I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 32 
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 
JANUARY 6, 2009 
Mr. MCINTYRE (for himself, Mr. KISSELL, and Mr. ETHERIDGE) 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 2009’’. 
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: 
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‘‘SUBCHAPTER IV—OUTREACH ACTIVITIES 
‘‘§ 561. Outreach activities: coordination of activities 
within the Department 
‘‘(a) COORDINATION PROCEDURES.—The Secretary 
shall establish and maintain procedures for ensuring the 
effective coordination of the outreach activities of the De-
partment 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) ANNUAL REVIEW OF PROCEDURES.—The Sec-
retary 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. 
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‘‘§ 562. Outreach activities: cooperative activities 
with States; grants to States for improve-
ment of outreach 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this section to 
provide for assistance by the Secretary to State and coun-
ty veterans agencies to carry out programs in locations 
within the respective jurisdictions of such agencies that 
offer a high probability of improving outreach and assist-
ance to veterans, and to the spouses, children, and parents 
of veterans, 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) PRIORITY FOR AREAS WITH HIGH CONCENTRA-
TION OF ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS.—In providing assist-
ance under this section, the Secretary shall give priority 
to State and county veteran agencies 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) CONTRACTS FOR OUTREACH SERVICES.—The 
Secretary may enter into a contract with a State or county 
veterans agency in order to carry out, coordinate, improve, 
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or otherwise enhance outreach by the Department and the 
State or county (including outreach with respect to a State 
or county veterans program). As a condition of entering 
into any such contract, the Secretary shall require the 
agency to submit annually to the Secretary a three-year 
plan for the use of any funds provided to the agency pur-
suant to the contract and to meet the annual outcome 
measures developed by the Secretary under subsection 
(d)(4). 
‘‘(d) GRANTS.—(1) The Secretary may make a grant 
to a State or county veterans agency to be used to carry 
out, coordinate, improve, or otherwise enhance— 
‘‘(A) outreach activities, including activities car-
ried out pursuant to a contract entered into under 
subsection (c); and 
‘‘(B) activities to assist in the development and 
submittal of claims for veterans and veterans-related 
benefits, including activities carried out pursuant to 
a contract entered into under subsection (c). 
‘‘(2) A State veterans agency that receives a grant 
under this subsection may award all or a portion of the 
grant to county veterans agencies within the State to pro-
vide outreach services for veterans, on the basis of the 
number of veterans residing in the jurisdiction of each 
county. 
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‘‘(3) To be eligible for a grant under this subsection, 
a State or county veterans agency shall submit to the Sec-
retary an application containing such information and as-
surances as the Secretary may require. The Secretary 
shall require a State or county veterans agency to include, 
as part of the agency’s application— 
‘‘(A) a three-year plan for the use of the grant; 
and 
‘‘(B) a description of the programs through 
which the agency will meet the annual outcome 
measures developed by the Secretary under para-
graph (4). 
‘‘(4)(A) The Secretary shall develop and provide to 
the recipient of a grant under this subsection written guid-
ance on annual outcome measures, Department policies, 
and procedures for applying for grants under this section. 
‘‘(B) The Secretary shall annually review the per-
formance of each State or county veterans agency that re-
ceives a grant under this section. 
‘‘(C) In the case of a State or county veterans agency 
that is a recipient of a grant under this subsection that 
does not meet the annual outcome measures developed by 
the Secretary, the Secretary shall require the agency to 
submit a remediation plan under which the agency shall 
describe how and when it plans to meet such outcome 
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measures. The Secretary must approve such plan before 
the Secretary may make a subsequent grant to that agen-
cy under this subsection. 
‘‘(5) No portion of any grant awarded under this sub-
section may be used for the purposes of administering the 
grant funds or to subsidize the salaries of State or county 
veterans service officers or other employees of a State or 
county veterans agency that receives a grant under this 
subsection. 
‘‘(6) Federal funds provided to a State or county vet-
erans agency under this subsection may not be used to 
provide more than 50 percent of the total cost of the State 
or county government activities described in paragraph (1) 
and shall be used to expand existing outreach programs 
and services and not to supplant State and local funding 
that is otherwise available. 
‘‘(7) In awarding grants under this subsection, the 
Secretary shall give priority to State and county veterans 
agencies that serve the largest populations of veterans. 
‘‘(8)(A) In a case in which a county government does 
not have a county veterans agency, the county government 
may be awarded a grant under this subsection to establish 
such an agency. 
‘‘(B) In a case in which a county government does 
not have a county veterans agency and does not seek to 
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establish such an agency through the use of a grant under 
this subsection, the State veterans agency for the State 
in which the county is located may use a grant under this 
section to provide outreach services for that county. 
‘‘(C) In the case of a State in which no State or coun-
ty veterans agency seeks to receive a grant under this sub-
section, the funds that would otherwise be allocated for 
that State shall be reallocated to those States in which 
county veterans agencies exist and have sought grants 
under this subsection. 
‘‘(9) A grant under this subsection may be used to 
provide education and training, including on-the-job train-
ing, for State, county, and local government employees 
who provide (or when trained will provide) veterans out-
reach services in order for those employees to obtain ac-
creditation in accordance with procedures approved by the 
Secretary and, for employees so accredited, for purposes 
of continuing education. 
‘‘(e) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this section: 
‘‘(1) 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. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘county veterans agency’ means 
the element of the government of a county or mu-
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nicipality that has responsibility for programs and 
activities of that county or municipal government re-
lating to veterans benefits. 
‘‘§ 563. Outreach activities: funding 
‘‘(a) SEPARATE ACCOUNT.—Amounts for the out-
reach activities of the Department under this subchapter 
shall be budgeted and appropriated through a separate ap-
propriation account. 
‘‘(b) SEPARATE STATEMENT OF AMOUNT.—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 include 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. 
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‘‘§ 565. Authorization of appropriations 
‘‘There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary for each of fiscal years 2010, 2011, and 2012, 
$25,000,000 to carry out this subchapter, including mak-
ing grants under section 562(d) of this title.’’. 
(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.’’. 
(c) DEADLINE
FOR IMPLEMENTATION.—The Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs shall implement the outreach 
activities required under subchapter IV of chapter 5 of 
title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), 
by not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
Æ 
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