I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5324 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program 

on information sharing between the Department of Veterans Affairs 

and designated relatives and friends of veterans regarding the assistance 

and benefits available to the veterans, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 5, 2019 

Mr. PETERS (for himself, Mr. BANKS, Mrs. DAVIS of California, and Mr. 

CISNEROS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 

a pilot program on information sharing between the Department of Veterans Affairs and designated relatives 

and friends of veterans regarding the assistance and 

benefits available to the veterans, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Sergeant Daniel 

5 Somers Veterans Network of Support Act of 2019’’. 

2 

•HR 5324 IH

1 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON INFORMATION SHARING BE2 TWEEN DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 

3 AND DESIGNATED RELATIVES AND FRIENDS 

4 OF VETERANS REGARDING THE ASSISTANCE 

5 AND BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO THE VET6 ERANS. 

7 (a) PILOT PROGRAM REQUIRED.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 

9 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec10 retary of Veterans Affairs shall commence carrying 

11 out a pilot program— 

12 (A) to encourage members of the Armed 

13 Forces who are transitioning from service in the 

14 Armed Forces to civilian life, before separating 

15 from such service, to designate up to 10 per16 sons to whom information regarding the assist17 ance and benefits available to the veterans 

18 under laws administered by the Secretary shall 

19 be disseminated using the contact information 

20 obtained under paragraph (7); and 

21 (B) provides such persons, within 30 days 

22 after the date on which such persons are des23 ignated under subparagraph (A), the option to 

24 elect to receive such information. 

25 (2) DURATION.—The Secretary shall carry out 

26 the pilot program during a period beginning on the 

3 

•HR 5324 IH

1 date of the commencement of the pilot program that 

2 is not less than two years. 

3 (3) DISSEMINATION.—The Secretary shall dis4 seminate information described in paragraph (1)(A) 

5 under the pilot program no less than quarterly. 

6 (4) TYPES OF INFORMATION.—The types of in7 formation to be disseminated under the pilot pro8 gram to persons who elect to receive such informa9 tion shall include information regarding the fol10 lowing: 

11 (A) Services and benefits offered to vet12 erans and their family members by the Depart13 ment of Veterans Affairs. 

14 (B) Challenges and stresses that might ac15 company transitioning from service in the 

16 Armed Forces to civilian life. 

17 (C) Services available to veterans and their 

18 family members to cope with the experiences 

19 and challenges of service in the Armed Forces 

20 and transition from such service to civilian life. 

21 (D) Services available through community 

22 partner organizations to support veterans and 

23 their family members. 

4 

•HR 5324 IH

1 (E) Services available through Federal, 

2 State, and local government agencies to support 

3 veterans and their family members. 

4 (F) The environmental health registry pro5 gram, health and wellness programs, and re6 sources for preventing and managing diseases 

7 and illnesses. 

8 (G) A toll-free telephone number through 

9 which such persons who elect to receive infor10 mation under the pilot program may request in11 formation regarding the program. 

12 (H) Such other matters as the Secretary, 

13 in consultation with members of the Armed 

14 Forces and such persons who elect to receive in15 formation under the pilot program, determines 

16 to be appropriate. 

17 (5) PRIVACY OF INFORMATION.—In carrying 

18 out the pilot program, the Secretary may not dis19 seminate information under paragraph (4) in viola20 tion of laws and regulations pertaining to the pri21 vacy of members of the Armed Forces, including re22 quirements pursuant to— 

23 (A) section 552a of title 5, United States 

24 Code; and 

5 

•HR 5324 IH

1 (B) the Health Insurance Portability and 

2 Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law 104– 

3 191). 

4 (6) NOTICE AND MODIFICATIONS.—In carrying 

5 out the pilot program, the Secretary shall, with re6 spect to a veteran— 

7 (A) ensure that such veteran is notified of 

8 the ability to modify designations made by such 

9 veteran under paragraph (1)(A); and 

10 (B) upon the request of a veteran, author11 ize such veteran to modify such designations at 

12 any time. 

13 (7) CONTACT INFORMATION.—In making a des14 ignation under the pilot program, a veteran shall 

15 provide necessary contact information, specifically 

16 including an email address, to facilitate the dissemi17 nation of information regarding the assistance and 

18 benefits available to the veteran under laws adminis19 tered by the Secretary. 

20 (8) OPT-IN AND OPT-OUT OF PILOT PRO21 GRAM.— 

22 (A) OPT-IN BY MEMBERS.—A veteran may 

23 participate in the pilot program only if the vet24 eran voluntarily elects to participate in the pro25 gram. A veteran seeking to make such an elecVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:45 Dec 11, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5324.IH H5324
6 

•HR 5324 IH

1 tion shall make such election in a manner, and 

2 by including such information, as the Secretary 

3 shall specify for purposes of the pilot program. 

4 (B) OPT-IN BY DESIGNATED RECIPI5 ENTS.—A person designated pursuant to para6 graph (1)(A) may receive information under the 

7 pilot program only if the person makes the elec8 tion described in paragraph (1)(B). 

9 (C) OPT-OUT.—In carrying out the pilot 

10 program, the Secretary shall, with respect to a 

11 person who has elected to receive information 

12 under such pilot program, cease disseminating 

13 such information to that person upon request of 

14 such person. 

15 (b) SURVEY AND REPORT ON PILOT PROGRAM.— 

16 (1) SURVEY.— 

17 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 

18 after the date of the commencement of the pilot 

19 program and not less frequently than once each 

20 year thereafter for the duration of the pilot pro21 gram, the Secretary shall administer a survey 

22 to persons who elected to receive information 

23 under the pilot program for the purpose of re24 ceiving feedback regarding the quality of infor25 mation disseminated under this section. 

7 

•HR 5324 IH

1 (B) ELEMENTS.—Each survey conducted 

2 under subparagraph (A) shall include solicita3 tion of the following: 

4 (i) Feedback on the following: 

5 (I) The nature of information 

6 disseminated under the pilot program. 

7 (II) Satisfaction with the pilot 

8 program. 

9 (III) The utility of the pilot pro10 gram. 

11 (IV) Overall pilot program suc12 cesses and challenges. 

13 (ii) Recommendations for improving 

14 the pilot program. 

15 (iii) Reasons for opting in or out of 

16 the pilot program. 

17 (iv) Such other feedback or matters as 

18 the Secretary considers appropriate. 

19 (2) REPORT.— 

20 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than three 

21 years after the date on which the pilot program 

22 commences, the Secretary shall submit to the 

23 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate 

24 and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

8 

•HR 5324 IH

1 House of Representatives a final report on the 

2 pilot program. 

3 (B) CONTENTS.—The report submitted 

4 under subparagraph (A) shall include the fol5 lowing: 

6 (i) The results of the survey adminis7 tered under paragraph (1). 

8 (ii) The number of participants en9 rolled in the pilot program who are vet10 erans. 

11 (iii) The number of persons des12 ignated under subsection (a)(1)(A). 

13 (iv) The number of such persons who 

14 opted in or out of the pilot program under 

15 subsection (a)(8). 

16 (v) The average period such persons 

17 remained in the pilot program. 

18 (vi) An assessment of the feasibility 

19 and advisability of making the pilot pro20 gram permanent. 

21 (vii) Identification of legislative or ad22 ministrative action that may be necessary 

23 if the pilot program is made permanent. 

9 

•HR 5324 IH

1 (viii) A plan to expand the pilot pro2 gram if the pilot program is made perma3 nent. 

4 (ix) If the Secretary finds under 

5 clause (vi) that making the pilot program 

6 permanent is not feasible or advisable, a 

7 justification for such finding. 

Æ