Helping Heroes Act of 2023

Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 622 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 622

To improve services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs for 
               veteran families, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 2, 2023

   Mrs. Murray (for herself, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Reed, Mrs. 
    Shaheen, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Kaine, and Ms. Murkowski) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To improve services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs for 
               veteran families, 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 ``Helping Heroes Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs.
            (2) Disabled veteran.--The term ``disabled veteran'' has 
        the meaning given that term in section 4211 of title 38, United 
        States Code.
            (3) Eligible child.--The term ``eligible child'', with 
        respect to an eligible veteran, means an individual who--
                    (A) is a ward, child (including stepchild), 
                grandchild, or sibling (including stepsibling or 
                halfsibling) of the eligible veteran; and
                    (B) is less than 18 years of age.
            (4) Eligible veteran.--The term ``eligible veteran'' means 
        a disabled veteran who has a service-connected disability rated 
        at 70 percent or more.
            (5) Family coordinator.--The term ``Family Coordinator'' 
        means an individual placed at a medical center of the 
        Department pursuant to section 3.
            (6) Family support program.--The term ``Family Support 
        Program'' means the program established under section 4.
            (7) Non-department provider.--The term ``non-Department 
        provider'' means a public or non-profit entity that is not an 
        entity of the Department.
            (8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Veterans Affairs.
            (9) Supportive services.--The term ``supportive services'' 
        means services that address the social, emotional, and mental 
        health, career-readiness, and other needs of eligible children, 
        including--
                    (A) wellness services, including mental, emotional, 
                behavioral, and physical health and nutritional 
                counseling and assistance;
                    (B) peer-support programs for children;
                    (C) assistance completing college admission and 
                financial aid applications, including the Free 
                Application for Federal Student Aid described in 
                section 483(a) of the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. 
                1090), and accessing veterans' education benefits as 
                defined under section 480(c)(2) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 
                1087vv) that eligible children may be eligible to 
                receive;
                    (D) assistance with accessing workforce development 
                programs, including programs providing the activities 
                authorized under section 129 of the Workforce 
                Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3164), and 
                programs of vocational rehabilitation services, 
                including programs authorized under title I of the 
                Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 720 et seq.);
                    (E) sports and recreation;
                    (F) after-school care and summer learning 
                opportunities;
                    (G) dependent care, including home and community-
                based services;
                    (H) other resources for low-income families;
                    (I) assistance transitioning from active duty in 
                the Armed Forces to veteran status; and
                    (J) any other services or activities the Secretary 
                considers appropriate to support the needs of eligible 
                children.

SEC. 3. REQUIREMENTS FOR FAMILY COORDINATORS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than three years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall--
            (1) place at each medical center of the Department not 
        fewer than one Family Coordinator; and
            (2) ensure adequate staffing and resources at each such 
        medical center to ensure Family Coordinators are able to carry 
        out their duties.
    (b) Family Coordinators.--
            (1) Employment.--Each Family Coordinator placed at a 
        medical center of the Department under subsection (a) shall be 
        employed full-time by the Department as a Family Coordinator 
        and shall have no other duties in addition to the duties of a 
        Family Coordinator.
            (2) Qualifications.--
                    (A) In general.--To qualify to be a Family 
                Coordinator under subsection (a), an individual shall--
                            (i) be a social worker licensed, 
                        registered, or certified in accordance with the 
                        requirements of any State; and
                            (ii) have a graduate degree in social work 
                        or a related field.
                    (B) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive the 
                qualifications required by subparagraph (A) to permit 
                individuals in other professions to serve as Family 
                Coordinators.
            (3) Duties.--Each Family Coordinator shall--
                    (A) assess the needs of the families of veterans 
                using evidence-based strategies;
                    (B) build positive relationships with such 
                families;
                    (C) refer veterans to local, State, and Federal 
                resources that support veterans and their families;
                    (D) develop and maintain a list of--
                            (i) supportive services offered by the 
                        medical center at which the Family Coordinator 
                        is placed; and
                            (ii) supportive services offered at reduced 
                        or no cost by non-Department providers located 
                        in the catchment area of such medical center; 
                        and
                    (E) develop and maintain on an internet website a 
                list of family resources that shall be made available 
                for all veterans in the catchment area of such medical 
                center who are enrolled in the patient enrollment 
                system of the Department established and operated under 
                section 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code.

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a program to be 
known as the Family Support Program to provide and coordinate the 
provision of supportive services to eligible veterans and eligible 
children.
    (b) Implementation of Family Support Program.--To carry out the 
Family Support Program, the Secretary shall--
            (1) provide supportive services through medical centers of 
        the Department;
            (2) collaborate with relevant Federal agencies to provide 
        supportive services;
            (3) provide funding to non-Department providers pursuant to 
        subsection (c); and
            (4) engage in any other activities the Secretary considers 
        appropriate.
    (c) Funding to Non-Department Providers.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary may enter into contracts and 
        award grants to provide funding to eligible non-Department 
        providers to participate in the Family Support Program.
            (2) Eligibility.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary shall establish and 
                make publicly available the criteria for a non-
                Department provider to be eligible to participate in 
                the Family Support Program.
                    (B) Criteria.--The criteria required by 
                subparagraph (A) shall include requirements for a non-
                Department provider--
                            (i) to provide a description of--
                                    (I) each supportive service 
                                proposed to be provided to eligible 
                                children; and
                                    (II) the demonstrated record of the 
                                non-Department provider in providing 
                                such supportive service;
                            (ii) to demonstrate the ability to serve 
                        families of veterans in a manner that is 
                        trauma-informed and culturally and 
                        linguistically appropriate; and
                            (iii) to agree to oversight by the 
                        Secretary regarding--
                                    (I) the use of funds provided by 
                                the Department under this subsection; 
                                and
                                    (II) the quality of supportive 
                                services provided.
            (3) Notice.--The Secretary shall promptly provide to 
        eligible non-Department providers selected by the Secretary to 
        participate in the Family Support Program notice of the award 
        of funds under this subsection to ensure such providers have 
        sufficient time to prepare to provide supportive services under 
        the Family Support Program.
            (4) Authorized activities.--Funds provided under this 
        subsection shall be used to provide supportive services.
            (5) Training.--For each non-Department provider selected by 
        the Secretary to participant in the Family Support Program, the 
        Secretary shall offer training and technical assistance 
        regarding the planning, development, and provision of 
        supportive services under the Family Support Program.
    (d) Coordination With Other Department of Veterans Affairs 
Programs.--The Secretary shall share best practices with and facilitate 
referrals of eligible veterans and their families, as appropriate, from 
the Family Support Program to other programs of the Department, such as 
the program of support services for caregivers of veterans under 
section 1720G(b) of title 38, United States Code.
    (e) Reporting Requirements.--
            (1) Annual report.--Not later than one year after the date 
        of the commencement of the Family Support Program, and annually 
        thereafter, each non-Department provider in receipt of funds 
        under the Family Support Program shall submit to the Secretary 
        a report describing the supportive services carried out with 
        such funds during the year covered by such report.
            (2) Reports to congress.--
                    (A) Report on additional resources.--Not later than 
                90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
                the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the 
                potential need for additional resources for family 
                members of eligible veterans other than eligible 
                children.
                    (B) Report on progress.--
                            (i) In general.--Not later than one year 
                        after the commencement of the Family Support 
                        Program, the Secretary shall submit to the 
                        Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate 
                        and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
                        House of Representatives a report on the 
                        progress of the Family Support Program.
                            (ii) Contents.--The report required by 
                        clause (i) shall include--
                                    (I) the number of eligible veterans 
                                and eligible children who received 
                                supportive services under the Family 
                                Support Program;
                                    (II) the demographic data of 
                                eligible veterans and family members, 
                                including--
                                            (aa) the relationship to 
                                        the eligible veteran;
                                            (bb) age;
                                            (cc) race;
                                            (dd) ethnicity;
                                            (ee) gender identity;
                                            (ff) sexual orientation;
                                            (gg) disability; and
                                            (hh) English proficiency 
                                        and whether a language other 
                                        than English is spoken at home;
                                    (III) a summary of the supportive 
                                services carried out under the Family 
                                Support Program and the costs to the 
                                Department of such supportive services; 
                                and
                                    (IV) an assessment, measured by a 
                                survey of participants, of whether 
                                participation in the Family Support 
                                Program resulted in positive outcomes 
                                for eligible veterans and eligible 
                                children.

SEC. 5. OUTREACH ON AVAILABILITY OF SERVICES.

    The Secretary shall conduct an outreach program to ensure eligible 
veterans who are enrolled in the patient enrollment system of the 
Department established and operated under section 1705(a) of title 38, 
United States Code, employees of the Department, and potential State, 
local, and Federal entities are informed of the Family Support Program 
and the availability of Family Coordinators.

SEC. 6. TRANSITION ASSISTANCE.

    Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary shall include information regarding supportive 
services available for members of the Armed Forces who are being 
separated from active duty and their families, including mental health 
and other services for children, in the transition assistance 
curriculum offered by the Department.

SEC. 7. SURVEY.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for five years, the 
Secretary shall conduct a survey of disabled veterans and their 
families to identify and better understand the needs of such disabled 
veterans and their families.
    (b) Content.--The survey required under subsection (a) shall 
include questions with respect to--
            (1) the types and quality of support disabled veterans 
        receive from the children of such disabled veterans; and
            (2) the unmet needs of such children.

SEC. 8. NONDISCRIMINATION.

    Programs or activities receiving funds under this Act may not 
discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, 
sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, or age.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such funds 
as may be necessary to carry out this Act.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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