,,ii #aaeth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #bbcj ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,december #ad1 #bjag ,mr4 ,cornyn 7for himself and ,ms4 ,heitkamp7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to require the ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development to improve services for survivors of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,help ,end ,abusive ,living ,situations ,act or the ,,heals ,act4 #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act-- 7#a7 the term domestic violence project means a project administered by a victim service provider designed to meet the needs of survivors of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking2 7#b7 the term homeless has the meaning given the term in section #ajc of the ,mc,kinney-,vento ,homeless ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aacjb72 7#c7 the terms homeless individual with a disability1 permanent housing1 tenant-based1 transitional housing1 and victim service provider have the meanings given those terms in section #dja of the ,mc,kinney-,vento ,homeless ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aacfj72 7#d7 the term rapid re-housing project means supportive services and short- or medium-term tenant-based rental assistance1 as necessary1 to help a homeless individual or family1 with or without a disability1 move as soon as possible into permanent housing and achieve stability in that housing2 and 7#e7 the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development4 #c4 ,strengthening housing resources protections for victims of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 and stalking ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall take the following measures to improve services provided to survivors of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 and stalking3 7#a7 ,equal consideration ,for purposes of scoring applicants in the notice of funding availability for the ,continuum of ,care program authorized under subtitle ,c of title ,,iv of the ,mc,kinney-,vento ,homeless ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aacha et seq47 in any fiscal year1 the ,secretary shall give equal consideration to-- 7,a7 rapid re-housing projects2 7,b7 projects that provide permanent supportive housing2 and 7,c7 domestic violence projects that maximize client choice1 including transitional housing that provide services and help participants to secure permanent housing4 7#b7 ,transitional housing projects 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall authorize any defunded transitional housing project to reapply for funding4 7,b7 ,treatment as rapid re-housing project ,the ,secretary shall consider a program receiving funds under section #djbii of the ,violence ,against ,women ,act of #aiid 7#cd ,u4,s4,c4 #abcea7 to be a rapid re-housing project if the program-- 7i7 provides not less than #f months of housing assistance to survivors2 and 7ii7 meets other criteria established by the ,secretary4 7#c7 ,evaluation ,the ,secretary shall develop-- 7,a7 measurable criteria upon which applicants are evaluated to demonstrate their collaboration with victim service providers to develop local policy priorities focused on survivors of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking1 including survivor-centered coordinated entry processes that appropriately assess and prioritize those survivors and take into account the safety and confidentiality needs of those survivors2 and 7,b7 mechanisms that promote the provision of technical assistance and support for programs to improve outcomes instead of reallocating or not awarding funds4 7#d7 ,research agenda ,the ,secretary shall develop a research agenda that focuses on survivors of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 and stalking and the housing modalities that best support them1 especially the critical safety concerns and the link between trauma and residential stability4 #d4 ,increasing access to safe housing for survivors of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 and stalking ,section #dbg7;b77#a7 of the ,mc,kinney-,vento ,homeless ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aachf;a7b77#a77 is amended-- 7#a7 in subparagraph 7,a7-- 7,a7 by redesignating clauses 7vii7 and 7viii7 as clauses 7viii7 and 7ix71 respectively2 and 7,b7 by inserting after clause 7vi7 the following3 7vii7 success in addressing the safety needs of homeless survivors of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 and stalking2 2 7#b7 in subparagraph 7,b7-- 7,a7 in clause 7iv77,,vi71 by striking and at the end2 7,b7 by redesignating clause 7v7 as clause 7vi72 and 7,c7 by inserting after clause 7iv77,,vi7 the following3 7v7 how the recipient will measure the success of the victim service providers in meeting the housing1 safety1 and trauma needs of victims of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking1 with an explanation of how the recipient will allow flexibility on other metrics that may be impacted by the needs of survivors2 and 2 7#c7 in subparagraph 7,f77ii71 by striking 1 and at the end2 7#d7 by redesignating subparagraph 7,g7 as subparagraph 7,h72 and 7#e7 by inserting after subparagraph 7,f7 the following3 7,g7 success of the recipient in meeting the housing1 safety1 and trauma needs of survivors of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking1 including access to safe housing2 and 4 #e4 ,report to ,congress ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall submit to ,congress a report on-- 7#a7 the trends in allocating resources to address the housing needs of survivors of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 and stalking2 and 7#b7 the increase in the allocation of resources for domestic violence projects beginning after the date of enactment of this ,act4