II 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3355 

To provide for an Internet website for information on benefits, resources, 

services, and opportunities for veterans and their families and caregivers, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 12, 2010 

Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself, Mr. JOHANNS, and Mrs. MURRAY) introduced 

the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 

on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To provide for an Internet website for information on benefits, resources, services, and opportunities for veterans 

and their families and caregivers, 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 One Source 

5 Act of 2010’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ONE-STOP INTERNET WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION 

2 ON BENEFITS, RESOURCES, SERVICES, AND 

3 OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERANS AND THEIR 

4 FAMILIES AND CAREGIVERS. 

5 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find6 ings: 

7 (1) One of the most critical problems identified 

8 by veterans and their families and caregivers is a 

9 lack of easily accessible information and advice on 

10 benefits, resources, services, and opportunities for 

11 members of the veteran community. 

12 (2) A guiding principle of the Department of 

13 Veterans Affairs in bringing the Department into 

14 the 21st century is to ensure coordination between 

15 the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Depart16 ment of Defense to provide a seamless transition 

17 from military life to civilian life. 

18 (3) The Department of Veterans Affairs has 

19 also emphasized its intent to modernize, streamline, 

20 and simplify the provision of resources to the vet21 eran community, including through the elimination 

22 of paper waste. 

23 (4) The Internet increasingly serves as an es24 sential communication tool for all sectors of society 

25 and should be used efficiently and effectively as a 


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1 tool to provide interactive outreach to the veteran 

2 community. 

3 (5) The Department of Veterans Affairs, the 

4 Department of Labor, and other departments and 

5 agencies of the Federal Government have taken 

6 strong steps to improve outreach to veterans, includ7 ing through the creation of Internet websites for 

8 specific veteran populations, such as the National 

9 Resource Directory for wounded veterans. 

10 (6) However, the lack of a single, all-inclusive, 

11 user-friendly Internet website with all relevant infor12 mation on benefits, resources, services, and opportu13 nities for veterans and their families and caregivers 

14 continues to impede the seamless transition of vet15 erans from military life to civilian life. 

16 (7) Moreover, veterans and their families and 

17 caregivers continue to seek direct and personalized 

18 assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs 

19 that could be effectively and efficiently supplemented 

20 by strong, interactive online services. 

21 (8) The Department of Defense has imple22 mented an effective and well-used program, Military 

23 One Source, that includes an Internet website with 

24 consolidated information for members of the Armed 

25 Forces on active duty. 


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1 (9) The Department of Defense has also suc2 cessfully employed various interactive, virtual tools 

3 on its Internet websites to provide a higher quality 

4 virtual Internet experience to members of the Armed 

5 Forces. 

6 (10) The veterans community would be well7 served by the establishment of a single, consolidated, 

8 expanded, and interactive Internet website to ensure 

9 streamlined and simplified access to all information 

10 and advice on benefits, resources, services, and op11 portunities available to veterans and their families 

12 and caregivers. 

13 (b) ONE-STOP INTERNET WEBSITE FOR INFORMA14 TION ON BENEFITS, RESOURCES, SERVICES, AND OPPOR15 TUNITIES FOR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND

16 CAREGIVERS.— 

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

18 Affairs shall establish and maintain an interactive 

19 Internet website that provides information on the 

20 benefits, resources, services, and opportunities de21 scribed in subsection (d). The Secretary may enter 

22 into a contract with an appropriate Federal or pri23 vate sector entity for purposes of establishing or 

24 maintaining the website. 

25 (2) NATURE OF WEBSITE.—The website shall— 


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1 (A) serve to consolidate, expand on, and 

2 improve information and links from other exist3 ing Internet websites relating to the benefits, 

4 resources, services, and opportunities described 

5 in subsection (d), and may include such other 

6 information and links on such benefits, re7 sources, services, and opportunities as the Sec8 retary considers appropriate; and 

9 (B) integrate dynamic Internet features 

10 and virtual interface tools described in sub11 section (e) to provide veterans a personalized, 

12 interactive, and user-centered Internet experi13 ence and increase interoperability, facilitate col14 laborative information sharing, and streamline 

15 provision of information and advice to veterans 

16 and their families and caregivers. 

17 (3) UTILIZATION OF EXISTING WEBSITE IN ES18 TABLISHMENT.—In establishing the website, the 

19 Secretary may utilize an existing Internet website, 

20 such as the National Resource Directory for wound21 ed veterans, as the basis for the website, in order to 

22 avoid unnecessary duplication of effort. 

23 (4) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary of Vet24 erans Affairs carry out activities under this sub25 section in consultation with the following: 


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1 (A) The Secretary of Defense, particularly 

2 with respect to the Military One Source pro3 gram and other interactive virtual tools em4 ployed by the Department of Defense. 

5 (B) The Secretary of Labor. 

6 (C) The Secretary of Education. 

7 (D) The Commissioner of Internal Rev8 enue. 

9 (E) The Commissioner of Social Security. 

10 (F) The Administrator of the Small Busi11 ness Administration. 

12 (G) Any other Federal officials that the 

13 Secretary of Veterans Affairs considers appro14 priate for purposes of this section. 

15 (H) Appropriate advisory committees on 

16 veterans matters. 

17 (I) Other representatives, individuals, and 

18 organizations specified in section 6302(c) of 

19 title 38, United States Code. 

20 (c) DOMAIN AND NAME OF WEBSITE.— 

21 (1) DOMAIN.—In establishing the Internet 

22 website under subsection (b) the Secretary shall con23 sider the advisability of registering the website in 

24 the ‘‘.com’’ domain, rather than the ‘‘.gov’’ domain, 

25 and shall register the website in the ‘‘.com’’ domain 


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1 if the Secretary considers registration of the website 

2 in that domain advisable. 

3 (2) NAME.—The name selected for the website 

4 shall be a name intended to reveal the website as a 

5 single, one-stop resource for veterans and their fami6 lies and caregivers on the benefits, resources, serv7 ices, and opportunities described in subsection (d). 

8 (d) BENEFITS, RESOURCES, SERVICES, AND OPPOR9 TUNITIES.—The benefits, resources, services, and oppor10 tunities described in this subsection are benefits, re11 sources, services, and opportunities as follows: 

12 (1) Veterans benefits provided by or through 

13 the Department of Veterans Affairs, including pen14 sion and compensation benefits, health care benefits 

15 (including mental health care benefits), education 

16 assistance and benefits, housing assistance and ben17 efits, and other assistance and benefits. 

18 (2) Veterans benefits provided by or through 

19 the Department of Labor, including employment and 

20 reemployment benefits, and other benefits provided 

21 by or through the Department of Labor. 

22 (3) Tax benefits. 

23 (4) Social security benefits. 

24 (5) Veterans benefits provided by or through 

25 the Small Business Administration, including assistVerDate Mar 15 2010 03:08 May 13, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3355.IS S3355

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1 ance related to small business, and other benefits 

2 provided by or though the Small Business Adminis3 tration. 

4 (6) Resources, services, and opportunities such 

5 as— 

6 (A) resources for families; 

7 (B) resources on child care; 

8 (C) resources on home care; 

9 (D) resources for caregivers; 

10 (E) resources for education professionals, 

11 mental health professionals, and other profes12 sionals that provide for veterans; 

13 (F) resources on stress management and 

14 mental health care; 

15 (G) resources on veterans service organiza16 tions (including website links to organization lo17 cators and claims assistance); 

18 (H) information and links on State and 

19 local resources; 

20 (I) information on discounts available to 

21 veterans; 

22 (J) information and resources on volunteer 

23 opportunities available to veterans, including 

24 opportunities at Department of Veterans Af25 fairs medical centers; 


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1 (K) information and resources on commu2 nity events; and 

3 (L) such other information and resources 

4 as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs considers 

5 appropriate for purposes of the website required 

6 by this section. 

7 (7) Assistance in applying for and receiving 

8 benefits and resources under paragraphs (1) through 

9 (6). 

10 (8) Such other benefits, resources, services, op11 portunities, and assistance as the Secretary con12 siders appropriate for purposes of the website. 

13 (e) INTERACTIVE FEATURES.—In incorporating 

14 interactive features in the Internet website required by 

15 this section pursuant to subsection (b)(2)(B), the Sec16 retary should incorporate the following: 

17 (1) Tools such as interactive, animated virtual 

18 guides, to guide users through the website. 

19 (2) Resources on peer-to-peer discussions, work20 shops, and other interactive services for veterans 

21 and their families and caregivers. 

22 (3) Information on ride-sharing for appoint23 ments. 

24 (4) Memorial notices. 

25 (5) Internet applications. 


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1 (6) Such other interactive features as the Sec2 retary considers appropriate. 

3 (f) INCLUSION OF INFORMATION ON WEBSITE IN BI4 ENNIAL REPORTS RELATING TO OUTREACH ACTIVI5 TIES.— 

6 (1) BIENNIAL PLAN.—The Secretary of Vet7 erans Affairs shall include in each biennial plan on 

8 outreach activities of the Department of Veterans 

9 Affairs under section 6302 of title 38, United States 

10 Code, the plans of the Department for the period 

11 covered by such report for improving and enhancing 

12 the Internet website required by this section to bet13 ter provide information on the benefits, resources, 

14 services, and opportunities described in subsection 

15 (d) and to otherwise enhance the website as a source 

16 and point of contract for information on such bene17 fits, resources, services, and opportunities. 

18 (2) BIENNIAL REPORT.—The Secretary shall 

19 include in each biennial report on outreach activities 

20 of the Department under section 6308 of title 38, 

21 United States Code, a description of the manner in 

22 which the Internet website required by this section 

23 contributed to the outreach activities of the SecVerDate Mar 15 2010 03:08 May 13, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3355.IS S3355

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1 retary, including outreach activities under chapter 

2 63 of such title. 

Æ 


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