancing loan
issued on or after January
1, 2021, and before Janu-
ary 15, 2027
(E)(iii) Interest rate reduc- 0.50 0.50 NA
tion refinancing loan
issued on or after January
15, 2027
Passed the House of Representatives September 23,
2020.
Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON,
Clerk.
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