Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act

Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:  <p><strong>Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act</strong></p> <p>This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide grants to states and Indian tribes to implement programs that improve outreach and assistance to veterans and their families to ensure that such individuals are fully informed about veterans' benefits and programs. </p> <p>Specifically, the VA may provide grants to states and tribes to (1) implement or enhance outreach activities; (2) increase the number of county or tribal veterans service officers in the state or tribe; or (3) expand, implement, or otherwise enhance existing programs and services of the existing state or tribal organization that is recognized by the VA in the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims for veterans benefits through representatives who hold positions as county or tribal veterans service officers.</p> <p>The VA must prioritize awarding grants in areas with a critical shortage of county or tribal veterans service officers, areas with high rates of suicide among veterans, and areas with high rates of referrals to the Veterans Crisis Line.</p> <p>During FY2024-FY2028, the VA is authorized to hire two or more additional full-time equivalent employees in the VA's Office of General Counsel to carry out duties under the accreditation, discipline, and fees program.<br> <br> </p>

<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 984 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 984

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of 
   Veterans Affairs to award grants to States to improve outreach to 
                   veterans, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 10, 2023

Mr. Levin (for himself, Mrs. Rodgers of Washington, Mr. Pappas, and Mr. 
   Finstad) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of 
   Veterans Affairs to award grants to States to improve outreach to 
                   veterans, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Commitment to Veteran Support and 
Outreach Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORITY FOR SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO AWARD GRANTS TO 
              STATES AND INDIAN TRIBES TO IMPROVE OUTREACH TO VETERANS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 63 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating sections 6307 and 6308 and sections 
        6308 and 6309, respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after section 6306 the following new 
        section 6307:
``Sec. 6307. Grants to States and Indian Tribes to improve outreach to 
              veterans
    ``(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to provide for 
assistance by the Secretary to States and Indian Tribes to carry out 
programs that--
            ``(1) improve outreach and assistance to veterans and the 
        spouses, children, and parents of veterans, to ensure that such 
        individuals are fully informed about any veterans and veterans-
        related benefits and programs (including veterans programs of a 
        State or Indian Tribe) for which they may be eligible; and
            ``(2) facilitate opportunities for such individuals to 
        receive competent, qualified services in the preparation, 
        presentation, and prosecution of veterans benefits claims.
    ``(b) Authority.--The Secretary may award grants under this section 
to States and Indian Tribes--
            ``(1) to carry out, coordinate, improve, or otherwise 
        enhance outreach activities;
            ``(2) to increase the number of county or Tribal veterans 
        service officers serving in the State or Indian Tribe by hiring 
        new, additional such officers; or
            ``(3) to expand, carry out, coordinate, improve, or 
        otherwise enhance existing programs, activities, and services 
        of the existing organization of the State or Indian Tribe that 
        has been recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs 
        pursuant to section 5902, in the preparation, presentation, and 
        prosecution of claims for veterans benefits through 
        representatives who hold positions as county or Tribal veterans 
        service officers.
    ``(c) Application.--(1) To be eligible for a grant under this 
section, a State or Indian Tribe shall submit to the Secretary an 
application therefor at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretary may require.
    ``(2) Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall include 
the following:
            ``(A) A detailed plan for the use of the grant.
            ``(B) A description of the programs through which the State 
        or Indian Tribe will meet the outcome measures developed by the 
        Secretary under subsection (i).
            ``(C) A description of how the State or Indian Tribe will 
        distribute grant amounts equitably among counties (or Tribal 
        lands, as the case may be) with varying levels of urbanization.
            ``(D) A plan for how the grant will be used to meet the 
        unique needs of American Indian or Alaska Native veterans, 
        elderly veterans, women veterans, and veterans from other 
        underserved communities.
    ``(d) Distribution.--The Secretary shall seek to ensure that grants 
awarded under this section are equitably distributed among States and 
Indian Tribes with varying levels of urbanization.
    ``(e) Priority.--The Secretary shall prioritize awarding grants 
under this section that will serve the following areas:
            ``(1) Areas with a critical shortage of county or Tribal 
        veterans service officers.
            ``(2) Areas with high rates of--
                    ``(A) suicide among veterans; or
                    ``(B) referrals to the Veterans Crisis Line.
    ``(f) Use of County or Tribal Veterans Service Officers.--A State 
or Indian Tribe that receives a grant under this section to carry out 
an activity described in subsection (b)(1) may only carry out the 
activity through--
            ``(1) a county or Tribal veterans service officer of the 
        State or Indian Tribe; or
            ``(2) if the State or Indian Tribe does not have a county 
        or Tribal veterans service officer, or if the county or Tribal 
        veterans service officers of the State or Indian Tribe cover 
        only a portion of that State or Indian Tribe, an appropriate 
        entity of a State, local, or Tribal government, as determined 
        by the Secretary.
    ``(g) Required Activities.--Any grant awarded under this section 
shall be used--
            ``(1) to expand existing programs, activities, and 
        services;
            ``(2) to hire and maintain new, additional county or Tribal 
        veterans service officers; or
            ``(3) for travel and transportation to facilitate carrying 
        out paragraph (1) or (2).
    ``(h) Other Permissible Activities.--A grant under this section may 
be used to provide education and training, including on-the-job 
training, for State, county, local, and Tribal government employees who 
provide (or when trained will provide) veterans outreach services in 
order for those employees to obtain and maintain accreditation in 
accordance with procedures approved by the Secretary.
    ``(i) Outcome Measures.--(1) The Secretary shall develop and 
provide to each State or Indian Tribe that receives a grant under this 
section written guidance on the following:
            ``(A) Outcome measures.
            ``(B) Policies of the Department.
    ``(2) In developing outcome measures under paragraph (1), the 
Secretary shall consider the following goals:
            ``(A) Increasing the use of veterans and veterans-related 
        benefits, particularly among vulnerable populations.
            ``(B) Increasing the number of county and Tribal veterans 
        service officers recognized by the Secretary for the 
        representation of veterans under chapter 59 of this title.
    ``(j) Tracking Requirements.--(1) With respect to each grant 
awarded under this section, the Secretary shall track the use of 
veterans benefits among the population served by the grant, including 
the average period of time between the date on which a veteran or other 
eligible claimant applies for such a benefit and the date on which the 
veteran or other eligible claimant receives the benefit, disaggregated 
by type of benefit.
    ``(2) Not less frequently than annually during the life of the 
grant program established under this section, the Secretary shall 
submit to Congress a report on--
            ``(A) the information tracked under paragraph (1);
            ``(B) how the grants awarded under this section serve the 
        unique needs of American Indian or Alaska Native veterans, 
        elderly veterans, women veterans, and veterans from other 
        underserved communities; and
            ``(C) other information provided by States and Indian 
        Tribes pursuant to the grant reporting requirements.
    ``(k) Performance Review.--(1) The Secretary shall--
            ``(A) review the performance of each State or Indian Tribe 
        that receives a grant under this section; and
            ``(B) make information regarding such performance publicly 
        available.
    ``(l) Remediation Plan.--(1) In the case of a State or Indian Tribe 
that receives a grant under this section and does not meet the outcome 
measures developed by the Secretary under subsection (i), the Secretary 
shall require the State or Indian Tribe to submit a remediation plan 
under which the State or Indian Tribe shall describe how and when it 
plans to meet such outcome measures.
    ``(2) The Secretary may not award a subsequent grant under this 
section to a State or Indian Tribe described in paragraph (1) unless 
the Secretary approves the remediation plan submitted by the State of 
Indian Tribe.
    ``(m) Maximum Amount.--The amount of a grant awarded under this 
section may not exceed 10 percent of amounts made available for grants 
under this section for the fiscal year in which the grant is awarded.
    ``(n) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Any grant awarded under this 
section shall be used to supplement and not supplant State and local 
funding that is otherwise available.
    ``(o) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `county or Tribal veterans service officer' 
        includes a local equivalent veterans service officer.
            ``(2) The term `Indian Tribe' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
        Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
            ``(3) The term `State' includes the District of Columbia, 
        the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the 
        Northern Mariana Islands, and any territory or possession of 
        the United States.
            ``(4) The term `Veterans Crisis Line' means the toll-free 
        hotline for veterans established under section 1720F(h) of this 
        title.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 63 of such title is amended by striking the items relating to 
sections 6307 and 6308 and inserting the following new items:

``6307. Grants to States and Indian Tribes to improve outreach to 
                            veterans.
``6308. Outreach for eligible dependents.
``6309. Biennial report to Congress.''.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for each of fiscal 
years 2024 through 2028, $50,000,000 to carry out section 6307 of title 
38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a).
    (d) Authorization of Additional Full-Time Equivalent Employee.--
During fiscal years 2024 through 2028, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs may hire two or more additional full-time equivalent employees 
in the Office of the General Counsel of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, as compared to the number of full-time equivalent employees 
that would otherwise be authorized for such office, to carry out duties 
under the accreditation, discipline, and fees program.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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