II 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1569 

To establish a pilot program on the provision of legal services to assist 

veterans and members of the Armed Forces receive health care, benefits 

and services, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 7, 2007 

Mr. FEINGOLD introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To establish a pilot program on the provision of legal services 

to assist veterans and members of the Armed Forces 

receive health care, benefits and services, 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 Advocacy Act 

5 of 2007’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON PROVISION OF LEGAL ASSIST2 ANCE TO ASSIST VETERANS AND MEMBERS 

3 OF THE ARMED FORCES RECEIVE HEALTH 

4 CARE, BENEFITS, AND SERVICES. 

5 (a) PILOT PROGRAM REQUIRED.— 

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

7 Affairs shall carry out a pilot program to assess the 

8 feasibility and advisability of utilizing eligible enti9 ties to provide legal services to assist veterans and 

10 members of the Armed Forces in applying for and 

11 receiving health care, benefits, and services. 

12 (2) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary of Vet13 erans Affairs shall carry out the pilot program in 

14 consultation with the Secretary of Defense. 

15 (b) GRANTS.— 

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

17 Affairs shall carry out the pilot program through the 

18 award of grants to eligible entities selected by the 

19 panel established in accordance with subsection 

20 (d)(1) for— 

21 (A) the provision of legal services at no 

22 cost to members of the Armed Forces and vet23 erans as described in subsection (a)(1); or 

24 (B) the provision of legal training to attor25 neys of eligible entities on the health and bene26 fits programs of the Department of Defense 


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1 and the Department of Veterans Affairs to fa2 cilitate the provision of legal services described 

3 in subsection (a)(1). 

4 (2) AWARDING GRANTS.—Grants under this 

5 subsection shall be awarded to eligible entities se6 lected pursuant to subsection (d) not later than 180 

7 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

8 (3) NUMBER OF GRANTS.— 

9 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

10 award 10 grants under the pilot program. 

11 (B) STATE-DESIGNATED PROTECTION AND

12 ADVOCACY SYSTEMS.—Not less than five of the 

13 grants awarded under the pilot program shall 

14 be awarded to State-designated protection and 

15 advocacy systems. 

16 (4) GRANT AMOUNT.—The amount of each 

17 grant awarded under the pilot program shall be de18 termined by the selection panel described in sub19 section (d)(1), except that each such grant may not 

20 be awarded in an amount that— 

21 (A) exceeds $100,000; or 

22 (B) is less than $25,000. 

23 (5) DURATION.—The duration of any grant 

24 awarded under the pilot program may not exceed 

25 one year. 


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1 (6) AVOIDANCE OF FRIVOLOUS BENEFIT

2 CLAIMS.—An eligible entity that receives a grant 

3 under this subsection shall make reasonable efforts 

4 to avoid representing veterans and members of the 

5 Armed Forces with respect to frivolous benefits 

6 claims. 

7 (c) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—For purposes of this sub8 section, an eligible entity is any entity or organization, in9 cluding a State-designated protection and advocacy sys10 tems, that— 

11 (1) is not part of the Department of Veterans 

12 Affairs or the Department of Defense; and 

13 (2) provides legal services by licensed attorneys 

14 with experience assisting veterans, members of the 

15 Armed Forces, or persons with disabilities. 

16 (d) SELECTION OF GRANT RECIPIENTS.— 

17 (1) SELECTION BY PANEL.— 

18 (A) IN GENERAL.—Each application sub19 mitted under paragraph (2) shall be evaluated 

20 by a panel appointed by the Secretary for pur21 poses of the pilot program. The panel shall se22 lect eligible entities for receipt of grants under 

23 subsection (b) from among the applications so 

24 evaluated. 


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1 (B) MEMBERSHIP OF PANEL.—Members of 

2 the panel shall be appointed in equal numbers 

3 from among individuals as follows: 

4 (i) Officers and employees of the De5 partment of Veterans Affairs. 

6 (ii) With the approval of the Secretary 

7 of Defense, officers and employees of the 

8 Department of Defense. 

9 (iii) Representatives of veterans serv10 ice organizations. 

11 (iv) Representatives of organizations 

12 that provide services to members of the 

13 Armed Forces. 

14 (v) Attorneys that represent veterans. 

15 (vi) Attorneys employed by a State16 designated protection and advocacy system. 

17 (2) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity seeking a 

18 grant under the pilot program shall submit to the 

19 Secretary of Veterans Affairs an application therefor 

20 in such form and in such manner as the Secretary 

21 considers appropriate. 

22 (3) ELEMENTS.—Each application submitted 

23 under paragraph (2) shall include the following: 


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1 (A) In the case of an eligible entity apply2 ing for a grant under subsection (b)(1)(A), the 

3 following: 

4 (i) A description of the population of 

5 members of the Armed Forces and vet6 erans to be provided assistance. 

7 (ii) A description of the outreach to 

8 be conducted by the eligible entity con9 cerned to notify members of the Armed 

10 Forces and veterans of the availability of 

11 such assistance. 

12 (B) In the case of an eligible entity apply13 ing for a grant under subsection (b)(1)(B), the 

14 following: 

15 (i) A description of the population of 

16 attorneys to be provided training. 

17 (ii) A description of the outreach to 

18 be conducted by the eligible entity con19 cerned to notify attorneys of the avail20 ability of such training. 

21 (C) In the case of an eligible entity apply22 ing for a grant under subparagraphs (A) and 

23 (B) of subsection (b)(1), the elements described 

24 in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this para25 graph. 


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1 (e) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 

2 described in subsection (b)(2), the Secretary of Veterans 

3 Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

4 of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 

5 the House of Representatives a report on the pilot pro6 gram required by subsection (a), including the following: 

7 (1) The number of veterans and members of 

8 the Armed Forces that received assistance or serv9 ices from such pilot program. 

10 (2) A description of the assistance and services 

11 provided as part of such pilot program. 

12 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

13 (1) STATE-DESIGNATED PROTECTION AND AD14 VOCACY SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘State-designated pro15 tection and advocacy system’’ means a system estab16 lished in a State to protect the legal and human 

17 rights of individuals with developmental disabilities 

18 in accordance with subtitle C of the Developmental 

19 Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 

20 2000 (42 U.S.C. 15041 et seq.). 

21 (2) VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATION.—The 

22 term ‘‘veterans service organization’’ means any or23 ganization organized by the Secretary of Veterans 

24 Affairs for the representation of veterans under sec25 tion 5902 of title 38, United States Code. 


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1 (g) FUNDING.—Of amounts appropriated for ‘‘De2 fense Health Program’’ in the U.S. Troop Readiness, Vet3 erans’ Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability 

4 Appropriations Act, 2007 (Public Law 110–28), 

5 $1,000,000 shall be available for fiscal year 2008 to carry 

6 out the provisions of this section and not for the purposes 

7 for which appropriated by such Act. Any amount made 

8 available by this subsection shall remain available without 

9 fiscal year limitation. 

Æ 


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