,,ii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #afbd ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,may #bb1 #bjai,mr4 ,cornyn 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,mrs4 ,feinstein1 and ,mr4 ,scott of ,south ,carolina7 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 stalking and their families4 #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 terms dating violence1 domestic violence1 sexual assault1 and stalking have the meanings given those terms in section #djjjb7;a7 of the ,violence ,against ,women ,act of #aiid 7#cd ,u4,s4,c4 #abbia7;a772 7#b7 the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development2 7#c7 the term victim service provider has the meaning given the term in section #dja of the ,mc,kinney-,vento ,homeless ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aacfj72 and 7#d7 the term victim service provider 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 stalking and their families4 #c4 ,strengthening housing resources protections for survivors of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking 7a7 ,notice of funding availability ,subtitle ,c of title ,,iv of the ,mc,kinney-,vento ,homeless ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aacfj et seq47 is amended-- 7#a7 in section #dbb 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aachb7-- 7,a7 in subsection 7a7-- 7i7 by striking ,the ,secretary and inserting the following3 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary 2 and 7ii7 by adding at the end the following3 7#b7 ,scoring ,for purposes of scoring applicants in the notice of funding availability1 the ,secretary shall neither prioritize nor deprioritize the following categories of projects solely on the basis of the category3 7,a7 ,rapid re-housing4 7,b7 ,permanent supportive housing4 7,c7 ,transitional housing4 7,d7 ,short-term emergency shelter4 2 and 7#b7 in section #dbh7;d77#b7 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aachf;b7d77#b77-- 7,a7 in subparagraph 7,b71 by striking and at the end2 7,b7 by redesignating subparagraph 7,c7 as subparagraph 7,d72 and 7,c7 by inserting after subparagraph 7,b7 the following3 7,c7 transitional housing for various populations1 including1 for survivors of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking and their families1 projects providing transitional or permanent housing that provide trauma-informed services1 maximize client choice1 and address the special needs of those survivors2 and 4 7b7 ,strategic plan ,in the next strategic plan required after the date of enactment of this ,act under section #cjf of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 the ,secretary shall include as a goal or objective-- 7#a7 responding1 including allocating appropriate resources1 to the housing needs of survivors of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking and their families2 and 7#b7 collaborating with the ,office of ,violence ,against ,women of the ,department of ,justice to ensure that there is no conflict between the rapid re-housing requirements of that ,office and of the ,department of ,housing and ,urban ,development4 7c7 ,evaluation ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall develop-- 7#a7 in accordance with the selection criteria under section #dbg7;b77#a7 of the ,mc,kinney-,vento ,homeless ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aachf;a7b77#a771 as amended by section #d1 measurable criteria upon which applicants for a grant under section subtitle ,c of title ,,iv of that ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aacha et seq47 are evaluated to demonstrate their local policy priorities focused on survivors of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking and their families1 including survivor-centered coordinated entry processes that appropriately assess and prioritize those survivors and take into account the safety and confidentiality needs of those survivors and their families2 and 7#b7 mechanisms that promote the provision of technical assistance and support for programs to improve outcomes and maintain grant funding4 7d7 ,research agenda ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall develop a research agenda that-- 7#a7 works and collaborates with the ,family ,violence ,prevention and ,services ,program of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services and the ,office of ,violence ,against ,women of the ,department of ,justice2 and 7#b7 focuses on survivors of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking and their families1 concentrating on the housing modalities that best support them and the mechanisms that best facilitate their efforts to secure housing1 while also paying attention to the critical safety concerns and the link between trauma and residential stability4 #d4 ,increasing access to safe shelter for survivors of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking ,section #dbg of the ,mc,kinney-,vento ,homeless ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aachf;a77 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7b77#a7-- 7,a7 in subparagraph 7,b77iv77,i71 by inserting 1 including survivors of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking and their families after subpopulations2 7,b7 in subparagraph 7,c7-- 7i7 in clause 7iii71 by striking and at the end2 7ii7 in clause 7iv71 by adding and at the end2 and 7iii7 by adding at the end the following3 7v7 meets the safety and trauma needs of survivors of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking and their families1 including access to safe shelter2 2 7,c7 in subparagraph 7,f77ii71 by striking 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 the extent to which the assistance to be provided within the geographic area will meet the safety and trauma needs of survivors of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking and their families1 including access to safe shelter2 and 2 and 7#b7 by adding at the end the following3 7d7 ,equal consideration of transitional housing projects ,in awarding funds to recipients under this subtitle1 the ,secretary shall consider transitional housing projects on an even basis with any other project of a qualified applicant4 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 beginning after the date of enactment of the ,homeless ,emergency ,assistance and ,rapid ,transition to ,housing ,act of #bjji 7,public ,law #aaa-bb2 #abc ,stat4 #affc7 to address the housing needs of survivors of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking and their families2 and 7#b7 the increase in the effectiveness of those resources for promoting self-sufficiency and assisting survivors in finding employment beginning after the date of enactment of this ,act4