Connect with Veterans Act of 2015

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a voluntary national directory of veterans to support outreach to veterans, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Connect with Veterans Act of 2015 2. Voluntary national directory of veterans (a) Program required (1) In general The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, shall establish a program to facilitate outreach to veterans by covered entities. (2) Covered entities For purposes of this section, a covered entity is any of the following: (A) The Department of Veterans Affairs. (B) The agency or department of a State that is the primary agency or department of the State for the administration of benefits and services for veterans in the State. (C) A political subdivision of a State. (D) An Indian tribe (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act ( 25 U.S.C. 450b (3) National directory To carry out the program required by paragraph (1), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall— (A) establish a national directory of veterans as described in subsection (b); and (B) share information in the directory in accordance with subsection (c). (b) National directory (1) In general The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish the national directory required by subsection (a)(3) using information received from the Secretary of Defense under subsection (d)(4). (2) Updates The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that the national directory includes a mechanism by which a participating individual can update the information in the national directory that pertains to the participating individual. (3) Disenrollment The Secretary shall establish a mechanism by which a participating individual can indicate to the Secretary that the individual would no longer like to receive information from participating entities under the program. (4) Reenrollment The Secretary shall establish a mechanism for the inclusion of information in the national directory of individuals who were previously participating individuals but who had made an indication under paragraph (3) and subsequently indicate that they would like to receive information from participating entities under the program. (5) Privacy and security The Secretary shall take such actions as the Secretary considers appropriate to protect— (A) the privacy of individuals participating in the program; and (B) the security of the information stored in the national directory. (6) eBenefits The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may use the system and architecture of the eBenefits Internet website of the Department of Veterans Affairs to support and operate the national directory as the Secretary considers appropriate. (c) Outreach (1) Sharing of directory information (A) In general Except as provided in paragraph (2), in order to connect participating individuals with information about the programs they could be eligible for or services, support, and information they may be interested in receiving, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may share, under the program established under subsection (a)(1), information in the national directory concerning such individuals with entities applicable to participating individuals. (B) Entities applicable to participating individuals For purposes of this subsection, an entity that is applicable to a participating individual is a covered entity from whom a participating individual has expressed interest in receiving information under the program. (C) Updated information In a case in which a participating individual updates the information pertaining to the participating individual under subsection (b)(2), the Secretary shall transmit such information to each entity applicable to the participating individual. (D) Notification of disenrollment In a case in which a participating individual indicates to the Secretary under subsection (b)(3) that the individual would no longer like to receive information from participating entities under the program, the Secretary shall inform each entity applicable to the participating individual that the individual would no longer like to receive information from the entity under the program. (2) Limitations (A) Limitations on the Secretary (i) Information shared Under the program, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may only share from the national directory the following: (I) The name of a participating individual. (II) The e-mail address of a participating individual. (III) The postal address of a participating individual. (IV) The phone number of a participating individual. (V) Information on the types of benefits and services for which a participating individual would like to receive communication and outreach, as collected under subsection (d)(2)(B)(iii). (ii) Prohibition on sale of information The Secretary may not sell any information collected under this section. (iii) Entities The Secretary may not share any information collected under the program with any entity that is not a participating entity. (B) Limitations on participating entities (i) Sharing with third-party and for-profit entities As a condition of participation in the program, a participating entity shall agree not to share any information the participating entity receives under the program with any third-party or for-profit entity. (ii) Purchases of products or services As a condition of participation in the program, a participating entity shall agree not to include in any information sent by the participating entity to a participating individual a requirement that the participating individual or the family of the participating individual purchase a product or service. (iii) Political communication As a condition of participation in the program, a participating entity shall agree not to use any information received under the program for any political communication. (3) Disenrollment by participating entities The Secretary shall establish a mechanism by which a participating entity may indicate to the Secretary that the participating entity would no longer like to receive information about participating individuals from the national directory. (4) Sense of Congress (A) Consolidation of requests It is the sense of Congress that covered entities described in subsection (a)(2)(C) who are located in the same region should work together in a manner such that only one of them requests receipt of information under the program. (B) Collaboration It is the sense of Congress that covered entities described in subsection (a)(2)(C) should work with third parties, such as veterans service organizations, military community groups, and other entities with an interest in assisting veterans, to develop the information the covered entities send to participating individuals under the program. (5) Publicity The Secretary shall develop a plan to publicize the program and inform covered entities of the benefits of participating in the program. (d) Collection of contact information (1) In general To each member of the Armed Forces separating from service in the Armed Forces, the Secretary of Defense shall provide a form for the collection of information to be included in the national directory established under subsection (a). (2) Form (A) Development The Secretary of Defense shall, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, develop the form provided under paragraph (1). (B) Elements The form developed under subparagraph (A) shall allow a member of the Armed Forces who is in the process of separating from service in the Armed Forces to indicate the following: (i) Where the member intends to reside after separation. (ii) How the individual can best be contacted, such as a telephone number, an e-mail address, or a postal address. (iii) For which types of benefits and services the member would like to receive communication and outreach, such as health care, education, employment, and housing. (iv) From which of the following the member would like to receive the communication and outreach specified under clause (iii): (I) The Department of Veterans Affairs. (II) The agency or department of the State in which the member intends to reside after separation that is the primary agency or department of the State for the administration of benefits and services for veterans in the State. (III) A political subdivision of a State. (C) Notice The form developed under subparagraph (A) shall include notice of the following: (i) Information provided to agencies and departments described in subparagraph (B)(iv)(II) will only be provided as authorized and upon request by such agencies and departments. (ii) Political subdivisions of States that receive information under the program established under subsection (a) may— (I) share such information with such nonprofit organizations as the political subdivisions consider appropriate; and (II) work with such organizations to provide the veterans with relevant information about benefits and services offered by such organizations. (iii) Information provided on the form developed under subparagraph (A) will never be sold, provided to a for-profit entity, or used to send any sort of political communication. (D) Manner The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that the form provided under paragraph (1) is not primarily electronic in nature. (3) Voluntary participation The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that completion of the form provided under paragraph (1) is voluntary and submittal of such form to the Secretary by a member of the Armed Forces shall be considered an indication to the Secretary that the member would like to receive information from participating entities under the program. (4) Transmittal of information to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Not later than 30 days after the date on which a member of the Armed Forces who submitted information to the Secretary of Defense under this subsection separates from service in the Armed Forces, the Secretary of Defense shall transmit such information to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. (5) Privacy and security The Secretary of Defense shall take such actions as the Secretary considers appropriate to protect— (A) the privacy of individuals who submit information under this subsection; and (B) the security of such information— (i) while it is in the possession of the Secretary; and (ii) while it is in transit to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. (6) Integration with Transition Assistance Program The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Labor shall jointly take such actions as the secretaries consider appropriate to integrate the collection of information under this subsection into the Transition Assistance Program. (e) Report (1) In general Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense shall jointly submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the program established under subsection (a)(1). (2) Contents The report submitted under paragraph (1) shall include an examination and assessment of the following: (A) The signup process and the effectiveness of the forms developed and provided under subsection (d). (B) The ways in which contact information is transferred from the Secretary of Defense to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under the program and the plans of the secretaries to overcome challenges encountered by the secretaries in transferring such information. (C) The number of covered entities described in subsection (a)(2)(C) participating in the program and any challenges they report in receiving the contact information from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under the program. (D) The effectiveness of efforts of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense to protect the personal information of participating individuals. (E) The effectiveness of efforts of covered entities described in subsection (a)(2)(C) to protect the personal information of participating individuals. (F) Whether additional limitations on the use of information collected under the program are necessary to protect participating individuals from unwanted contact, or contact that is inconsistent with the program. (G) Whether participating individuals are benefitting by participating in the program and whether changing the program would improve such benefits. (H) The overall participation in the program, utilization of the program, and how such participation and utilization could be improved. (I) Such other matters as the secretaries consider appropriate. (3) Appropriate committees of Congress defined In this subsection, the term appropriate committees of Congress (A) The Committee on Veterans' Affairs, the Committee on Armed Services, and the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. (B) The Committee on Veterans' Affairs, the Committee on Armed Services, and the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives. (f) Definitions In this section: (1) Participating entity The term participating entity (2) Participating individual The term participating individual

Summary: Connect with Veterans Act of 2015 Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a program to facilitate VA outreach to veterans, primary state agencies for the administration of veterans' benefits and services, political subdivisions of states, and Indian tribes. Requires the VA, to carry out such program, to: (1) establish a national veterans directory, and (2) share directory information with any such entities from which a participating individual has expressed interest in receiving information. Prohibits: (1) the VA from selling information collected under this Act, (2) the VA or any participating entity from sharing such information with a non-participating entity, or (3) any participating entity from using any such information for any political communication or from requiring any participating individual to purchase any product or service. Requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to: (1) provide to each member of the Armed Forces separating from service a form for the collection of information to be included in the directory, (2) ensure that completion of the form is voluntary, and (3) take steps to protect the privacy of individuals and the security of information. Directs DOD and the Department of Labor jointly to take steps to integrate the collection of information under this Act into the Transition Assistance Program.