Vet Center Improvement Act of 2021
Bill: S.1944 | Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack (D-RI)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Vet Center Improvement Act of 2021
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to evaluate productivity expectations for readjustment counselors of Vet Centers, including by obtaining feedback from counselors that must be audited annually for five years by the Government Accountability Office.
The VA must also (1) develop and implement a staffing model for Vet Centers, (2) standardize descriptions of position responsibilities at Vet Centers, and (3) award grants to address food insecurity among veterans and family members of veterans who receive services through Vet Centers or other VA facilities.

To improve Vet Centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for 
                            other purposes.

    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 ``Vet Center Improvement Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Vet center.--The term ``Vet Center'' has the meaning 
        given that term in section 1712A(h) of title 38, United States 
        Code.
            (2) Veterans service organization.--The term ``veterans 
        service organization'' means an organization recognized by the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the representation of 
        veterans under section 5902 of title 38, United States Code.

SEC. 3. PRODUCTIVITY EXPECTATIONS FOR READJUSTMENT COUNSELORS OF VET 
              CENTERS.

    (a) Evaluation of Productivity Expectations.--Not later than one 
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall evaluate productivity expectations for 
readjustment counselors of Vet Centers, including by obtaining 
systematic feedback from counselors on such expectations, including 
with respect to following:
            (1) Any potential effects of productivity expectations, 
        whether positive or negative, on client care.
            (2) Distances readjustment counselors may travel to 
        appointments, especially with respect to serving rural 
        veterans.
            (3) The possibility that some veterans may not want to use 
        nor benefit from telehealth or group counseling.
            (4) Availability and access of veteran populations to 
        broadband and telehealth.
            (5) Any effect of productivity expectations on readjustment 
        counselors, including with respect to recruitment, retention, 
        and welfare.
            (6) Whether productivity expectations provide incentives or 
        pressure to inaccurately report client visits.
            (7) Whether directors and readjustment counselors of Vet 
        Centers need additional training or guidance on how 
        productivity expectations are calculated.
            (8) Such other criteria as the Secretary considers 
        appropriate.
    (b) Systematic Feedback.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall--
                    (A) make every effort to ensure that all 
                readjustment counselors of Vet Centers are given the 
                opportunity to fully provide feedback, positive or 
                negative, on all items under subsection (a);
                    (B) collect and safely store the feedback obtained 
                under subsection (a)--
                            (i) in an electronic database that cannot 
                        be altered by any party;
                            (ii) in an anonymized manner, in order to 
                        protect the privacy of each respondent; and
                            (iii) in a manner that allows for 
                        evaluation by third parties of the feedback, 
                        such as audit of the feedback by the Government 
                        Accountability Office; and
                    (C) provide the feedback obtained under subsection 
                (a) in an anonymized manner to the working group 
                established under section 5.
            (2) Government accountability office audit.--Not less 
        frequently than once each year during the five-year period 
        beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
        Comptroller General of the United States shall audit the 
        feedback obtained from readjustment counselors of Vet Centers 
        under subsection (a).
    (c) Implementation of Changes.--Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the completion of the evaluation required by subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall implement any needed changes to the productivity 
expectations described in such subsection in order to ensure--
            (1) quality of care and access to care for veterans; and
            (2) the welfare of readjustment counselors.
    (d) Report to Congress.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the completion of the evaluation required by subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on--
            (1) the findings of the evaluation; and
            (2) any planned or implemented changes described in 
        subsection (c).
    (e) Plan for Reassessment and Implementation.--
            (1) Plan.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop and 
        implement a plan for--
                    (A) reassessing productivity expectations for 
                readjustment counselors of Vet Centers, in consultation 
                with such counselors; and
                    (B) implementing any needed changes to such 
                expectations, as the Secretary determines appropriate.
            (2) Reassessments.--Under the plan required by paragraph 
        (1), the Secretary shall conduct a reassessment described in 
        such paragraph not less frequently than once each year.

SEC. 4. STAFFING MODEL FOR VET CENTERS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall develop 
and implement a staffing model for Vet Centers that incorporates key 
practices in the design of such staffing model.
    (b) Elements.--In developing the staffing model under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall--
            (1) involve key stakeholders, including readjustment 
        counselors, outreach specialists, and directors of Vet Centers;
            (2) incorporate key work activities and the frequency and 
        time required to conduct such activities;
            (3) ensure the data used in the model is high quality to 
        provide assurance that staffing estimates are reliable; and
            (4) incorporate--
                    (A) risk factors, including case complexity;
                    (B) geography;
                    (C) availability, advisability, and willingness of 
                veterans to use telehealth or group counseling; and
                    (D) such other factors as the Secretary considers 
                appropriate.
    (c) Plan for Assessments and Updates.--Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
develop a plan for--
            (1) assessing and updating the staffing model developed and 
        implemented under subsection (a) not less frequently than once 
        every four years; and
            (2) implementing any needed changes to such model, as the 
        Secretary determines appropriate.

SEC. 5. WORKING GROUP OF READJUSTMENT COUNSELORS, OUTREACH SPECIALISTS, 
              AND DIRECTORS OF VET CENTERS.

    (a) In General.--In conducting the evaluation of productivity 
expectations under section 3(a) and developing the staffing model for 
Vet Centers under section 4(a), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
establish a working group to assess--
            (1) the efficacy, impact, and composition of performance 
        metrics for such expectations with respect to--
                    (A) quality of care and access to care for 
                veterans; and
                    (B) the welfare of readjustment counselors and 
                other employees of Vet Centers; and
            (2) key considerations for the development of such staffing 
        model, including with respect to--
                    (A) quality of care and access to care for veterans 
                and other individuals eligible for care through Vet 
                Centers; and
                    (B) recruitment, retention, and welfare of 
                employees of Vet Centers.
    (b) Membership.--The working group established under subsection (a) 
shall be composed of readjustment counselors, outreach specialists, and 
directors of Vet Centers.
    (c) Feedback and Recommendations.--The working group established 
under subsection (a) shall provide to the Secretary--
            (1) feedback from readjustment counselors, outreach 
        specialists, and directors of Vet Centers; and
            (2) recommendations on how to improve--
                    (A) quality of care and access to care for 
                veterans; and
                    (B) the welfare of readjustment counselors and 
                other employees of Vet Centers.

SEC. 6. IMPROVEMENTS OF HIRING PRACTICES AT VET CENTERS.

    (a) Standardization of Position Descriptions.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
        shall standardize descriptions of position responsibilities at 
        Vet Centers.
            (2) Reporting requirement.--In each of the first two annual 
        reports submitted under section 7309(e) of title 38, United 
        States Code, after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
        Secretary shall include a description of the actions taken by 
        the Secretary to carry out paragraph (1).
    (b) Expansion of Reporting Requirements on Readjustment Counseling 
to Include Actions to Reduce Staffing Vacancies and Time to Hire.--
Section 7309(e)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
            ``(D) A description of actions taken by the Secretary to 
        reduce--
                    ``(i) vacancies in counselor positions in the 
                Readjustment Counseling Service; and
                    ``(ii) the time it takes to hire such 
                counselors.''.

SEC. 7. REPORT BY GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE ON VET CENTER 
              INFRASTRUCTURE AND FUTURE INVESTMENTS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall submit to Congress a report on physical infrastructure and future 
investments with respect to Vet Centers.
    (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall include 
the following:
            (1) An assessment of--
                    (A) the condition of the physical infrastructure of 
                all assets of Vet Centers, whether owned or leased by 
                the Department of Veterans Affairs; and
                    (B) the short-, medium-, and long-term plans of the 
                Department to maintain and upgrade the physical 
                infrastructure of Vet Centers to address the 
                operational needs of Vet Centers as of the date of the 
                submittal of the report and future needs.
            (2) An assessment of management and strategic planning for 
        the physical infrastructure of Vet Centers, including whether 
        the Department should buy or lease existing or additional 
        locations in areas with stable or growing populations of 
        veterans.
            (3) An assessment of whether, as of the date of the 
        submittal of the report, Vet Center buildings, mobile Vet 
        Centers, community access points, and similar infrastructure 
        are sufficient to care for veterans or if such infrastructure 
        is negatively affecting care due to limited space for veterans 
        and Vet Center personnel or other factors.
            (4) An assessment of the areas with the greatest need for 
        investments in--
                    (A) improved physical infrastructure, including 
                upgraded Vet Centers; or
                    (B) additional physical infrastructure for Vet 
                Centers, including new Vet Centers owned or leased by 
                the Department.
            (5) A description of the authorities and resources that may 
        be required for the Secretary to make such investments.
            (6) A review of all annual reports submitted under 7309(e) 
        of title 38, United States Code, before the date of the 
        submittal of the report under subsection (a).

SEC. 8. PILOT PROGRAM TO COMBAT FOOD INSECURITY AMONG VETERANS AND 
              FAMILY MEMBERS OF VETERANS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
establish a pilot program to award grants to eligible entities to 
support partnerships that address food insecurity among veterans and 
family members of veterans who receive services through Vet Centers or 
other facilities of the Department as determined by the Secretary.
    (b) Eligible Entities.--For purposes of the pilot program, an 
eligible entity is--
            (1) a nonprofit organization;
            (2) a veterans service organization;
            (3) a public agency;
            (4) a community-based organization; or
            (5) an institution of higher education.
    (c) Application.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under the 
pilot program shall submit to the Secretary an application therefor at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the 
Secretary may require.
    (d) Selection.--The Secretary shall select eligible entities that 
submit applications under subsection (c) for the award of grants under 
the pilot program using a competitive process that takes into account 
the following:
            (1) Capacity of the applicant entity to serve veterans and 
        family members of veterans.
            (2) Demonstrated need of the population the applicant 
        entity would serve.
            (3) Demonstrated need of the applicant entity for 
        assistance from the grant.
            (4) Such other criteria as the Secretary considers 
        appropriate.
    (e) Distribution.--The Secretary shall ensure, to the extent 
practicable, an equitable geographic distribution of grants awarded 
under this section.
    (f) Minimum Program Requirements.--Any grant awarded under this 
section shall be used--
            (1) to carry out a collaboration between one or more 
        eligible entities and one or more Vet Centers or other 
        facilities of the Department for five years;
            (2) to increase participation in nutrition counseling 
        programs and provide educational materials and counseling to 
        veterans and family members of veterans to address food 
        insecurity and healthy diets among those individuals;
            (3) to increase access to and enrollment in Federal 
        assistance programs, including the supplemental nutrition 
        assistance program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 
        U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), the special supplemental nutrition 
        program for women, infants, and children established by section 
        17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786), the 
        low-income home energy assistance program established under the 
        Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8621 
        et seq.), and any other assistance program that the Secretary 
        considers advisable; and
            (4) to fulfill such other criteria as the Secretary 
        considers appropriate to further the purpose of the grant and 
        serve veterans.
    (g) Provision of Information.--Each entity that receives a grant 
under this section shall provide to the Secretary, at least once each 
year during the duration of the grant term, data on--
            (1) the number of veterans and family members of veterans 
        screened for, and enrolled in, programs described in paragraphs 
        (2) and (3) of subsection (f);
            (2) other services provided by the entity to veterans and 
        family members of veterans using funds from the grant; and
            (3) such other data as the Secretary may require.
    (h) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate 
committees of Congress a report on the status of the implementation of 
this section.
    (i) Government Accountability Office Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date on 
        which the pilot program terminates, the Comptroller General of 
        the United States shall submit to Congress a report evaluating 
        the effectiveness of the activities carried out under this 
        section in reducing food insecurity among veterans and family 
        members of veterans.
            (2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) A summary of the activities carried out under 
                this section.
                    (B) An assessment of the effectiveness of the 
                grants awarded under this section, including with 
                respect to eligibility screening contacts, application 
                assistance consultations, and changes in food 
                insecurity among the population served by the grant.
                    (C) Best practices regarding the use of 
                partnerships to improve the effectiveness of public 
                benefit programs to address food insecurity among 
                veterans and family members of veterans.
                    (D) An assessment of the feasibility and 
                advisability of extending the term of the pilot 
                program.
    (j) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
        carry out the pilot program established under subsection (a) 
        $50,000,000 for each fiscal year in which the program is 
        carried out, beginning with the fiscal year in which the 
        program is established.
            (2) Administrative expenses.--Of the amounts authorized to 
        be appropriated under paragraph (1), not more than 5 percent 
        may be used for administrative expenses of the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs associated with administering grants under 
        this section.
    (k) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the 
                Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the 
                Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (2) Facilities of the department.--The term ``facilities of 
        the Department'' has the meaning given that term in section 
        1701(3) of title 38, United States Code.
            (3) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
            (4) Public agency.--The term ``public agency'' means a 
        department, agency, other unit, or instrumentality of Federal, 
        State, Tribal, or local government.
            (5) State.--The term ``State'' means each State and 
        Territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, and 
        the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
            (6) Veteran.--The term ``veteran'' means an individual who 
        served in the Armed Forces, including an individual who served 
        in a reserve component of the Armed Forces, and who was 
        discharged or released therefrom, regardless of the conditions 
        of such discharge or release.
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