A bill to improve the point-in-time count conducted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and for other purposes.

This bill amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to significantly improve the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) annual point-in-time (PIT) count of homeless individuals. It mandates that recipients conduct an annual PIT count during the last 10 days of April, utilizing a community-wide Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) for standardized client-level data collection. The legislation also authorizes recipients to conduct supplemental counts at other times without requiring Secretary approval, providing greater flexibility. Furthermore, it directs HUD to offer technical assistance and training in HMIS integration to rural or resource-limited continuums of care, ensuring broader compliance and data quality. To enhance ongoing data collection, the bill requires recipients to maintain up-to-date HMIS data year-round regarding participation in homelessness assistance projects. It also introduces a new requirement for collecting midpoint HMIS data between annual counts, which aims to track seasonal trends and inform program planning. The Secretary is mandated to establish standardized HMIS reporting requirements and submit an annual report to Congress on compliance, technical assistance, and improvements in data consistency and quality. Additionally, the legislation directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study within one year, providing recommendations to modernize the PIT count for greater accuracy, including standardizing collection methodologies and improving data collection and reporting processes.