Search bills, members, committees and pages...
(3) Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Housing Trust Fund $45,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2034.
209. Racial equity commission
(a) Establishment of commission
(1) In general
There is established a commission to be known as the Commission on Racial Equity in Housing (in this section referred to as the “Commission”) to support the Council with efforts to conduct research into, collect, analyze, and make publicly available data on, and provide leadership and coordination for furthering racial equity in housing, examining the impacts of structural racism on housing and homelessness, and the effectiveness of intervention strategies to address these impacts.(2) Reporting
The Commission shall report to the Executive Director of the Council and work in partnership with employees of the Council.(b) Membership
(1) Composition
The Commission shall be composed of 14 members, who shall be—(A) appointed by the Executive Director of the Council not later than January 1, 2026; and(B) fairly balanced in terms of points of view represented and background experience.(2) Qualifications
Each member of the Commission shall have—(A) proven expertise in directing, assembling, or applying capital resources from a variety of sources to the successful development of affordable housing, assisted living facilities, or health care facilities;(B) lived experience with homelessness; or(C) demonstrated experience in—(i) homeless services, affordable housing, or housing law; and(ii) racial equity work.(3) Co-chairpersons
The Executive Director shall appoint 2 co-chairpersons of the Commission from among the members of the Commission.(4) Vacancies
Any vacancy on the Commission shall not affect its powers and shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made.(5) Prohibition of pay
Members of the Commission shall serve without pay.(6) Travel expenses
Each member of the Commission shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States Code.(7) Quorum
A majority of the members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum but a lesser number may hold hearings.(8) Meetings
The Commission shall meet at the call of the co-chairpersons of the Commission.(c) Director and staff
(1) Director
The Commission shall have a Director who shall be—(A) appointed by the co-chairpersons of the Commission; and(B) paid at a rate not to exceed the rate of basic pay payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United States Code.(2) Staff
The Commission may appoint personnel as appropriate subject to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, and who shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates.(3) Experts and consultants
The Council may procure temporary and intermittent services to support the work of the Commission under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, but at rates for individuals not to exceed the daily equivalent of the maximum annual rate of basic pay payable for the General Schedule.(4) Staff of Federal agencies
Upon request of the Council and the Commission, the head of any Federal department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of that department or agency to the Commission to assist it in carrying out its duties under this section.(d) Duties
The Commission shall—(1) work with the Council to make recommendations, inform, and participate in efforts to conduct research into, collect, analyze, and make publicly available data on, and provide leadership and coordination for furthering racial equity in housing, examining the impacts of structural racism on housing and homelessness, and the effectiveness of intervention strategies to address these impacts; and(2) work with the Council to implement the Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness.(e) Reports
The Council shall submit to Congress, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Attorney General, the Secretary of the Interior, the Chair of the Federal Reserve, the Comptroller of the Currency, the Director of the Office of Thrift Supervision, the Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and such other individuals as the Commission determines relevant an annual report on research findings with recommendations to improve racial equity in housing and to disrupt processes that preserve and reinforce racism and racial disparities in housing and homelessness services.(f) Termination
Section 1013 of title 5, United States Code, shall not apply to the Commission.(g) Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
506B. Library consortium pilot grants
(a) Definitions
In this section:(1) Eligible entity
The term eligible entity means—(A) an eligible library;(B) a library agency that is an official agency of a State or other unit of government and is charged by the law governing it with the extension and development of public library services within its jurisdiction;(C) an eligible library consortium; or(D) a library association that exists on a permanent basis, serves libraries or library professionals on a national, regional, State, or local level, and engages in activities designed to advance the well-being of libraries and the library profession.(2) Eligible library
The term eligible library means—(A) a public library;(B) an elementary or secondary school library;(C) a library that is operated by an institution of higher education;(D) a research library or archive that is not an integral part of an institution of higher education and that makes publicly available library services and materials that are suitable for scholarly research and not otherwise available; or(E) a Tribal library.(3) Eligible library consortium
The term eligible library consortium means a local, statewide, regional, interstate, or international cooperative association of library entities that provides for the systematic and effective coordination of the resources of eligible libraries, and information centers that work to improve the services delivered to the clientele of these libraries.(b) Grant program
From amounts made available under this section for a fiscal year, the Assistant Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to enable those eligible entities to carry out pilot programs to address the needs of homeless individuals or individuals at risk of homelessness.(c) Use of funds
(1) In general
Each eligible entity receiving funds under this section may use such funds to provide programs or resources that address the needs of homeless individuals or individuals at risk of homelessness by—(A) connecting them with resources to help them transition to stable, independent or supported living, through the eligible entity’s own activities or through subgrants to eligible libraries, as appropriate;(B) providing homeless individuals or individuals at risk of homelessness with programs on issues such as health, mortgage or rental assistance, and applying for government benefits; or(C) partnering with other community organizations or the locality’s department of public health for outreach activities and connections to other relevant services.(2) Criteria for subgrants
In awarding a subgrant under this section, an eligible entity shall—(A) require eligible libraries desiring a subgrant to submit an application containing—(i) the estimated number of homeless individuals or individuals at risk of homelessness that will be served under the homelessness-related programs to be funded by the subgrant; and(ii) any other criteria established by the grantee in the application submitted under subsection (d); and(B) give preference to eligible libraries that propose to carry out programs or develop resources that integrate existing Federal or State programs that serve homeless individuals or individuals at risk of homelessness.(d) Application
An eligible entity desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Assistant Secretary may require. Each application shall include—(1) a description of the homelessness-related programs or resources that the eligible entity will support (in accordance with subsection (c)(1)) either through its own activities or through subgrants to eligible libraries;(2) a description of how community or governmental partners will be involved in the homelessness-related programs or resources provided by the eligible entity; and(3) in the case of projects that the eligible entity intends to carry out through subgrants—(A) a description of how the eligible entity will make subgrants, including any priorities or considerations that will be applied in making such subgrants;(B) a description of how the eligible entity will disseminate, in a timely manner, information regarding the subgrants, and the application process for such subgrants;(C) a description of the criteria that the eligible entity will require for the programs carried out by subgrantees with funds awarded by that eligible entity; and(D) an assurance that each eligible library that receives a subgrant will use the funds from that subgrant to provide programs that primarily serve homeless individuals or individuals at risk of homelessness.(e) Consultation
In carrying out this section, the Assistant Secretary—(1) shall consult with the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; and(2) may consult with the Interagency Council on Homelessness or any other appropriate Federal agency or office to help ensure that funds are disbursed and utilized effectively.(f) Reports
Each eligible entity receiving a grant under this section for a fiscal year shall prepare and submit a report to the Assistant Secretary, in such form and containing such information, as the Assistant Secretary may reasonably require to determine the extent to which funds provided under this section have been effective in carrying out the purposes of this section.(g) Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for the first fiscal year beginning after the date of enactment of this section and for each of the 9 succeeding fiscal years thereafter.
(3) Innovation pilot
(A) In general
In addition to eligible projects under paragraphs (1) and (2), funds apportioned to a State under section 104(b)(7) may be used for innovative strategies to reduce transportation emissions, including associated infrastructure improvements that will increase the share of nonmotorized trips and improve the efficiency of existing surface transportation infrastructure to address carbon reduction.(B) Notice
Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary shall provide notice and guidance for interested entities to participate in activities under subparagraph (A).(C) Exclusion
Funds used to carry out a project under subparagraph (A) may not be used on a project that increases net capacity for vehicular travel.
(H) a project or series of projects to reduce transportation emissions, including associated infrastructure improvements to support infill development or transit-oriented development, and to increase nonmotorized trips, subject to the conditions that—(i) the project or series of projects shall directly improve the efficiency of existing surface transportation infrastructure; and(ii) the Federal share for the project or series of projects shall be used to fund only the elements of the project or series that provide public benefits; and