I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6414 
To establish a pilot program on the provision of legal services to assist 
veterans and members of the Armed Forces who receive health care, 
benefits and services, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 26, 2008 
Mr. PALLONE (for himself and Mr. ROTHMAN) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addi-
tion to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish a pilot program on the provision of legal services 
to assist veterans and members of the Armed Forces 
who receive health care, benefits and services, 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 Advocacy Act 
of 2008’’. 
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SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON PROVISION OF LEGAL ASSIST-
ANCE TO ASSIST VETERANS AND MEMBERS 
OF THE ARMED FORCES RECEIVE HEALTH 
CARE, BENEFITS, AND SERVICES. 
(a) PILOT PROGRAM REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall carry out a pilot program to assess the 
feasibility and advisability of utilizing eligible enti-
ties to provide legal services to assist veterans and 
members of the Armed Forces in applying for and 
receiving health care, benefits, and services. 
(2) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall carry out the pilot program in 
consultation with the Secretary of Defense. 
(b) GRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall carry out the pilot program through the 
award of grants to eligible entities selected by the 
panel established in accordance with subsection 
(d)(1) for— 
(A) the provision of legal services at no 
cost to members of the Armed Forces and vet-
erans as described in subsection (a)(1); or 
(B) the provision of legal training to attor-
neys of eligible entities on the health and bene-
fits programs of the Department of Defense 
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and the Department of Veterans Affairs to fa-
cilitate the provision of legal services described 
in subsection (a)(1). 
(2) AWARDING
GRANTS.—Grants under this 
subsection shall be awarded to eligible entities se-
lected pursuant to subsection (d) not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(3) NUMBER OF GRANTS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
award 10 grants under the pilot program. 
(B) STATE-DESIGNATED PROTECTION AND 
ADVOCACY SYSTEMS.—Not less than five of the 
grants awarded under the pilot program shall 
be awarded to State-designated protection and 
advocacy systems. 
(4) GRANT
AMOUNT.—The amount of each 
grant awarded under the pilot program shall be de-
termined by the selection panel described in sub-
section (d)(1), except that each such grant may not 
be awarded in an amount that— 
(A) exceeds $100,000; or 
(B) is less than $25,000. 
(5) DURATION.—The duration of any grant 
awarded under the pilot program may not exceed 
one year. 
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(6) 
AVOIDANCE
OF
FRIVOLOUS
BENEFIT 
CLAIMS.—An eligible entity that receives a grant 
under this subsection shall make reasonable efforts 
to avoid representing veterans and members of the 
Armed Forces with respect to frivolous benefits 
claims. 
(c) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—For purposes of this sub-
section, an eligible entity is any entity or organization, in-
cluding a State-designated protection and advocacy sys-
tems, that— 
(1) is not part of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs or the Department of Defense; and 
(2) provides legal services by licensed attorneys 
with experience assisting veterans, members of the 
Armed Forces, or persons with disabilities. 
(d) SELECTION OF GRANT RECIPIENTS.— 
(1) SELECTION BY PANEL.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Each application sub-
mitted under paragraph (2) shall be evaluated 
by a panel appointed by the Secretary for pur-
poses of the pilot program. The panel shall se-
lect eligible entities for receipt of grants under 
subsection (b) from among the applications so 
evaluated. 
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(B) MEMBERSHIP OF PANEL.—Members of 
the panel shall be appointed in equal numbers 
from among individuals as follows: 
(i) Officers and employees of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs. 
(ii) With the approval of the Secretary 
of Defense, officers and employees of the 
Department of Defense. 
(iii) Representatives of veterans serv-
ice organizations. 
(iv) Representatives of organizations 
that provide services to members of the 
Armed Forces. 
(v) Attorneys that represent veterans. 
(vi) Attorneys employed by a State- 
designated protection and advocacy system. 
(2) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity seeking a 
grant under the pilot program shall submit to the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs an application therefor 
in such form and in such manner as the Secretary 
considers appropriate. 
(3) ELEMENTS.—Each application submitted 
under paragraph (2) shall include the following: 
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(A) In the case of an eligible entity apply-
ing for a grant under subsection (b)(1)(A), the 
following: 
(i) A description of the population of 
members of the Armed Forces and vet-
erans to be provided assistance. 
(ii) A description of the outreach to 
be conducted by the eligible entity con-
cerned to notify members of the Armed 
Forces and veterans of the availability of 
such assistance. 
(B) In the case of an eligible entity apply-
ing for a grant under subsection (b)(1)(B), the 
following: 
(i) A description of the population of 
attorneys to be provided training. 
(ii) A description of the outreach to 
be conducted by the eligible entity con-
cerned to notify attorneys of the avail-
ability of such training. 
(C) In the case of an eligible entity apply-
ing for a grant under subparagraphs (A) and 
(B) of subsection (b)(1), the elements described 
in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this para-
graph. 
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(e) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 
described in subsection (b)(2), the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 
the House of Representatives a report on the pilot pro-
gram required by subsection (a), including the following: 
(1) The number of veterans and members of 
the Armed Forces that received assistance or serv-
ices from such pilot program. 
(2) A description of the assistance and services 
provided as part of such pilot program. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) STATE-DESIGNATED PROTECTION AND AD-
VOCACY SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘State-designated pro-
tection and advocacy system’’ means a system estab-
lished in a State to protect the legal and human 
rights of individuals with developmental disabilities 
in accordance with subtitle C of the Developmental 
Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 
2000 (42 U.S.C. 15041 et seq.). 
(2) VETERANS
SERVICE
ORGANIZATION.—The 
term ‘‘veterans service organization’’ means any or-
ganization organized by the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs for the representation of veterans under sec-
tion 5902 of title 38, United States Code. 
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(g) FUNDING.—Of amounts appropriated for ‘‘De-
fense Health Program’’ in the U.S. Troop Readiness, Vet-
erans’ Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability 
Appropriations 
Act, 
2007 
(Public 
Law 
110–28), 
$1,000,000 shall be available for fiscal year 2008 to carry 
out the provisions of this section and not for the purposes 
for which appropriated by such Act. Any amount made 
available by this subsection shall remain available without 
fiscal year limitation. 
Æ 
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