II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 3284 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a toll-free telephone 

helpline for veterans and other eligible individuals to use to obtain 

information about the benefits and services provided by the Department 

of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 30, 2021 

Ms. ROSEN (for herself and Mrs. FISCHER) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish 

a toll-free telephone helpline for veterans and other eligible individuals to use to obtain information about the 

benefits and services provided by 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 Assistance 

5 Helpline Act of 2021’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. TELEPHONE HELPLINE FOR ASSISTANCE FOR VET2 ERANS AND OTHER ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS. 

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF HELPLINE.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 

5 a toll-free telephone helpline that a covered indi6 vidual may use to obtain information about, or 

7 through which a covered individual may be directed 

8 to, any service or benefit provided under a law ad9 ministered by the Secretary, including any service 

10 provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs in 

11 the area in which the covered individual is located. 

12 (2) CONTRACT FOR DIRECTION OF CALLS AU13 THORIZED.—The Secretary may, in coordination 

14 with the Commission, enter into a contract with an 

15 third-party to direct calls made to the toll-free 

16 helpline established under paragraph (1) to the ap17 propriate person regarding a service or benefit de18 scribed in that paragraph. 

19 (3) LIVE INDIVIDUAL REQUIRED.—The Sec20 retary, in coordination with the Commission, shall 

21 ensure that a covered individual using the telephone 

22 helpline established under paragraph (1) speaks with 

23 a live individual rather than a recording. 

24 (b) STUDY AND REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 

25 one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

26 Secretary shall, in coordination with the Commission— 


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1 (1) complete a study to assess the feasibility 

2 and advisability of designating a covered dialing 

3 code for the purposes of reaching the toll-free tele4 phone helpline established under subsection (a)(1); 

5 and 

6 (2) submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Af7 fairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veteran’s 

8 Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on 

9 the findings of the Commission with respect to the 

10 study completed under subparagraph (A). 

11 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

12 (1) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 

13 means the Federal Communications Commission. 

14 (2) COVERED DIALING CODE.—The term ‘‘cov15 ered dialing code’’ means a simple, easy-to-remem16 ber, 3-digit dialing code. 

17 (3) COVERED INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘‘covered 

18 individual’’ means— 

19 (A) a veteran; 

20 (B) an individual acting on behalf of a vet21 eran; or 

22 (C) an individual, other than a veteran, 

23 who is eligible to receive a benefit or service 

24 under a law administered by the Secretary. 


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1 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

2 the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 

3 (5) VETERAN.—The term ‘‘veteran’’ has the 

4 meaning given the term in section 101 of title 38, 

5 United States Code. 

Æ 


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