TITLE 42 - US CODE - SUBCHAPTER II - UNITED STATES INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS

42 USC 11311 - Establishment

There is established in the executive branch an independent establishment to be known as the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness.

42 USC 11312 - Membership

(a) Members
The Council shall be composed of the following members:

(1) The Secretary of Agriculture, or the designee of the Secretary.

(2) The Secretary of Commerce, or the designee of the Secretary.

(3) The Secretary of Defense, or the designee of the Secretary.

(4) The Secretary of Education, or the designee of the Secretary.

(5) The Secretary of Energy, or the designee of the Secretary.

(6) The Secretary of Health and Human Services, or the designee of the Secretary.

(7) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, or the designee of the Secretary.

(8) The Secretary of the Interior, or the designee of the Secretary.

(9) The Secretary of Labor, or the designee of the Secretary.

(10) The Secretary of Transportation, or the designee of the Secretary.

(11) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or the designee of the Secretary.

(12) The Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service, or the designee of the Chief Executive Officer.

(13) The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or the designee of the Administrator.

(14) The Administrator of General Services, or the designee of the Administrator.

(15) The Postmaster General of the United States, or the designee of the Postmaster General.

(16) The heads of such other Federal agencies as the Council considers appropriate, or their designees.

(b) Chairperson
The Council shall elect a Chairperson and a Vice Chairperson from among its members. The positions of Chairperson and Vice Chairperson shall rotate among its members on an annual basis.

(c) Meetings
The Council shall meet at the call of its Chairperson or a majority of its members, but not less often than annually.

(d) Prohibition of additional pay
Members of the Council shall receive no additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their service on the Council.

42 USC 11313 - Functions

(a) Duties
The Council shall

(1) review all Federal activities and programs to assist homeless individuals;

(2) take such actions as may be necessary to reduce duplication among programs and activities by Federal agencies to assist homeless individuals;

(3) monitor, evaluate, and recommend improvements in programs and activities to assist homeless individuals conducted by Federal agencies, State and local governments, and private voluntary organizations;

(4) provide professional and technical assistance (by at least 2, but in no case more than 5, regional coordinators employed by the Council, each having responsibility for interaction and coordination of the activities of the Council within the 10 standard Federal regions) to States, local governments, and other public and private nonprofit">nonprofit organizations, in order to enable such governments and organizations to

(A) interpret regulations and assist in the application process for Federal assistance, including grants;

(B) provide assistance on the ways in which Federal programs, other than those authorized under this chapter, may best be coordinated to complement the objectives of this chapter;

(D) establish a schedule for biennial regional workshops to be held by the Council in each of the 10 standard Federal regions to further carry out and provide the assistance described in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) and other appropriate assistance as necessary, of which

(i) not less than 5 such workshops shall be held by September 30, 1989; and

(ii) at least 1 such workshop shall be held in each of the 10 Federal regions every 2 years, beginning on September 30, 1988;

(5) collect and disseminate information relating to homeless individuals;

(6) prepare the annual reports required in subsection (c)(2) of this section; and

(7) prepare and distribute to States (including State contact persons), local governments, and other public and private nonprofit">nonprofit organizations, a bimonthly bulletin that describes the Federal resources available to them to assist the homeless, including current information regarding application deadlines and appropriate persons to contact in each Federal agency providing the resources.

(b) Authority
In carrying out subsection (a) of this section, the Council may

(1) arrange Federal, regional, State, and local conferences for the purpose of developing and coordinating effective programs and activities to assist homeless individuals; and

(2) publish a newsletter concerning Federal, State, and local programs that are effectively meeting the needs of homeless individuals.

(1) Within 90 days after July 22, 1987, and annually thereafter, the head of each Federal agency that is a member of the Council shall prepare and transmit to the Congress and the Council a report that describes

(A) each program to assist homeless individuals administered by such agency and the number of homeless individuals served by such program;

(B) impediments, including any statutory and regulatory restrictions, to the use by homeless individuals of each such program and to obtaining services or benefits under each such program; and

(C) efforts made by such agency to increase the opportunities for homeless individuals to obtain shelter, food, and supportive services.

(2) The Council shall prepare and transmit to the President and the Congress an annual report that

(A) assesses the nature and extent of the problems relating to homelessness and the needs of homeless individuals;

(B) provides a comprehensive and detailed description of the activities and accomplishments of the Federal Government in resolving the problems and meeting the needs assessed pursuant to subparagraph (A);

(C) describes the accomplishments and activities of the Council, in working with Federal, State, and local agencies and public and private organizations in order to provide assistance to homeless individuals;

(D) assesses the level of Federal assistance necessary to adequately resolve the problems and meet the needs assessed pursuant to subparagraph (A); and

(E) specifies any recommendations of the Council for appropriate and necessary legislative and administrative actions to resolve such problems and meet such needs.

(d) Notification of other Federal agencies
If, in monitoring and evaluating programs and activities to assist homeless individuals conducted by other Federal agencies, the Council determines that any significant problem, abuse, or deficiency exists in the administration of the program or activity of any Federal agency, the Council shall submit a notice of the determination of the Council to the Inspector General of the Federal agency (or the head of the Federal agency, in the case of a Federal agency that has no Inspector General).

(e) Program timetables
Not later than 90 days after November 7, 1988, the head of each Federal agency that is a member of the Council and responsible for administering a program under this chapter shall provide to the Council a timetable regarding program funding availability and application deadlines. The Council shall furnish such information to each State (including the State contact person).

42 USC 11314 - Director and staff

(a) Director
The Council shall appoint an Executive Director, who shall be compensated 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. The Council shall appoint an Executive Director at the first meeting of the Council held under section 11312 (c) of this title.

(b) Additional personnel
With the approval of the Council, the Executive Director of the Council may appoint and fix the compensation of such additional personnel as the Executive Director considers necessary to carry out the duties of the Council.

(c) Details from other agencies
Upon request of the Council, the head of any Federal agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of such agency to the Council to assist the Council in carrying out its duties under this subchapter. Upon request of the Council, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of the Department of Health and Human Services who have served the Federal Task Force on the Homeless of the Department to assist the Council in carrying out its duties under this subchapter.

(d) Administrative support
The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall provide the Council with such administrative and support services as are necessary to ensure that the Council carries out its functions under this subchapter in an efficient and expeditious manner.

(e) Experts and consultants
With the approval of the Council, the Executive Director of the Council may procure temporary and intermittent services under section 3109 (b) of title 5.

42 USC 11315 - Powers

(a) Meetings
For the purpose of carrying out this subchapter, the Council may hold such meetings, and sit and act at such times and places, as the Council considers appropriate.

(b) Delegation
Any member or employee of the Council may, if authorized by the Council, take any action that the Council is authorized to take in this subchapter.

(c) Information
The Council may secure directly from any Federal agency such information as may be necessary to enable the Council to carry out this subchapter. Upon request of the Chairperson of the Council, the head of such agency shall furnish such information to the Council.

(d) Donations
The Council may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or donations of services or property.

(e) Mails
The Council may use the United States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other Federal agencies.

42 USC 11316 - Transfer of functions

(a) Transfers from HHS Task Force
The Council shall be the successor to the Federal Task Force on the Homeless of the Department of Health and Human Services. The property, records, and undistributed program funds of the Task Force shall be transferred to the Council.

(b) Termination of HHS Task Force
The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall terminate the Federal Task Force on the Homeless of the Department of Health and Human Services as soon as practicable following the first meeting of the Council.

42 USC 11317 - Definitions

For purposes of this subchapter:

(1) The term Council means the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness established in section 11311 of this title.

(2) The term Federal agency has the meaning given the term agency in section 551 (1) of title 5.

42 USC 11318 - Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subchapter $1,500,000 for fiscal year 1993 and $1,563,000 for fiscal year 1994.

42 USC 11319 - Termination

The Council shall cease to exist, and the requirements of this subchapter shall terminate, on October 1, 2008.

42 USC 11320 - Encouragement of State involvement

(a) State contact persons
Each State shall designate an individual to serve as a State contact person for the purpose of receiving and disseminating information and communications received from the Council, including the bimonthly bulletin described in section 11313 (a)(7) of this title.

(b) State interagency councils and lead agencies
Each State is encouraged to establish a State interagency council on the homeless or designate a lead agency for the State for the purpose of assuming primary responsibility for coordinating and interacting with the Council and State and local agencies as necessary.