I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3612

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the outreach activities 

of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 21, 2003

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas (for herself, Mr. FROST, Mr. BELL, 

and Mr. OWENS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the 

outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 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 ‘‘Veterans Outreach Im5 provement Act of 2003’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF OUTREACH. 

7 Section 101 of title 38, United States Code, is 

8 amended by adding at the end the following new para9 graph: 
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1 ‘‘(34) The term ‘outreach’ means the act or process 

2 of reaching out in a systematic manner to proactively pro3 vide information, services, and benefits counseling to vet4 erans, and to the spouses, children, and parents of vet5 erans who may be eligible to receive benefits under the 

6 laws administered by the Secretary, to ensure that such 

7 individuals are fully informed about, and assisted in apply8 ing for, any benefits and programs under such laws.’’. 

9 SEC. 3. AUTHORITIES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR ENHANCE10 MENT OF OUTREACH OF ACTIVITIES DEPART11 MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 5 of title 38, United 

13 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol14 lowing new subchapter: 

15 ‘‘SUBCHAPTER IV—OUTREACH 

16 ‘‘§ 561. Outreach activities: funding 

17 ‘‘(a) The Secretary shall establish a separate account 

18 for the funding of the outreach activities of the Depart19 ment, and shall establish within such account a separate 

20 subaccount for the funding of the outreach activities of 

21 each element of the Department specified in subsection 

22 (c). 

23 ‘‘(b) In the budget justification materials submitted 

24 to Congress in support of the Department budget for any 

25 fiscal year (as submitted with the budget of the President 
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1 under section 1105(a) of title 31), the Secretary shall in2 clude a separate statement of the amount requested for 

3 such fiscal year for activities as follows: 

4 ‘‘(1) For outreach activities of the Department 

5 in aggregate. 

6 ‘‘(2) For outreach activities of each element of 

7 the Department specified in subsection (c). 

8 ‘‘(c) The elements of the Department specified in this 

9 subsection are as follows: 

10 ‘‘(1) The Veterans Health Administration. 

11 ‘‘(2) The Veterans Benefits Administration. 

12 ‘‘(3) The National Cemetery Administration. 

13 ‘‘§ 562. Outreach activities: coordination of activities 

14 within Department 

15 ‘‘(a) The Secretary shall establish and maintain pro16 cedures for ensuring the effective coordination of the out17 reach activities of the Department between and among the 

18 following: 

19 ‘‘(1) The Office of the Secretary. 

20 ‘‘(2) The Office of Public Affairs. 

21 ‘‘(3) The Veterans Health Administration. 

22 ‘‘(4) The Veterans Benefits Administration. 

23 ‘‘(5) The National Cemetery Administration. 

24 ‘‘(b) The Secretary shall—
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1 ‘‘(1) periodically review the procedures main2 tained under subsection (a) for the purpose of ensur3 ing that such procedures meet the requirement in 

4 that subsection; and 

5 ‘‘(2) make such modifications to such proce6 dures as the Secretary considers appropriate in light 

7 of such review in order to better achieve that pur8 pose. 

9 ‘‘§ 563. Outreach activities: cooperative activities 

10 with States; grants to States for improve11 ment of outreach 

12 ‘‘(a) It is the purpose of this section to assist States 

13 in carrying out programs that offer a high probability of 

14 improving outreach and assistance to veterans, and to the 

15 spouses, children, and parents of veterans who may be eli16 gible to receive veterans’ or veterans’-related benefits, to 

17 ensure that such individuals are fully informed about, and 

18 assisted in applying for, any veterans’ and veterans’-re19 lated benefits and programs (including under State vet20 erans’ programs). 

21 ‘‘(b) The Secretary shall ensure that outreach and as22 sistance is provided under programs referred to in sub23 section (a) in locations proximate to populations of vet24 erans and other individuals referred to in that subsection, 
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1 as determined utilizing criteria for determining the prox2 imity of such populations to veterans health care services. 

3 ‘‘(c) The Secretary may enter into cooperative agree4 ments and arrangements with veterans agencies of the 

5 States in order to carry out, coordinate, improve, or other6 wise enhance outreach by the Department and the States 

7 (including outreach with respect to State veterans’ pro8 grams). 

9 ‘‘(d)(1) The Secretary may award grants to veterans 

10 agencies of States in order to achieve purposes as follows: 

11 ‘‘(A) To carry out, coordinate, improve, or oth12 erwise enhance outreach, including activities pursu13 ant to cooperative agreements and arrangements 

14 under subsection (c). 

15 ‘‘(B) To carry out, coordinate, improve, or oth16 erwise enhance activities to assist in the development 

17 and submittal of claims for veterans’ and veterans’-

18 related benefits, including activities pursuant to co19 operative agreements and arrangements under sub20 section (c). 

21 ‘‘(2) A veterans agency of a State receiving a grant 

22 under this subsection may use the grant amount for pur23 poses described in paragraph (1) or award all or any por24 tion of such grant amount to local governments in such 
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1 State, other public entities in such State, or private non2 profit organizations in such State for such purposes. 

3 ‘‘(e) Amounts available for the Department for out4 reach in the account under section 561 of this title shall 

5 be available for activities under this section, including 

6 grants under subsection (d).’’. 

7 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

8 at the beginning of chapter 5 of such title is amended by 

9 adding at the end the following new items:

‘‘SUBCHAPTER IV—OUTREACH 

‘‘561. Outreach activities: funding. 

‘‘562. Outreach activities: coordination of activities within Department. 

‘‘563. Outreach activities: cooperative activities with States; grants to States for 

improvement of outreach.’’.

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