II 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1205 

To require a pilot program on assisting veterans service organizations and 

other veterans groups in developing and promoting peer support programs that facilitate community reintegration of veterans returning from 

active duty, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 25, 2007 

Mr. SMITH (for himself and Mr. HARKIN) introduced the following bill; which 

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

A BILL 

To require a pilot program on assisting veterans service 

organizations and other veterans groups in developing 

and promoting peer support programs that facilitate 

community reintegration of veterans returning from active duty, 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. PILOT PROGRAM ON ASSISTING VETERANS OR4 GANIZATIONS IN FACILITATING COMMUNITY 

5 REINTEGRATION OF VETERANS. 

6 (a) PROGRAM REQUIRED.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 

2 Affairs shall carry out a pilot program to dem3 onstrate and assess the feasibility and advisability of 

4 delivering community reintegration support and 

5 services to veterans by assisting veterans organiza6 tions in developing and promoting peer support pro7 grams for veterans. 

8 (2) DESIGNATION.—The pilot program required 

9 by paragraph (1) shall be known as the ‘‘Heroes 

10 Helping Heroes Program’’. 

11 (b) DURATION OF PROGRAM.—The pilot program 

12 shall be carried out during the three-year period beginning 

13 on October 1, 2007. 

14 (c) SELECTION OF PILOT PROGRAM PARTICI15 PANTS.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall select 

17 not more than 20 eligible entities to participate in 

18 the pilot program. 

19 (2) APPLICATION.—Each eligible entity seeking 

20 to participate in the pilot program shall submit an 

21 application to the Secretary at such time, in such 

22 manner, and accompanied by such information as 

23 the Secretary shall require. 

24 (3) SELECTION.—The Secretary shall select 

25 participants in the pilot program from among the 


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1 applicants under paragraph (1) that the Secretary 

2 determines— 

3 (A)(i) have existing peer support programs 

4 that can be expanded or enhanced, and re5 sources, for the delivery of community re6 integration support and services to veterans (in7 cluding mentoring programs, self-help groups, 

8 and Internet and other electronic-based peer 

9 support resources) that are suitable for the 

10 pilot program; or 

11 (ii) have the capacity, including the skill 

12 and resources necessary, to develop and main13 tain new peer support programs for the delivery 

14 of community reintegration support and serv15 ices (including mentoring programs, self-help 

16 groups, and Internet and other electronic-based 

17 peer support resources) that are suitable for the 

18 pilot program; and 

19 (B) have a plan to continue such peer sup20 port programs after the pilot program ends. 

21 (d) GRANTS.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 

23 grants to pilot program participants to develop and 

24 promote peer support programs that deliver commu25 nity reintegration support and services for veterans. 


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1 (2) AMOUNT.—The Secretary shall ensure that 

2 the average amount of the grant awarded under 

3 paragraph (1) to a pilot program participant is not 

4 more than $300,000 and not less than $100,000 per 

5 fiscal year. 

6 (3) MATCHING FUNDS.—A recipient of a grant 

7 under paragraph (1) shall contribute towards the de8 velopment and promotion of peer support programs 

9 that deliver community reintegration support and 

10 services to veterans an amount equal to not less 

11 than ten percent of the grant awarded to such re12 cipient. 

13 (4) DURATION.—The duration of any grant 

14 awarded under paragraph (1) may not exceed three 

15 years. 

16 (e) USE OF FUNDS.—A grant awarded to a pilot pro17 gram participant pursuant to subsection (d) shall be used 

18 by the pilot program participant for costs and expenses 

19 connected with the development and promotion of peer 

20 support programs that deliver community reintegration 

21 support and services to veterans, including costs and ex22 penses of the following: 

23 (1) Program staff or a coordinator of volun24 teers, but not more than 50 percent of such grant 


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1 award may be used for such purpose in any fiscal 

2 year of such pilot program. 

3 (2) Consultation services, but not more than 20 

4 percent of such grant award may be used for such 

5 purpose in any fiscal year of such pilot program. 

6 (3) Program operations, including costs and ex7 penses relating to the following: 

8 (A) Advertising and recruiting. 

9 (B) Printing. 

10 (C) Training of volunteers, veterans, and 

11 staff. 

12 (D) Incentives, such as food and awards. 

13 (E) Overhead expenses, but not more than 

14 ten percent of such grant award may be used 

15 for such purposes. 

16 (f) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—In addition to the 

17 award of grants under subsection (d), the Secretary shall 

18 provide technical assistance to pilot program participants 

19 to assist them in developing and promoting peer support 

20 programs that deliver community reintegration support 

21 and services to veterans. 

22 (g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

23 (1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti24 ty’’ means— 

25 (A) a veterans service organization; 


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1 (B) a not-for-profit organization— 

2 (i) the primary mission of which is to 

3 assist veterans; 

4 (ii) that has been in continuous oper5 ation for at least 12 months; and 

6 (iii) is not a veterans service organiza7 tion; or 

8 (C) a partnership between an organization 

9 described in subparagraph (A) or (B) and an 

10 organization that is not described in subpara11 graph (A) or (B). 

12 (2) PILOT PROGRAM PARTICIPANT.—The term 

13 ‘‘pilot program participant’’ means an eligible entity 

14 that is selected by the Secretary, in accordance with 

15 subsection (c), to participate in the pilot program 

16 under this section. 

17 (3) VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATION.—The 

18 term ‘‘veterans service organization’’ means any or19 ganization recognized by the Secretary for the rep20 resentation of veterans under section 5902 of title 

21 38, United States Code. 

22 (h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

23 are authorized to be appropriated to the Department of 


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1 Veterans Affairs to carry out this section, $4,500,000 for 

2 each of fiscal years 2008, 2009, and 2010. 

Æ 


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