I

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1435

To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award grants to provide

for a national toll-free hotline to provide information and assistance

to veterans.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APRIL 4, 2001

Mrs. CAPPS (for herself, Mr. EVANS, Mr. TOWNS, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of

Texas, Mr. LUTHER, Ms. NORTON, Mr. MOORE, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. ROSS,

Mr. OWENS, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. GONZALEZ,

Ms. MCKINNEY, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. HOLDEN, Ms.

WATERS, Mr. HONDA, Mr. PASCRELL, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mrs.

CHRISTENSEN, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mr. MEEHAN, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr.

MASCARA, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. BOUCHER,

Mr. SHERMAN, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. WYNN, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. MOLLOHAN, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. FILNER, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA,

Mr. COYNE, Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon, Mr. FROST, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia,

Mr. RAHALL, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. WEXLER, Mr.

BECERRA, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Mr. KIND, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. UNDERWOOD, Mr. BERMAN, Ms. BALDWIN, Ms. CARSON of Indiana, Mrs.

TAUSCHER, Mr. STUPAK, Mr. EHRLICH, and Mr. ENGLISH) introduced

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

A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award

grants to provide for a national toll-free hotline to provide information and assistance to veterans.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2

•HR 1435 IH

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans’ Emergency

3 Telephone Service Act of 2001’’.

4 SEC. 2. NATIONAL VETERANS ASSISTANCE HOTLINE

5 GRANT.

6 (a) AUTHORITY TO AWARD GRANTS.—The Secretary

7 of Veterans Affairs may award a grant to a private, non8 profit entity to provide for the operation of a national, toll9 free telephone hotline to provide information and assist10 ance to veterans and their families, including crisis inter11 vention counseling, general information with respect to

12 veterans benefits under title 38, United States Code, refer13 rals to appropriate individuals with expertise in such vet14 erans benefits, and information with respect to the provi15 sion of emergency shelter and food, substance abuse reha16 bilitation, employment training and opportunities, and

17 small business assistance programs.

18 (b) DURATION.—A grant under this section may ex19 tend over a period of not more than two years.

20 (c) ANNUAL APPROVAL.—The provision of payments

21 under a grant under this section shall be subject to annual

22 approval by the Secretary and subject to the availability

23 of appropriations for each fiscal year to make the pay24 ments.

25 (d) ACTIVITIES.—Funds received by an entity under

26 this section shall be used to establish and operate a na-
3

•HR 1435 IH

1 tional, toll-free telephone hotline to provide information

2 and assistance to veterans. In establishing and operating

3 the hotline, a private, nonprofit entity shall—

4 (1) contract with a carrier for the use of a toll5 free telephone line;

6 (2) employ, train, and supervise personnel to

7 answer incoming calls and provide counseling and

8 referral services to callers on a 24-hour-a-day basis;

9 (3) assemble and maintain a current database

10 of information relating to services for veterans to

11 which callers may be referred throughout the United

12 States; and

13 (4) publicize the hotline to potential users

14 throughout the United States.

15 (e) APPLICATION.—A grant may not be made under

16 this section unless an application for such grant has been

17 approved by the Secretary. To be approved by the Sec18 retary under this subsection an application shall—

19 (1) contain such agreements, assurances, and

20 information, be in such form and be submitted in

21 such manner as the Secretary shall prescribe

22 through notice in the Federal Register;

23 (2) include a complete description of the appli24 cant’s plan for the operation of a national veterans

25 assistance hotline grant, including descriptions of—
4

•HR 1435 IH

1 (A) the training program for hotline per2 sonnel;

3 (B) the hiring criteria for hotline per4 sonnel;

5 (C) the methods for the creation, mainte6 nance and updating of a resource database;

7 (D) a plan for publicizing the availability

8 of the hotline;

9 (E) a plan for providing service to non10 English speaking callers, including hotline per11 sonnel who speak Spanish; and

12 (F) a plan for facilitating access to the

13 hotline by persons with hearing impairments;

14 (3) demonstrate that the applicant has nation15 ally recognized expertise in the area of furnishing

16 assistance to veterans and a record of high quality

17 service in furnishing such assistance, including a

18 demonstration of support from advocacy groups,

19 such as Veterans Service Organizations; and

20 (4) contain such other information as the Sec21 retary may require.

22 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be

24 appropriated to carry out this section $2,000,000 for

25 each of fiscal years 2002 and 2003.
5

•HR 1435 IH

1 (2) AVAILABILITY.—Funds authorized to be ap2 propriated under paragraph (1) shall remain avail3 able until expended.

Æ