II 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3770 

To require a pilot program on the facilitation of the transition of members 

of the Armed Forces to receipt of veterans health care benefits upon 

completion of military service, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 1, 2006 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself and Mr. LAUTENBERG) introduced the following 

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

A BILL 

To require a pilot program on the facilitation of the transition of members of the Armed Forces to receipt of veterans health care benefits upon completion of military 

service, 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 FACILITATION OF TRANSI4 TION OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES 

5 TO RECEIPT OF VETERANS HEALTH CARE 

6 BENEFITS AFTER COMPLETION OF MILITARY 

7 SERVICE. 

8 (a) PROGRAM REQUIRED.— 


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

2 Affairs shall carry out a pilot program to assess the 

3 feasibility and advisability of utilizing eligible enti4 ties to assist members of the Armed Forces, particu5 larly members described in paragraph (2), in apply6 ing for and receiving health care benefits and serv7 ices from the Department of Veterans Affairs and 

8 otherwise after completion of military service in 

9 order to ensure that such members receive a con10 tinuity of care and assistance in and after the tran11 sition from military service to civilian life. 

12 (2) TARGET POPULATIONS.—The pilot program 

13 shall focus on providing assistance to all members of 

14 the Armed Forces, with particular emphasis on the 

15 following members: 

16 (A) Members with serious wounds or inju17 ries. 

18 (B) Members with mental disorders. 

19 (C) Women members. 

20 (D) Members of the National Guard and 

21 the Reserves. 

22 (3) VETERAN NAVIGATOR.—Eligible entities 

23 shall provide assistance under the pilot program 

24 through qualified individuals who provide such as25 sistance on an individualized basis to members of 


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1 the Armed Forces described in paragraph (1) as 

2 they transition from military service to civilian life 

3 and during the commencement of their receipt of 

4 health care benefits and services from the Depart5 ment of Veterans Affairs and otherwise. An indi6 vidual providing such assistance may be referred to 

7 as a ‘‘veteran navigator’’. 

8 (4) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary of Vet9 erans Affairs shall carry out the pilot program in 

10 consultation with the Secretary of Defense. 

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

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

13 on the date of the enactment of this Act. 

14 (c) PROGRAM LOCATIONS.— 

15 (1) IN GENERAL.—The pilot program shall be 

16 carried out at locations selected by the Secretary of 

17 Veterans Affairs for purposes of the pilot program. 

18 Of the locations so selected— 

19 (A) at least one shall be in the vicinity of 

20 a military medical treatment facility (MTF) 

21 that treats members of the Armed Forces who 

22 are seriously wounded or injured in Afghanistan 

23 or Iraq; 


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1 (B) at least one shall be in the vicinity of 

2 a Department of Veterans Affairs medical cen3 ter located in a rural area; and 

4 (C) at least one shall be in the vicinity of 

5 a Department of Veterans Affairs medical cen6 ter located in an urban area. 

7 (2) ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS.—Any locations for 

8 the pilot program that are in addition to the loca9 tions selected under paragraph (1) shall be selected 

10 by the Secretary in consultation with the grant ap11 plication evaluation panel appointed under sub12 section (f)(3). 

13 (d) GRANTS.— 

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

15 Affairs shall carry out the pilot program through the 

16 award of grants to eligible entities for the provision 

17 of assistance to members of the Armed Forces as de18 scribed in subsection (a). 

19 (2) DURATION.—The duration of any grant 

20 awarded under the pilot program may not exceed 

21 three years. However, any such grant may be re22 newed for a period not to exceed one year. 

23 (e) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—For purposes of this sub24 section, an eligible entity is any entity or organization 

25 that— 


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1 (1) is independent of the Department of Vet2 erans Affairs and the Department of Defense; and 

3 (2) has or can acquire the capacity, including 

4 appropriate personnel, to provide assistance under 

5 the pilot program as described in subsection (a). 

6 (f) SELECTION OF GRANT RECIPIENTS.— 

7 (1) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity seeking a 

8 grant under the pilot program shall submit to the 

9 Secretary of Veterans Affairs an application therefor 

10 in such form and in such manner as the Secretary 

11 considers appropriate. 

12 (2) ELEMENTS.—Each application submitted 

13 under paragraph (1) shall include the following: 

14 (A) A description of the population of 

15 members of the Armed Forces to be provided 

16 assistance. 

17 (B) A description of the outreach to be 

18 conducted by the eligible entity concerned to no19 tify members of the Armed Forces of the avail20 ability of such assistance. 

21 (C) If the population of veterans described 

22 in subparagraph (A) consists of members of the 

23 Armed Forces described in subsection (a)(2), 

24 the particular actions to be taken to provide 


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1 such assistance to such members of the Armed 

2 Forces. 

3 (3) EVALUATION.— 

4 (A) IN GENERAL.—Each application sub5 mitted under paragraph (1) shall be evaluated 

6 by a panel appointed by the Secretary for pur7 poses of the pilot program. 

8 (B) MEMBERSHIP OF PANEL.—Members of 

9 the panel shall be appointed from among indi10 viduals as follows: 

11 (i) Officers and employees of the De12 partment of Veterans Affairs. 

13 (ii) With the approval of the Secretary 

14 of Defense, officers and employees of the 

15 Department of Defense. 

16 (iii) Representatives of veterans serv17 ice organizations. 

18 (iv) Representatives of organizations 

19 that provide services to members of the 

20 Armed Forces. 

21 (C) RECOMMENDATION.—Upon completion 

22 of the evaluation of an application under this 

23 subsection, the panel shall recommend to the 

24 Secretary whether or not to approve the appli25 cation. 


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1 (D) RECUSAL.—No member of the panel 

2 may evaluate an application that is submitted 

3 by an entity with which such member is affili4 ated. 

5 (4) APPROVAL.—The Secretary shall approve or 

6 disapprove each application submitted under para7 graph (1). In determining whether to approve or dis8 approve an application, the Secretary shall take into 

9 account the recommendation on such application by 

10 the panel appointed by the Secretary under para11 graph (3). 

12 (g) USE OF GRANT FUNDS.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible entity receiving 

14 a grant under this section shall use the grant to re15 cruit, assign, train, and employ individuals to pro16 vide assistance on an individualized basis to mem17 bers of the Armed Forces, particularly members de18 scribed in subsection (a)(2), as they transition from 

19 military service to civilian life and during the com20 mencement of their receipt of health care benefits 

21 and services from the Department of Veterans Af22 fairs and otherwise. 

23 (2) QUALIFICATIONS.—Any organization pro24 viding assistance under the pilot program shall em25 ploy individuals who collectively— 


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1 (A) have an understanding of the unique 

2 health care needs of members of the Armed 

3 Forces as they transition from military service 

4 to civilian life; 

5 (B) have an understanding of the military 

6 medical treatment system of the Department of 

7 Defense; and 

8 (C) have an understanding of eligibility for 

9 benefits and services, mechanisms for enroll10 ment or participation, and receipt of benefits 

11 and services in and through various systems 

12 and programs of health care benefits and serv13 ices for veterans, including— 

14 (i) the health care system of the De15 partment of Veterans Affairs; and 

16 (ii) other health care systems and pro17 grams, including health care systems and 

18 programs of other departments and agen19 cies of the Federal Government, State and 

20 local governments, and other public and 

21 private entities. 

22 (3) SCOPE OF ASSISTANCE.—In providing as23 sistance to a member of the Armed Forces under the 

24 pilot program, an individual shall— 


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1 (A) assist the member in identifying the 

2 unique health care needs of the member (in3 cluding mental health care); 

4 (B) assist the member in enrolling in the 

5 health care system of the Department of Vet6 erans Affairs after separation from military 

7 service; 

8 (C) assist the member in identifying and 

9 applying for any other health care benefits or 

10 services to which the member may be entitled 

11 after military service; and 

12 (D) assist the member in obtaining the 

13 timely commencement of health care benefits 

14 and services from the Department of Veterans 

15 Affairs, and the timely commencement of other 

16 veterans health care benefits and services, so 

17 that the member receives a continuity of health 

18 care and assistance in and after the transition 

19 from military service to civilian life. 

20 (4) COORDINATION.—In providing assistance to 

21 members of the Armed Forces under the pilot pro22 grams, individuals providing such assistance shall 

23 coordinate closely with appropriate personnel of the 

24 Department of Defense and the Department of Vet25 erans Affairs in order to— 


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1 (A) develop relationships (including infor2 mation sharing) that enhance the effectiveness 

3 of such assistance; 

4 (B) eliminate overlap or duplication of ef5 fort; and 

6 (C) otherwise facilitate a continuity of care 

7 and assistance for such members in and after 

8 the transition from military service to civilian 

9 life. 

10 (5) TRAINING.—An eligible entity awarded a 

11 grant under the pilot program may use grant funds 

12 for the provision of training to individuals who pro13 vide assistance under the pilot program on matters 

14 covered by the pilot program. 

15 (6) REPORTS.—Each eligible entity awarded a 

16 grant under the pilot program shall submit to the 

17 Secretary, with such frequency as the Secretary shall 

18 specify, reports on the activities undertaken under 

19 the pilot program. Each report of an eligible entity 

20 shall include— 

21 (A) a description of the activities under22 taken by such eligible entity during the period 

23 covered by such report; and 

24 (B) an assessment of the effectiveness of 

25 such activities in ensuring that members of the 


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1 Armed Forces receive a continuity of care and 

2 assistance in and after the transition from mili3 tary service to civilian life. 

4 (h) DUPLICATION OF SERVICES.—The Secretary may 

5 not award a grant under subsection (d) to an eligible enti6 ty that is receiving federal funds for activities described 

7 in paragraphs (1) and (3) of subsection (g) on the date 

8 on which the eligible entity submits an application sub9 section (f)(1) unless the Secretary determines that the eli10 gible entity will use amounts received under the grant to 

11 expand services or provide new services to individuals who 

12 would not otherwise be served. 

13 (i) REPORT ON PROGRAM.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than six months 

15 after the completion of the pilot program, the Sec16 retary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress 

17 report on the pilot program. 

18 (2) ELEMENTS.—The report shall include the 

19 following: 

20 (A) A description of the activities under21 taken under the pilot program. 

22 (B) An assessment of the effectiveness of 

23 such activities in ensuring that members of the 

24 Armed Forces receive a continuity of care and 


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1 assistance in and after the transition from mili2 tary service to civilian life. 

3 (C) Such recommendations for legislative 

4 or administrative action, including action to ex5 tend, expand, or make permanent the pilot pro6 gram, as the Secretary considers appropriate in 

7 light of the pilot program. 

8 (j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 

10 appropriated for the Department of Veterans Affairs 

11 to carry out this section, amounts as follows: 

12 (A) For fiscal year 2007, $2,000,000. 

13 (B) For fiscal year 2008, $5,000,000. 

14 (C) For fiscal year 2009, $8,000,000. 

15 (D) For fiscal year 2010, $6,500,000. 

16 (E) For fiscal year 2011, $3,500,000. 

17 (2) AVAILABILITY.—Any amount authorized to 

18 be appropriated by paragraph (1) shall remain avail19 able for obligation through the end of fiscal year 

20 2011. 

Æ 


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