Title 38 — Veterans' BenefitsRelease 119-73
§2066 Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans
Title 38 › Part PART II— - GENERAL BENEFITS › Chapter CHAPTER 20— - BENEFITS FOR HOMELESS VETERANS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER VII— - OTHER PROVISIONS › § 2066
Summary
Creates an Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans inside the Department. The Secretary picks up to 15 members from groups like veterans service organizations, advocates, community service providers, formerly homeless veterans, state veterans officials, and experts in mental health, substance use, housing, and vocational rehab, plus others the Secretary chooses. The committee also includes as non-voting members (or their reps) the Secretaries of Labor, Defense, Health and Human Services, and Housing and Urban Development, the Executive Director of the Interagency Council on Homelessness, and the Department’s Under Secretaries for Health and for Benefits. Members serve without pay for terms up to three years and may get travel pay. The Secretary must ask the committee for regular advice on services and benefits for homeless veterans. The committee must gather information on veterans’ needs, check how well Department programs work, spot gaps in services and data, find legal or policy barriers to working with other agencies, suggest ways to work with outside groups, and recommend funding and placement options for veterans who need special care. The committee must send a written report to the Secretary by March 31 each year with its needs assessment, program review, activities, and recommendations. The Secretary must send that report to the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees within 90 days, with any comments. The committee can send other reports, and the Secretary must include a summary of the committee’s reports in the Department’s annual report to Congress. The committee ends on September 30, 2026.
Full Legal Text
Title 38, §2066
Veterans' Benefits — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)(1)There is established in the Department the Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans (hereinafter in this section referred to as the “Committee”).
(2)The Committee shall consist of not more than 15 members appointed by the Secretary from among the following:
(A)Veterans service organizations.
(B)Advocates of homeless veterans and other homeless individuals.
(C)Community-based providers of services to homeless individuals.
(D)Previously homeless veterans.
(E)State veterans affairs officials.
(F)Experts in the treatment of individuals with mental illness.
(G)Experts in the treatment of substance use disorders.
(H)Experts in the development of permanent housing alternatives for lower income populations.
(I)Experts in vocational rehabilitation.
(J)Such other organizations or groups as the Secretary considers appropriate.
(3)The Committee shall include, as ex officio members, the following:
(A)The Secretary of Labor (or a representative of the Secretary selected after consultation with the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment).
(B)The Secretary of Defense (or a representative of the Secretary).
(C)The Secretary of Health and Human Services (or a representative of the Secretary).
(D)The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (or a representative of the Secretary).
(E)The Executive Director of the Interagency Council on Homelessness (or a representative of the Executive Director).
(F)The Under Secretary for Health (or a representative of the Under Secretary after consultation with the Director of the Office of Homeless Veterans Programs).
(G)The Under Secretary for Benefits (or a representative of the Under Secretary after consultation with the Director of the Office of Homeless Veterans Programs).
(4)(A)The Secretary shall determine the terms of service and allowances of the members of the Committee, except that a term of service may not exceed three years. The Secretary may reappoint any member for additional terms of service.
(B)Members of the Committee shall serve without pay. Members may receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence for travel in connection with their duties as members of the Committee.
(b)(1)The Secretary shall consult with and seek the advice of the Committee on a regular basis with respect to the provision by the Department of benefits and services to homeless veterans.
(2)In providing advice to the Secretary under this subsection, the Committee shall—
(A)assemble and review information relating to the needs of homeless veterans;
(B)provide an on-going assessment of the effectiveness of the policies, organizational structures, and services of the Department in assisting homeless veterans; and
(C)provide on-going advice on the most appropriate means of providing assistance to homeless veterans.
(3)The Committee shall—
(A)review the continuum of services provided by the Department directly or by contract in order to define cross-cutting issues and to improve coordination of all services with the Department that are involved in addressing the special needs of homeless veterans;
(B)identify (through the annual assessments under section 2034 of this title and other available resources) gaps in programs of the Department in serving homeless veterans, including identification of geographic areas with unmet needs, and provide recommendations to address those gaps;
(C)identify gaps in existing information systems on homeless veterans, both within and outside the Department, and provide recommendations about redressing problems in data collection;
(D)identify barriers under existing laws and policies to effective coordination by the Department with other Federal agencies and with State and local agencies addressing homeless populations;
(E)identify opportunities for increased liaison by the Department with nongovernmental organizations and individual groups providing services to homeless populations;
(F)with appropriate officials of the Department designated by the Secretary, participate with the Interagency Council on the Homeless under title II of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11311 et seq.);
(G)recommend appropriate funding levels for specialized programs for homeless veterans provided or funded by the Department;
(H)recommend appropriate placement options for veterans who, because of advanced age, frailty, or severe mental illness, may not be appropriate candidates for vocational rehabilitation or independent living; and
(I)perform such other functions as the Secretary may direct.
(c)(1)Not later than March 31 of each year, the Committee shall submit to the Secretary a report on the programs and activities of the Department that relate to homeless veterans. Each such report shall include—
(A)an assessment of the needs of homeless veterans;
(B)a review of the programs and activities of the Department designed to meet such needs;
(C)a review of the activities of the Committee; and
(D)such recommendations (including recommendations for administrative and legislative action) as the Committee considers appropriate.
(2)Not later than 90 days after the receipt of a report under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall transmit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a copy of the report, together with any comments and recommendations concerning the report that the Secretary considers appropriate.
(3)The Committee may also submit to the Secretary such other reports and recommendations as the Committee considers appropriate.
(4)The Secretary shall submit with each annual report submitted to the Congress pursuant to section 529 of this title a summary of all reports and recommendations of the Committee submitted to the Secretary since the previous annual report of the Secretary submitted pursuant to that section.
(d)The Committee shall cease to exist September 30, 2026.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(3)(F), is Pub. L. 100–77, July 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 482. Title II of the Act is classified generally to subchapter II (§ 11311 et seq.) of chapter 119 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 11301 of Title 42 and Tables.
Amendments
2022—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 117–180 substituted “
September 30, 2026” for “
September 30, 2022”. 2018—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 115–251 substituted “
September 30, 2022” for “
September 30, 2018”. 2017—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 115–62 substituted “
September 30, 2018” for “
December 31, 2017”. 2016—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 114–228 substituted “
December 31, 2017” for “
December 31, 2016”. 2015—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 114–58 substituted “
December 31, 2016” for “
December 31, 2015”. 2014—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 113–175 substituted “
December 31, 2015” for “
December 31, 2014”. 2013—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 113–59 substituted “
December 31, 2014” for “
December 31, 2013”. 2012—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 112–191 substituted “
December 31, 2013” for “
December 31, 2012”. 2011—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 112–37 substituted “
December 31, 2012” for “
December 30, 2011”. 2006—Subsec. (a)(3)(E) to (G). Pub. L. 109–461, § 709(a), added subpars. (E) to (G). Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 109–461, § 1006(b), provided that as of the enactment of Pub. L. 109–461, the
Amendments
made by Pub. L. 109–444 were deemed for all purposes not to have taken effect and that Pub. L. 109–444 ceased to be in effect. See Amendment notes below and section 1006(b) of Pub. L. 109–461, set out as a Coordination of Provisions With Pub. L. 109–444 note under section 101 of this title. Pub. L. 109–461, § 709(b), substituted “
December 30, 2011” for “
December 31, 2006”. Pub. L. 109–444, which substituted “
December 31, 2007” for “
December 31, 2006”, was terminated by Pub. L. 109–461, § 1006(b). See Amendment notes above.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Change of Name
Interagency Council on the Homeless changed to United States Interagency Council on Homelessness by Pub. L. 108–199, div. G, title II, § 216, Jan. 23, 2004, 118 Stat. 394.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
38 U.S.C. § 2066
Title 38 — Veterans' Benefits
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73