Title: To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve the communications of the Department of Veterans Affairs relating to services available for women veterans, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to (1) expand the capabilities of the Women Veterans Call Center by including a text messaging capability, and (2) publish a website providing information for women veterans about the benefits and services available to them.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2972 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2972

      To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve the 
   communications of the Department of Veterans Affairs relating to 
     services available for women veterans, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 23, 2019

 Mr. Brindisi (for himself and Mrs. Walorski) introduced the following 
     bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve the 
   communications of the Department of Veterans Affairs relating to 
     services available for women veterans, 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. EXPANSION OF CAPABILITIES OF WOMEN VETERANS CALL CENTER TO 
              INCLUDE TEXT MESSAGING.

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall expand the capabilities of 
the Women Veterans Call Center of the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
include a text messaging capability.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT FOR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS INTERNET WEBSITE 
              TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON SERVICES AVAILABLE TO WOMEN 
              VETERANS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall survey the 
internet websites and information resources of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs in effect on the day before the date of the enactment 
of this Act and publish an internet website that serves as a 
centralized source for the provision to women veterans of information 
about the benefits and services available to them under laws 
administered by the Secretary.
    (b) Elements.--The internet website published under subsection (a) 
shall provide to women veterans information regarding all of the 
services available in the district in which that the veteran is seeking 
such services, including, with respect to each medical center and 
community-based outpatient clinic in the applicable Veterans Integrated 
Service Network--
            (1) the name and contact information of each women's health 
        coordinator;
            (2) a list of appropriate staff for other benefits 
        available from the Veterans Benefits Administration, the 
        National Cemetery Administration, and such other entities as 
        the Secretary considers appropriate; and
            (3) such other information as the Secretary considers 
        appropriate.
    (c) Updated Information.--The Secretary shall ensure that the 
information described in subsection (b) that is published on the 
internet website required by subsection (a) is updated not less 
frequently than once every 90 days.
    (d) Outreach.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall 
ensure that the outreach conducted under section 1720F(i) of title 38, 
United States Code, includes information regarding the internet website 
required by subsection (a).
    (e) Derivation of Funds.--Amounts used by the Secretary to carry 
out this section shall be derived from amounts made available to the 
Secretary to publish internet websites of the Department.
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