Serving Our LGBTQ Veterans Act
Bill: H.R.5776 | Sponsor: Rep. Kahele, Kaiali'i (D-HI)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Serving Our LGBTQ Veterans Act
This bill establishes a Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Veterans within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Among other functions, the center must serve as principal adviser to the VA on the adoption and implementation of policies and programs affecting veterans who are LGBTQ.

To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department 
 of Veterans Affairs a Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, 
                          and Queer Veterans.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Serving Our LGBTQ Veterans Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTER FOR LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, 
              TRANSGENDER, AND QUEER VETERANS.

    Chapter 3 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following new section (and conforming the table of sections 
for such chapter accordingly):
``Sec. 324. Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer 
              Veterans
    ``(a) Establishment.--There is in the Department a Center for 
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Veterans. There is at 
the head of the Center a Director.
    ``(b) Director.--The Director shall be a career or noncareer 
appointee in the Senior Executive Service. The Director shall be 
appointed for a term of six years.
    ``(c) Reporting.--The Director reports directly to the Secretary or 
the Deputy Secretary concerning the activities of the Center.
    ``(d) Duties.--The Director shall perform the following functions 
with respect to veterans who are LGBTQ:
            ``(1) Serve as principal adviser to the Secretary on the 
        adoption and implementation of policies and programs affecting 
        veterans who are LGBTQ.
            ``(2) Make recommendations to the Secretary, the Under 
        Secretary for Health, the Under Secretary for Benefits, and 
        other Department officials for the establishment or improvement 
        of programs in the Department for which veterans who are LGBTQ 
        are eligible.
            ``(3) Promote the use of benefits authorized by this title 
        by veterans who are LGBTQ and the conduct of outreach 
        activities to veterans who are LGBTQ, in conjunction with 
        outreach activities carried out under chapter 77 of this title.
            ``(4) Disseminate information and serve as a resource 
        center for the exchange of information regarding innovative and 
        successful programs which improve the services available to 
        veterans who are LGBTQ.
            ``(5) Conduct and sponsor appropriate social and 
        demographic research on the needs of veterans who are LGBTQ and 
        the extent to which programs authorized under this title meet 
        the needs of those veterans, without regard to any law 
        concerning the collection of information from the public.
            ``(6) Analyze and evaluate complaints made by or on behalf 
        of veterans who are LGBTQ about the adequacy and timeliness of 
        services provided by the Department and advise the appropriate 
        official of the Department of the results of such analysis or 
        evaluation.
            ``(7) Consult with, and provide assistance and information 
        to, officials responsible for administering Federal, State, 
        local, and private programs that assist veterans, to encourage 
        those officials to adopt policies which promote the use of 
        those programs by veterans who are LGBTQ.
            ``(8) Advise the Secretary when laws or policies have the 
        effect of discouraging the use of benefits by veterans who are 
        LGBTQ.
            ``(9) Publicize the results of medical research which are 
        of particular significance to veterans who are LGBTQ.
            ``(10) Provide support and administrative services to 
        advisory committees established under subchapter III of chapter 
        5 of this title.
            ``(11) Perform such other duties consistent with this 
        section as the Secretary shall prescribe.
    ``(e) Resources.--The Secretary shall ensure that the Director is 
furnished sufficient resources to enable the Director to carry out the 
functions of the Center in a timely manner.
    ``(f) Information.--The Secretary shall include in documents 
submitted to Congress by the Secretary in support of the President's 
budget for each fiscal year--
            ``(1) detailed information on the budget for the Center;
            ``(2) the Secretary's opinion as to whether the resources 
        (including the number of employees) proposed in the budget for 
        that fiscal year are adequate to enable the Center to comply 
        with its statutory and regulatory duties; and
            ``(3) a report on the activities and significant 
        accomplishments of the Center during the preceding fiscal year.
    ``(g) LGBTQ Defined.--In this section, the term `LGBTQ' means 
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer.''.
                                 <all>