,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #bjja ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,april #a1 #bjai ,mr4 ,stivers 7for himself and ,mr4 ,loebsack7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,financial ,services1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,education and ,labor1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,mc,kinney-,vento ,homeless ,assistance ,act to meet the needs of homeless children1 youth1 and families1 and honor the assessments and priorities of local communities4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,homeless ,children and ,youth ,act of #bjai4 #b4 ,amendments to the ,mc,kinney-,vento ,homeless ,assistance ,act 7a7 ,in general ,the ,mc,kinney-,vento ,homeless ,assistance ,act is amended-- 7#a7 in section #ajc 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aacjb7-- 7,a7 in subsection 7a7-- 7i7 in paragraph 7#e77;,a7-- 7,i7 by striking are sharing and all that follows through charitable organizations12 7,,ii7 by striking #ad days each place such term appears and inserting #cj days2 7,,iii7 in clause 7i71 by inserting or after the semicolon2 7,,iv7 by striking clause 7ii72 and 7,v7 by redesignating clause 7iii7 as clause 7ii72 and 7ii7 by amending paragraph 7#f7 to read as follows3 7#f7 a child or youth defined as homeless under any other ,federal program who1 without further action by the ,department of ,housing and ,urban ,development1 has been verified as homeless under any other ,federal program by the director1 designee of the director1 or other person responsible for the implementation of a program established under this ,act or any other ,federal statute4 2 and 7,b7 by adding at the end the following3 7f7 ,other definitions ,in this section-- 7#a7 the term child or youth defined as homeless under any other ,federal program has the meaning given the term in section #dja2 and 7#b7 the term other ,federal statute has the meaning given the term in section #dja4 7g7 ,rule of construction ,if the ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development promulgates rules1 issues guidance1 or sets forth conditions in any application1 notice of funding availability1 or other publication or advisory regarding the provisions of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall ensure that-- 7#a7 any individual defined as homeless under section #ajc is eligible for any program or program component under this ,act2 and 7#b7 all individuals defined as homeless under subsection 7a7 proposed to be served by an applicant1 and all proposed program components or housing or service models1 are given the same priority1 points1 or weight4 2 7#b7 in section #dja 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aacfj7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a77;,c7-- 7i7 by striking clauses 7ii7 and 7iv72 7ii7 by redesignating clauses 7iii71 7v71 7vi71 and 7vii7 as clauses 7ii71 7iii71 7iv71 and 7v71 respectively2 and 7iii7 by striking the flush text following clause 7v71 as so redesignated2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#b77;,a7-- 7i7 in clause 7i71 by striking and lives and all that follows through shelter and inserting under any provision of section #ajc2 7ii7 in clause 7ii71 by striking and living or residing in a place not meant for human habitation1 a safe haven1 or in an emergency shelter continuously and inserting under any provision of section #ajc2 and 7iii7 in clause 7iii7-- 7,i7 by striking 7or a minor head of household if no adult is present in the household7 and inserting or a minor head of household 7if no adult is present in the household712 7,,ii7 by inserting before the period at the end the following3 1 or has child with a disability1 as such term is defined in section #fjb of the ,individuals with ,disabilities ,education ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #adja71 or an infant or toddler with a disability1 as such term is as defined in section #fcb of such ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #adcb72 7,c7 by striking paragraph 7#g72 7,d7 by redesignating paragraphs 7#b7 through 7#f7 as paragraphs 7#c7 through 7#g71 respectively2 7,e7 by inserting after paragraph 7#a7 the following3 7#b7 ,child or youth defined as homeless under any other ,federal program ,the term child or youth defined as homeless under any other ,federal program means-- 7,a7 a homeless child or youth1 as defined in section #gbe1 including any parent or guardian with whom the child or youth is living2 and 7,b7 a youth who-- 7i7 is not more than #bd years of age2 7ii7 cannot live safely with a parent1 legal guardian1 or relative2 and 7iii7 has no other safe alternative living arrangement4 2 7,f7 in paragraph 7#i77;,a71 by inserting any provision of before section #ajc2 7,g7 by redesignating paragraphs 7#ad7 through 7#cc7 as paragraphs 7#ae7 through 7#cd71 respectively2 7,h7 by inserting after paragraph 7#ac7 the following3 7#ad7 ,other ,federal statute ,the term other ,federal statute includes-- 7,a7 the ,runaway and ,homeless ,youth ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #egja et seq472 7,b7 the ,head ,start ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ihca et seq472 7,c7 the ,child ,care and ,development ,block ,grant of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #iheh et seq472 7,d7 subtitle ,n of the ,violence ,against ,women ,act of #aiid 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #adjdc;e et seq472 7,e7 section #ccj7;h7 of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bed;b7h772 7,f7 section #ag of the ,child ,nutrition ,act of #aiff 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aghf72 7,g7 the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja et seq472 and 7,h7 the ,united ,states ,housing ,act of #aicg 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #adcg et seq474 2 7,i7 in paragraph 7#cb71 as so redesignated1 by inserting children under #e years of age1 youth and young adults between #ad and #bd years of age1 after status1 or age712 7,j7 in paragraph 7#cc71 as so redesignated1 by inserting trafficking1 after victims of2 and 7,k7 in paragraph 7#cd71 as so redesignated-- 7i7 by inserting victims of trafficking1 after assist2 7ii7 by striking stalking victims and inserting stalking2 and 7iii7 by inserting trafficking1 after concerning2 7#c7 in section #djb7;f7 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aacfj;a7f77-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a77;,b71 by inserting considering the prevalence and needs of homeless individuals1 as defined under any provision of section #ajc after involved2 and 7,b7 in paragraph 7#c77;,d7-- 7i7 in clause 7v71 by striking and at the end2 7ii7 by redesignating clause 7vi7 as clause 7vii72 and 7iii7 by inserting after clause 7v7 the following3 7vi7 the submission of ,,hmis data to the ,secretary on at least an annual basis2 and 2 7#d7 by inserting after section #djh 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aacfd7 the following3 #dji4 ,availability of ,,hmis data 7a7 ,in general ,the community-wide homeless management information system 7in this section referred to as ,,hmis7 data provided to the ,secretary under section #djb7;f77#c77;,d77vi7 shall be made publically available on the ,internet website of the ,department of ,housing and ,urban ,development4 7b7 ,required data ,the data publically available under subsection 7a7 shall be updated on at least an annual basis and shall include-- 7#a7 a cumulative count of the number of homeless individuals and families1 as defined under any provision of section #ajc2 7#b7 a cumulative assessment of the patterns of assistance provided under subtitles ,b and ,c for each geographic area involved2 7#c7 a count of the number of homeless individuals and families1 as defined under any provision of section #ajc1 that are documented through the ,,hmis by each collaborative applicant2 and 7#d7 a count of the number of homeless women1 as defined under any provision of section #ajc and both unaccompanied and accompanied1 including a breakout of the count by-- 7,a7 age range2 7,b7 disability2 and 7,c7 length of time experiencing homelessness4 2 7#e7 in section #dbb 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aachb7-- 7,a7 in subsection 7c77#a77;,b71 by striking establish and inserting demonstrate local1 needs-based2 and 7,b7 by striking subsection 7j7 and inserting the following32 7j7 ,rule of construction ,in awarding grants under subsection 7a7 and releasing a notification of funding availability under subsection 7b71 the ,secretary shall-- 7#a7 without further action by the ,department1 ensure that any individual defined as homeless under any provision of section #ajc is eligible for any program or program component under this ,act2 7#b7 ensure that homeless populations proposed to be served by the applicant1 and proposed program components or housing or service models1 are not awarded different priority1 points1 or weight2 and 7#c7 ensure that scoring is based primarily on the extent to which the applicant demonstrates that the project and program components-- 7,a7 would meet the priorities identified in the plan submitted under section #dbg7;b77#a77;,b72 and 7,b7 are cost-effective in meeting the overall goals and objectives identified in that plan4 2 7#f7 in section #dbd7;d7 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aachd7;d771 by striking paragraph 7#e72 7#g7 in section #dbe7;c7 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aache7;c771 by striking and 7,g7 providing and inserting 7,g7 providing transportation to employment1 early care and education programs1 career and technical education programs1 and health and mental health care services1 and 7,h7 providing2 7#h7 in section #dbf7;b7 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aachf7;b77-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#d71 by amending subparagraph 7,d7 to read as follows3 7,d7 in the case of programs providing housing or services to families or youth1 they will designate a staff person to be responsible for ensuring that children and youth being served in the program are-- 7i7 enrolled in school and connected to appropriate services in the community1 including ,head ,start1 part ,c of the ,individuals with ,disabilities ,act1 programs authorized under the ,child ,care and ,development ,block ,grant ,act of #aiij1 career and technical education1 and services provided by local educational agency liaisons designated under subtitle ,b of title ,,vii of this ,act2 and 7ii7 in the case of an unaccompanied youth1 as defined in section #gbe1 informed of their status as an independent student under section #dhj of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajhgvv7 and receive verification of such status for purposes of the ,free ,application for ,federal ,student ,aid described in section #dhc of such ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajij72 and 2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#f71 by inserting the actual compliance with the certifications required under paragraph 7#d7 and after ,secretary2 and 7,c7 in paragraph 7#g7-- 7i7 by inserting and youth after needs of children2 7ii7 by inserting or unaccompanied youth after when families2 7iii7 by inserting and unaccompanied youth after with children2 and 7iv7 by striking such children's and inserting such children and youth's2 7#i7 in section #dbg7;b7 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aachf;a7b77-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a7-- 7i7 in subparagraph 7,a7-- 7,i7 in clause 7vi71 by adding and at the end2 7,,ii7 in clause 7vii71 by striking and at the end2 and 7,,iii7 by striking clause 7viii72 7ii7 in subparagraph 7,b7-- 7,i7 by amending clause 7iii7 to read as follows3 7iii7 how the recipient will collaborate with local educational agencies1 early care and education programs1 and institutions of higher education to assist in the identification of and services to youth and families who become or remain homeless1 including the steps the recipient will take to inform youth and families of their eligibility for services under part ,b of subtitle ,,vii of this ,act1 the ,head ,start ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ihca et seq471 the ,child ,care and ,development ,block ,grant ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #iheh et seq471 and the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja et seq472 2 and 7,,ii7 by striking clause 7v7 and inserting the following3 7v7 how the recipient will ensure the full implementation of the certifications and agreements described in paragraphs 7#d77;,d7 and 7#g7 of section #dbf7;b72 2 7iii7 in subparagraph 7,c77i71 by inserting and appropriate after rapid2 and 7iv7 by striking subparagraphs 7,f7 and 7,g7 and inserting the following3 7,f7 for communities that establish and operate a centralized or coordinated assessment system1 the extent to which that system-- 7i7 ensures that individuals who are most in need of assistance receive it in a timely manner2 7ii7 in assessing need under clause 7i71 uses separate1 specific1 age-appropriate criteria for assessing the safety and needs of children under #e years of age1 school-age children1 unaccompanied youth and young adults between #ad and #bd years of age1 and families that are unrelated to the criteria through which an individual qualifies as homeless under section #ajc2 7iii7 is accessible to unaccompanied youth and homeless families2 7iv7 diverts individuals to safe1 stable1 age-appropriate accommodations2 and 7v7 includes affordable housing developers1 youth service providers1 early childhood programs1 local educational agencies1 and mental health organizations2 and 7,g7 such other factors as the ,secretary determines to be appropriate to carry out this subtitle in an effective and efficient manner1 except that such factors may not have the effect of prioritizing or weighting1 unless justified by local data or information contained in a plan submitted under subparagraph 7,b7-- 7i7 any service with respect to a specific subpopulation of homeless individuals over another2 or 7ii7 any program component or housing or service model over another4 2 and 7,b7 by amending paragraph 7#c7 to read as follows3 7#c7 ,homelessness counts ,the ,secretary shall require that communities that conduct an annual count of homeless people shall count all homeless individuals identified and reported by any program funded under any provision of this ,act or any other ,federal statute 7as such term is defined in section #dja 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aacfj774 2 7#aj7 in section #dbh 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aachf;b7-- 7,a7 in subsection 7a77#a7-- 7i7 by striking disabilities and and inserting disabilities12 and 7ii7 by inserting 1 and homeless families where a child has a disability before the period at the end2 7,b7 in subsection 7d7-- 7i7 in paragraph 7#a71 by inserting promoting before independent2 and 7ii7 by striking paragraphs 7#b7 and 7#c7 and inserting the following3 7#b7 ,prohibition ,the ,secretary shall not provide bonuses or other incentives under paragraph 7#a7 that have the effect of prioritizing or weighting1 unless justified by local data or information contained in a plan submitted under section #dbg7;b77#a77;,b7-- 7,a7 any service with respect to a specific subpopulation of homeless individuals over another2 or 7,b7 any program component or housing or service model over another4 7#c7 ,rule of construction ,for purposes of this subsection1 activities that have been proven to be effective at reducing homelessness generally or reducing homelessness for a specific subpopulation include any activity determined by the ,secretary1 after providing notice and an opportunity for public comment1 to have been proven effective at-- 7,a7 reducing homelessness generally2 7,b7 reducing homelessness for a specific subpopulation2 7,c7 reducing homelessness in a community for populations overrepresented in any counts conducted in that community under section #dbg7;b77#c72 or 7,d7 achieving homeless prevention1 reducing recidivism1 and promoting self-sufficiency and independent living4 7#d7 ,encouraging local success and innovation ,in providing bonuses or incentives under paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary shall seek to encourage the implementation of proven strategies and innovation in reducing homelessness among the local priority populations identified in the plan submitted by an applicant under section #dbg7;b77#a77;,b74 ,the ,secretary shall not implement bonuses or incentives that promote a national priority established by the ,secretary4 2 and 7,c7 by striking subsection 7e72 and 7#aa7 by amending section #dcd 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aachh7 to read as follows3 #dcd4 ,reports to ,congress 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall submit to ,congress an annual report1 which shall-- 7#a7 summarize the activities carried out under this subtitle and set forth the findings1 conclusions1 and recommendations of the ,secretary as a result of the activities2 7#b7 include1 for the year preceding the date on which the report is submitted-- 7,a7 data required to be made publically available in the report under section #dji2 7,b7 data on programs funded under any other ,federal statute2 and 7#c7 provide information on-- 7,a7 the extent to which the data collected under section #dbg7;b77#c7 may be duplicative2 and 7,b7 the policies and practices employed to account for such duplication1 where applicable1 to ensure an accurate point-in-time count4 7b7 ,timing ,a report under subsection 7a7 shall be submitted not later than #d months after the end of each fiscal year4 4 7b7 ,technical and conforming amendment ,the table of contents in section #aja7;b7 of the ,mc,kinney-,vento ,homeless ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aacja note7 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section #djh the following3 ,sec4 #dji4 ,availability of ,,hmis data4 4