Title: Every Veteran Counts Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Every Veteran Counts Act
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct a national survey of veterans in a manner to include a statistically valid sample of veterans by specified demographic information, including gender identity and age. The survey shall also include specified groups of veterans, such as World War II veterans and Korean conflict era veterans.
The VA shall report on the results of the survey and publish such report on a publicly accessible VA website.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5689 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5689

  To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a national 
                          survey of veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 28, 2020

  Ms. Brownley of California introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a national 
                          survey of 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 ``Every Veteran Counts Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Department of Veterans Affairs provides a variety 
        of benefits and services to over 20,000,000 veterans who have 
        served the Nation.
            (2) Pursuant to section 527 of title 38, United States 
        Code, the Department of Veterans Affairs has conducted the 
        National Survey of Veterans to assess the status of all 
        veterans.
            (3) The Department of Veterans Affairs has conducted this 
        National Survey of Veterans in the late 1970s, 1987, 1993, 
        2001, and 2010.
            (4) The last survey conducted in 2010 included veterans and 
        other beneficiary groups such as members of the Armed Forces 
        serving on active duty, demobilized National Guard and Reserve 
        members, spouses, and surviving spouses.
            (5) The 2010 survey included information on demographics, 
        awareness and utilization of benefits, health status, military 
        service, and employment.
            (6) These surveys provide the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs, Congress, State and local governments, and various 
        organizations that serve veterans valuable information on the 
        veteran population.
            (7) This information is utilized to inform policymaking 
        efforts and to ensure the needs of the ever-changing veteran 
        population are met.
            (8) As the data from the 2010 survey is nearly a decade 
        old, conducting a new survey will provide more current and 
        accurate data on veterans and other beneficiaries.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL SURVEY OF VETERANS.

    (a) Survey.--Not later than 365 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct 
a national survey of veterans in a manner to include a statistically 
valid sample of veterans by--
            (1) gender identity (including male, woman, transgender, 
        gender diverse);
            (2) age;
            (3) educational level;
            (4) race and ethnicity;
            (5) sexual orientation;
            (6) marital status;
            (7) whether the veteran has dependent children;
            (8) income amount and source of income;
            (9) living arrangement;
            (10) employment;
            (11) reasons for not seeking employment, if applicable;
            (12) branch of service;
            (13) period of service;
            (14) whether the veteran served in the National Guard or a 
        reserve component;
            (15) whether the veteran served in a combat theater of 
        operations or war zone;
            (16) whether the veteran was exposed to dead, dying, or 
        wounded people while serving on active duty;
            (17) prisoner of war status;
            (18) whether the veteran was definitely or probably exposed 
        to environment hazards while in military service;
            (19) whether the veteran is enrolled in the patient 
        enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs under 
        section 1705 of title 38, United States Code;
            (20) whether the veteran is in receipt of Department of 
        Veterans Affairs benefits and services and if not, why;
            (21) whether the veteran has participated in veterans 
        treatment courts;
            (22) whether the veteran is a justice-involved veteran;
            (23) disability rating; and
            (24) whether the veteran experienced military sexual 
        trauma.
    (b) Groups of Veterans.--The survey conducted pursuant to 
subsection (a) shall include the following groups:
            (1) World War II veterans.
            (2) Korean conflict era veterans.
            (3) Vietnam era veterans.
            (4) Persian Gulf era veterans.
            (5) Veterans of the conflicts in Lebanon in 1982 and 1983, 
        Grenada in 1983, and Panama in 1989 and 1990.
            (6) Post-9/11 era veterans.
            (7) Veterans who served during peacetime.
            (8) Members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty.
            (9) National Guard and Reserve members activated under 
        title 10, United States Code.
            (10) Family members and survivors of veterans and members 
        of the Armed Forces.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the completion of the 
survey conducted pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall--
            (1) submit to Congress a report on the results of the 
        survey; and
            (2) publish such report on a publicly accessible website of 
        the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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