I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4264 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the outreach activities 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 9, 2005 
Mr. MCINTYRE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the 
outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Outreach Im-
provement Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENT OF OUTREACH ACTIVITIES WITHIN 
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 5 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new subchapter:
‘‘SUBCHAPTER IV—OUTREACH ACTIVITIES 
‘‘§ 561. Outreach activities: coordination of activities 
within the Department 
‘‘(a) The Secretary shall establish and maintain pro-
cedures for ensuring the effective coordination of the out-
reach activities of the Department between and among the 
following: 
‘‘(1) The Office of the Secretary. 
‘‘(2) The Office of Public Affairs. 
‘‘(3) The Veterans Health Administration. 
‘‘(4) The Veterans Benefits Administration. 
‘‘(5) The National Cemetery Administration. 
‘‘(b) The Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) annually review the procedures in effect 
under subsection (a) for the purpose of ensuring 
that those procedures meet the requirements of that 
subsection; and 
‘‘(2) make such modifications to those proce-
dures as the Secretary considers appropriate in light 
of such review in order to better achieve that pur-
pose.
‘‘§ 562. Outreach activities: cooperative activities 
with States; grants to States for improve-
ment of outreach 
‘‘(a) It is the purpose of this section to provide for 
assistance by the Secretary to the States in carrying out 
programs within their respective jurisdiction that offer a 
high probability of improving outreach and assistance to 
veterans, and to the spouses, children, and parents of vet-
erans, so as to ensure that such individuals are fully in-
formed about, and assisted in applying for, any veterans’ 
and veterans-related benefits and programs (including 
State veterans’ programs) for which they may be eligible. 
‘‘(b) The Secretary shall ensure that, as a condition 
of the provision of assistance by the Secretary under this 
section, that such assistance is provided for outreach and 
assistance under State and county veteran service pro-
grams referred to in subsection (a) in locations— 
‘‘(1) that have relatively large concentrations of 
populations of veterans and other individuals re-
ferred to in subsection (a); or 
‘‘(2) that are experiencing growth in the popu-
lation of veterans and other individuals referred to 
in subsection (a). 
‘‘(c) The Secretary may enter into cooperative agree-
ments and arrangements with State veterans agencies in 
order to carry out, coordinate, improve, or otherwise en-
hance outreach by the Department and the States (includ-
ing outreach with respect to State veterans’ programs). 
‘‘(d)(1) The Secretary may make grants to State vet-
erans agencies in order to achieve the following purposes: 
‘‘(A) To carry out, coordinate, improve, or oth-
erwise enhance outreach, including activities pursu-
ant to cooperative agreements and arrangements 
under subsection (c). 
‘‘(B) To carry out, coordinate, improve, or oth-
erwise enhance activities to assist in the development 
and submittal of claims for veterans’ and veterans- 
related benefits, including activities pursuant to co-
operative agreements and arrangements under sub-
section (c). 
‘‘(2) A State veterans agency receiving a grant under 
this subsection shall use the grant amount for purposes 
described in paragraph (1) by— 
‘‘(A) awarding a portion of such grant amount 
to local governments of that State that provide vet-
erans outreach services, to be awarded on the basis 
of the number of veterans residing in the jurisdiction 
of that local government; 
‘‘(B) awarding a portion of such grant amount 
to local governments in that State seeking to estab-
lish a program of outreach services; and
‘‘(C) using the remainder for outreach activities 
of that State veterans agency. 
‘‘(3) No portion of the amount of a grant to a State 
under this subsection may be used at the State level for 
the purpose of administering those funds. 
‘‘(4) Federal funds provided to a State by a grant 
under this subsection may not be used to provide more 
than 50 percent of the total cost of such State and local 
government activities and shall be used to expand existing 
outreach programs and services, not to supplant existing 
State and local funding. The Secretary shall allocate funds 
to the States for grants under this subsection on the basis 
of the veteran population of the respective States. 
‘‘(5)(A) In a case in which a unit of local government 
does not have a veteran services program, funds from a 
grants under this subsection may be used to establish such 
a program. 
‘‘(B) In a case in which a unit of local government 
does not have such a program and does not seek to estab-
lish such a program through assistance from a grant 
amount under this subsection, the State veterans agency 
may use funds available under this subsection to provide 
outreach services for that local government jurisdiction. 
‘‘(C) In the case of a State in which State and local 
government veteran service programs do not seek to re-
ceive a grant amount under this subsection, the funds for 
that State shall be reallocated to those States in which 
local government veteran service programs exist and have 
chosen to seek to receive a grant amount under this sub-
section. 
‘‘(6) Funds made available through a grant under 
this subsection may be used for education and training 
for State and local government employees who provide (or 
when trained will provide) veterans outreach services in 
order for those employees to obtain accreditation in ac-
cordance with procedures approved by the Secretary and, 
for employees so accredited, for purposes of continuing 
education. 
‘‘(7) In this subsection, the term ‘State veterans 
agency’ means the element of the government of a State 
that has responsibility for programs and activities of that 
State government relating to veterans benefits. 
‘‘§ 563. Outreach activities: funding 
‘‘(a) Amounts for the outreach activities of the De-
partment under this subchapter shall be budgeted and ap-
propriated through a separate appropriation account. 
‘‘(b) In the budget justification materials submitted 
to Congress in support of the Department budget for any 
fiscal year (as submitted with the budget of the President 
under section 1105(a) of title 31), the Secretary shall in-
clude a separate statement of the amount requested to be 
appropriated for that fiscal year for the account specified 
in subsection (a). 
‘‘§ 564. Definition of outreach 
‘‘For purposes of this subchapter, the term ‘outreach’ 
means the act or process of taking steps in a systematic 
manner to provide information, services, and benefits 
counseling to veterans, and the survivors of veterans, who 
may be eligible to receive benefits under the laws adminis-
tered by the Secretary to ensure that those individuals are 
fully informed about, and assisted in applying for, any 
benefits and programs under such laws for which they may 
be eligible. 
‘‘§ 565. Authorization of appropriations 
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary for the purposes of carrying out this subchapter, 
including the making of grants under section 562(d) of 
this title, the amount of $25,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2006, 2007, and 2008.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 
at the end the following new items: 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER IV—OUTREACH ACTIVITIES 
‘‘561. Outreach activities: coordination of activities within the Department. 
‘‘562. Outreach activities: cooperative activities with States; grants to States for 
improvement of outreach. 
‘‘563. Outreach activities: funding.
‘‘564. Definition of outreach. 
‘‘565. Authorization of appropriations.’’. 
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