FUNCTIONS.

SEC. 203. 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, through personnel employed by the Council in each of the 10 standard Federal regions, to States, local governments, and other public and private nonprofit organizations, in order to enable such governments and organizations to— (A) effectively coordinate and maximize resources of existing programs and activities to assist homeless individuals; and (B) develop new and innovative programs and activities to assist homeless individuals; (5) collect and disseminate information relating to homeless individuals; and (6) prepare the annual reports required in subsection (c)(2). (b) Authority.— In carrying out subsection (a), 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. (c) Reports.— (1) Within 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 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 Govern-101 STAT. 488ment 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).