IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 782 
Recognizing the importance and effectiveness of veteran-to-veteran 
sponsorship programs. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 9, 2021 
Mr. GALLAGHER (for himself, Mr. KIND, Mr. GROTHMAN, Ms. MOORE of Wis-
consin, Mr. STEIL, Mr. POCAN, Mr. TIFFANY, and Mr. FITZGERALD) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Veterans’ Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the importance and effectiveness of veteran-to- 
veteran sponsorship programs. 
Whereas approximately 200,000 veterans discharge from the 
military 
every 
year, 
many 
experiencing 
difficulty 
transitioning from active duty to civilian life; 
Whereas many veterans experience a heightened risk for de-
pression, isolation, post-traumatic stress disorder, confu-
sion, or suicidal ideation during the transition period; 
Whereas evidence-based practices such as veteran-to-veteran 
peer support have proven to be effective in easing the 
transition to civilian life; 
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•HRES 782 IH 
Whereas the National Alliance on Mental Illness has recog-
nized that veteran-to-veteran counseling increases self-es-
teem, social functioning, and life satisfaction; 
Whereas the Veterans Health Administration of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs has recognized that veteran-to- 
veteran counseling improves social functioning, quality of 
life, independence, ability to deal with mental illness, 
communication skills, employment outcomes, and the ef-
fectiveness of the mental health delivery system; 
Whereas peer-to-peer veteran sponsorship programs help es-
tablish a welcoming environment that is more conducive 
for a positive transition to civilian life; 
Whereas veteran-to-veteran sponsorship programs are not an 
intervention, but a guiding hand to assist veterans; 
Whereas the Federal Government can aid in mitigating emo-
tional, physical, and social challenges for veterans strug-
gling with transition through support for veteran-to-vet-
eran sponsorship programs; and 
Whereas veteran-to-veteran sponsorship programs have been 
established in communities in Northeastern Wisconsin 
and throughout the State, by a variety of entities includ-
ing— 
(1) Brown County, Wisconsin, which hosts the 
Northeast Wisconsin Battalion, one of the first veteran- 
to-veteran sponsorship programs of its kind in the State; 
(2) the 72 County Veterans Service Officers serving 
every county of Wisconsin, and 11 Tribal Veterans Serv-
ice Officers serving Native American veterans, who are 
examples of veterans helping veterans; 
(3) La Crosse, Wisconsin, home to the La Crosse 
Area Veterans Mentor Program (LAVMP) which offers 
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peer-to-peer mentorship and support for veterans strug-
gling with substance abuse, homelessness, and social re-
integration, offering support through Veterans Treatment 
Courts, a Veteran Community Health Worker, Peer Sup-
port Specialists, and initiating a Peer Advisory for Vet-
eran Education program at Western Technical College; 
(4) the Department of Veterans Affairs, which offers 
a transition specialist program, acknowledging the neces-
sity of assisting veterans transition to civilian life; 
(5) Outagamie County, Wisconsin, which is home to 
a veteran focused nonprofit, Veterans’ Mentor Group, to 
support other veterans, recruit new veteran mentors, pro-
vide training and coordinate with the Veterans Treatment 
Court Coordinator, in addition to being a resource for 
other veterans from within the community who may find 
themselves in need; 
(6) the military, which offers transition assistance 
programs to assist veterans with the transition to civilian 
life; 
(7) the University of Wisconsin System, which offers 
Vets for Vets, a student organization of veterans for vet-
erans to assist with counseling and benefit information; 
(8) the University of Wisconsin Madison, which of-
fers Peer Advisory for Veteran Education (PAVE), a 
peer-to-peer advising program that helps student veterans 
connect with other veterans, transition to college, and 
meet their personal and academic goals; 
(9) the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, which in 
2012 opened the Military and Veterans Resource Center 
to address the challenges faced by current and former 
servicemembers and their dependents through peer-to- 
peer mentoring, training, and student advocacy; and 
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(10) the Fox Valley Technical College, as well as 
many University of Wisconsin campuses, which offer Stu-
dent Veterans of America Chapters which are student 
based mentoring programs: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes the importance, effectiveness, 
and need for veteran-to-veteran sponsorship pro-
grams among existing programs and agencies of the 
Federal Government; and 
(2) encourages the use and practice of veteran 
to-veteran programs within the Federal Government 
and Congress. 
Æ 
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