Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Supportive Services for National Guard and Reserve Veterans and Families Act”.
Supportive Services for National Guard and Reserve Veterans and Families Act
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand eligibility for supportive services for very low-income veteran families to include former members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Expansion of supportive services for very low-income veteran families to include former members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces
in the section heading, by striking “veteran” and inserting “eligible”;
in subsection (a)—
in paragraph (1), by striking “veteran families” and inserting “eligible families”;
in paragraph (4), by striking “veteran families” and inserting “eligible families”; and
in paragraph (6), by striking “veteran family” and inserting “eligible family”;
in subsection (b)—
in paragraph (1)—
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking “veteran families” and inserting “eligible families”; and
in subparagraph (D)(vii), by striking “veteran family” and inserting “eligible family”;
in paragraph (2), by striking “veteran families” and inserting “eligible families”; and
in paragraph (3), by striking “veteran families” and inserting “eligible families”;
in subsection (c)(2), by striking “veteran families” each place it appears and inserting “eligible families”;
in subsection (d)(1), by striking “veteran families” and inserting “eligible families”; and
in subsection (f)—
in paragraph (6)(A)—
by striking “very low-income veteran family” and inserting “very low-income eligible family”; and
by striking “a veteran family” and inserting “an eligible family”; and
by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the following:
“(7) The term eligible family includes—
“(A) a veteran who is a single person;
“(B) a family in which the head of household or the spouse of the head of household is a veteran;
“(C) a former member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces who has retired or separated from service after having served a term of enlistment and is a single person; and
“(D) a family in which the head of household or spouse of the head of household is a former member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces who has retired or separated from service after having served a term of enlistment.”
Funding— Subsection (e) of such section, as most recently amended by section 305(a) of the Joseph Maxwell Cleland and Robert Joseph Dole Memorial Veterans Benefits and Health Care Improvement Act of 2022 (division U of Public Law 117–328), is further amended—
by inserting “(1)” before “From amounts”; and
by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
“(2)
“(A) Of amounts available under paragraph (1)(H) for fiscal year 2024, $50,000,000 shall be available to carry out subsections (a), (b), and (c) with respect to eligible families described in subparagraphs (C) and (D) of subsection (f)(7).
“(B) Any amounts made available under subparagraph (A) to carry out subsections (a), (b), and (c) with respect to eligible families described in subparagraphs (C) and (D) of subsection (f)(7) that remain available after supportive services have been provided to such families under this section shall be available during fiscal year 2024 to carry out subsections (a), (b), and (c) with respect to eligible families described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of such subsection.”
Sec. 3 Study on food and housing insecurity experienced by members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces
Report on establishment of study— Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report detailing plans to establish a study to analyze food and housing insecurity experienced by members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces.
Conduct of study— Not later than 120 days after the date on which the report required by subsection (a) is submitted, the Secretary of Defense shall begin conducting the study described in such subsection.
Annual report— Not later than one year after the date on which the report required by subsection (a) is submitted, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report including the findings of the study conducted pursuant to subsection (b).
Reserve component defined— In this section, the term reserve component has the meaning given that term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.