Homeless Veterans Coronavirus Response Act of 2020
Latest action · Jun 4, 2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJun 4, 2020
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
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
- reallocate specified grant funds to provide homeless veterans and veterans participating in the Department of Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program with transportation, assistance required for safety and survival, and communications equipment and services;
- collaborate with organizations to manage use of VA land for homeless veterans for living and sleeping;
- provide a maximum rate, in certain situations, for per diem payments that is three times the rate authorized for state homes for domiciliary care;
- provide amounts for additional transitional housing beds to facilitate access to housing and services provided to homeless veterans; and
- waive certain inspection and safety code requirements to allow grant recipients and therapeutic housing facilities to make adjustments (e.g., facilitating social distancing or isolation needs).
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.
Cosponsors 25
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jun 4, 2020 to Dec 15, 2020, with 21 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-CA | Dianne Feinstein | Original | Jun 4, 2020 |
| R-ID | James E. Risch | Original | Jun 4, 2020 |
| D-NH | Jeanne Shaheen | Original | Jun 4, 2020 |
| R-KS | Jerry Moran | Original | Jun 4, 2020 |
| R-ND | John Hoeven | Original | Jun 4, 2020 |
| D-MT | Jon Tester | Original | Jun 4, 2020 |
| R-IA | Joni Ernst | Original | Jun 4, 2020 |
| R-GA | Kelly Loeffler | Original | Jun 4, 2020 |
| R-ND | Kevin Cramer | Original | Jun 4, 2020 |
| D-NY | Kirsten E. Gillibrand | Original | Jun 4, 2020 |
| D-AZ | Kyrsten Sinema | Original | Jun 4, 2020 |
| D-NH | Margaret Wood Hassan | Original | Jun 4, 2020 |
| R-AZ | Martha McSally | Original | Jun 4, 2020 |
| D-HI | Mazie K. Hirono | Original | Jun 4, 2020 |
| R-ID | Mike Crapo | Original | Jun 4, 2020 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jun 4, 2020Introduced in Senate
- Jun 4, 2020Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 7105 | Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 | Identical bill | Jan 5, 2021 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security.
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Building construction
- Cardiovascular and respiratory health
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Emergency medical services and trauma care
- Food assistance and relief
- Health technology, devices, supplies
- Homelessness and emergency shelter
- Infectious and parasitic diseases
- Internet and video services
- Internet, web applications, social media
- Land use and conservation
- Telephone and wireless communication
- Veterans' loans, housing, homeless programs
- Veterans' medical care
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jun 4, 2020Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.