I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3312 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs to make grants for establishing coordinated networks of services 

and resources for veterans and their families. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 29, 2015 

Ms. ADAMS (for herself, Mr. PITTENGER, Mr. KATKO, and Ms. MENG) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

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

Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make grants for establishing coordinated networks of services and resources 

for veterans and their families. 

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 Benefits Net5 work Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS GRANTS FOR 

2 ESTABLISHING COORDINATED NETWORKS OF 

3 SERVICES AND RESOURCES FOR VETERANS 

4 AND THEIR FAMILIES. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 

6 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 

7 the following new section: 

8 ‘‘§ 533. Grants for establishing coordinated networks 

9 of services and resources for veterans 

10 and their families 

11 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may make a grant 

12 to an eligible entity for the purpose of establishing or ex13 panding a regional technology system to provide an active 

14 database and enrollment system that can be used by a co15 ordinated network of private, public, and non-profit enti16 ties to assist veterans and their family members in apply17 ing for benefits and services offered by such entities that 

18 participate in the network. 

19 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—To be eligible to receive 

20 a grant under this section, an entity shall— 

21 ‘‘(1) be a State or local government, a regional 

22 council of governments, or a private entity; and 

23 ‘‘(2) submit to the Secretary an application 

24 containing— 

25 ‘‘(A) a description of the credentialing sys26 tem the entity intends to use to determine 


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1 which service providers will be eligible for inclu2 sion in the network established using the grant 

3 that ensures such providers meet the require4 ments under subsection (c)(3); and 

5 ‘‘(B) such other information and assur6 ances as the Secretary may require. 

7 ‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.— 

8 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The recipient of a grant 

9 under this section shall use the grant to establish a 

10 coordinated network of private, public, and nonprofit 

11 services and resources, as described in paragraph 

12 (2), for veterans and their families designed to— 

13 ‘‘(A) facilitate awareness and under14 standing of benefits that are available to mem15 bers of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their 

16 family members who are eligible for benefits; 

17 ‘‘(B) use best practices to maximize out18 reach to veterans and family members who are 

19 eligible for benefits; and 

20 ‘‘(C) have the capacity to be replicated at 

21 other locations or regional networks. 

22 ‘‘(2) SERVICES AND RESOURCES.—The services 

23 and resources included in the networks established 

24 using grants under this section may include— 

25 ‘‘(A) education; 


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1 ‘‘(B) employment; 

2 ‘‘(C) family support and recreation; 

3 ‘‘(D) health care; 

4 ‘‘(E) mental health and behavioral coun5 seling; 

6 ‘‘(F) substance abuse counseling; 

7 ‘‘(G) housing; 

8 ‘‘(H) financial assistance; 

9 ‘‘(I) legal assistance; 

10 ‘‘(J) public benefit support; 

11 ‘‘(K) benefits under the laws administered 

12 by the Secretary; and 

13 ‘‘(L) such other services and resources as 

14 the Secretary determines appropriate. 

15 ‘‘(3) CRITERIA FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS.—In 

16 order to be eligible for inclusion in a network estab17 lished using a grant under this section, a service 

18 provider shall— 

19 ‘‘(A) demonstrate the capacity, experience, 

20 and expertise required to participate in the net21 work; and 

22 ‘‘(B) enter into an agreement with the en23 tity that receives the grant that ensures that 

24 the provider will not— 


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1 ‘‘(i) input the personal information of 

2 a veteran or veteran’s family member into 

3 the coordinated network without receiving 

4 the informed consent and authorization of 

5 the veteran or family member; or 

6 ‘‘(ii) use such personal information in 

7 any manner or for any purpose other than 

8 the performance of the services in compli9 ance with the coordinated network. 

10 ‘‘(d) PRIORITY IN AWARDING GRANTS.—In awarding 

11 grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority 

12 to an eligible entity that provides services to individuals 

13 residing in a geographic area where a large number of vet14 erans and members of the Armed Forces reside, as deter15 mined by the Secretary. 

16 ‘‘(e) DEADLINE FOR USE OF FUNDS.—The Secretary 

17 shall provide, as a condition of awarding a grant under 

18 this section to an eligible entity, that the eligible entity 

19 must use the grant before the expiration of the two-year 

20 period that begins on the date on which the eligible entity 

21 receives the grant. If a grant recipient has not used the 

22 grant before the expiration of such period, the Secretary 

23 may recover from the eligible entity the unused amount 

24 of the grant funds. 


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1 ‘‘(f) COST-SHARING.—As a condition on the provision 

2 of funds under this section to an eligible entity, the eligible 

3 entity must agree to contribute an amount, derived from 

4 non-Federal sources, equal to at least 50 percent of the 

5 funds provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to the 

6 eligible entity under this section. 

7 ‘‘(g) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—The Secretary shall 

8 use amounts otherwise made available for the Veterans 

9 Benefits Administration to make grants under this sec10 tion. 

11 ‘‘(h) OUTREACH.—The Secretary shall use the au12 thority of the Secretary to advertise in the national media 

13 under section 532 of this title to inform veterans, members 

14 of the Armed Forces, and their families about the net15 works established using grants under this section. 

16 ‘‘(i) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary shall 

17 submit to Congress an annual report on the administra18 tion of the grant program under this section. Each such 

19 report shall include a description of how grant recipients 

20 used funds awarded under this section.’’. 

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

22 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 

23 after the item relating to section 532 the following new 

24 item: 


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‘‘533. Grants for establishing coordinated networks of services and resources for 

veterans and their families.’’. 

Æ 


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