SB 609

Under current federal law, the federal Department of Veterans Affairs awards per diem payments to eligible organizations that furnish services to homeless veterans in an amount of up to $82.73 per day per veteran housed.

This bill creates a state matching grant program to provide state matching per diem payments to organizations that, on the date of their grant application, have been awarded federal per diem payments for the upcoming fiscal year. Under the bill, the state Department of Veterans Affairs may approve grants of $25 per day per veteran that may be housed, and must pay the grant awards on a quarterly basis in an amount that equals $25 per day per veteran housed by the eligible entity in the previous quarter.