I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1843 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a pilot program 
to improve access to supportive services and community coordination 
for families of disabled veterans. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 16, 2015 
Mrs. LAWRENCE (for herself and Ms. JACKSON LEE) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a 
pilot program to improve access to supportive services 
and community coordination for families of disabled vet-
erans. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. PILOT PROGRAM FOR GREATER DIRECT AC-
CESS TO SUPPORTIVE SERVICES AND COM-
MUNITY COORDINATION FOR DISABLED VET-
ERANS FAMILIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Commencing not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
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retary of Veterans Affairs (VA) shall carry out a three 
year pilot program with community partners to provide 
intensive community care coordination and supportive 
services to disabled veteran families who lack access to VA 
or other direct wellness services. 
(b) AGREEMENTS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS.— 
In carrying out the pilot program authorized by subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall enter into partnership agreements 
with community partners described in subsection (d) using 
a competitive and merit-based award process for individual 
grants and for multi-service site grants to test service de-
livery efficiencies and generate best practices. 
(c) COMMUNITY CARE COORDINATION
AND SUP-
PORTIVE SERVICES.—The focused community care coordi-
nation and supportive services referred to in subsection 
(a) are the following: 
(1) Services provided by a community partner 
to improve the well-being and address the needs of 
disabled veteran families who otherwise lack access 
to adequate VA or other direct wellness services. 
Such assistance and services may include the fol-
lowing: 
(A) Care coordination and case manage-
ment services. 
(B) Outreach services. 
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(C) Assistance in obtaining any benefits 
from the VA which the veteran may be eligible 
to receive, including, but not limited to, voca-
tional and rehabilitation counseling, employ-
ment and training service, educational assist-
ance, and health care services. 
(D) Assistance in obtaining and coordi-
nating the provision of other public benefits 
provided in federal, state or local agencies or 
other community partners, defined in subsection 
(d), including— 
(i) marriage counseling; 
(ii) services for children; 
(iii) suicide prevention; 
(iv) substance abuse awareness and 
treatment; 
(v) mental health awareness and 
treatment; 
(vi) financial counseling; 
(vii) anger management counseling; 
(viii) domestic violence awareness and 
prevention; 
(ix) employment assistance; 
(x) transportation services; 
(xi) child care; 
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(xii) housing counseling; 
(xiii) preparing and updating family 
care plans; 
(xiv) development of strategies for liv-
ing with a veteran with post-traumatic 
stress disorder or traumatic brain injury; 
(xv) accessing emergency financial as-
sistance through philanthropic efforts; and 
(xvi) other services that are deemed 
appropriate to improve the well-being and 
address the unique needs of disabled vet-
eran’s families who lack access to adequate 
VA or other direct wellness services and 
supports. 
(E) Providing direct services, described in 
subparagraph (D), that are necessary to im-
prove the well-being and address the needs of 
the disabled veteran families but are otherwise 
unavailable through existing public or private 
programs. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘community partner’’ is a private 
nonprofit organization. 
(2) The term ‘‘disabled veteran’’ is as defined 
a United States citizen or United States national 
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with an honorable discharge from the United States 
Armed Forces; and is entitled to disability com-
pensation (or who but for the receipt of military re-
tired pay would be entitled to disability compensa-
tion) under laws administered by the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs, or was discharged or released from 
active duty because of a service-connected disability. 
(3) The term ‘‘family’’ is defined as a depend-
ent of the disabled veteran. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Department of 
Veterans Affairs $2,500,000 for each fiscal year to carry 
out the pilot program authorized by this section. 
(f) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days before the 
completion of the pilot program, the Secretary shall sub-
mit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate 
and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 
Representatives a report on the results of the pilot pro-
gram, including the number of disabled veteran families 
served and service linkages or referrals and a description 
and assessment of the effectiveness and achievements of 
the pilot program with respect to services and treatments 
and mitigation of risks, including homelessness, unemploy-
ment and suicide as well as recommended best practices 
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