The House of Representatives late last night approved two more bills authored by Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Chris Smith (NJ-4) that will expand programs to aid homeless veterans and strengthen legal protections for veterans and servicemembers. 

    "Today’s House approval of H.R. 4248, the Homeless Veterans Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2004, is another step toward reaching the goal of ending chronic homelessness among veterans," said Smith. "This legislation will increase the authorization level for VA’s homeless grant and per diem program from $75 million to $99 million this year.

    The homeless grant and per diem program provides competitive grants to community-based, including faith-based, organizations that offer transitional housing and services for homeless veterans. Smith, who was the prime sponsor of the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Assistance Act of 2001, said that the "VA homeless grant and per diem program has a proven track record of successful outcomes."

    "Sixty-six percent of the veterans discharged from these programs were discharged to either independent housing or residential program housing, and forty-three percent of all treatment episodes were documented as successful," said Smith. "This success rate is the highest combined level of success ever achieved and recorded — and remarkable given the serious psychiatric disorders or substance abuse problems that often challenge recovery from homelessness," he said.

    Smith’s legislation, H.R. 4248, also permanently authorized VA’s sexual trauma counseling program. In 2003, VA reported that more than 31,000 males and 27,000 female veterans responded to relevant screenings, indicating unwanted sexual experiences had occurred during their military service time. 

    The other Smith bill approved by the House was H.R. 4658, the Servicemembers and Veterans Legal Protections Act of 2004. This legislation strengthens the legal protections and job rights provided to veterans and active duty servicemembers.

    "Last year Congress enacted the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, legislation I wrote to help ensure that the men and women serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other fronts in the war on terror, do not suffer negative economic or legal consequences due to their service," Smith said. "This legislation will close potential loopholes, and ensure greater compliance with federal laws designed to protect our servicemembers, both while they are serving, and after they return to civilian life," he said.

    Both bills have gone to the Senate for further consideration. Smith has now had 15 veterans bills pass the House in the past four years, 11 of which been enacted into law to date.