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.

Bill: 116-hr-2972
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Brindisi, Anthony [D-NY-22]
Introduced: 2019-05-23
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Government information and archives

Telephone and wireless communication

Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation

Veterans' loans, housing, homeless programs

Veterans' medical care

Veterans' organizations and recognition

Women's employment

Women's health
Latest action: action_date: 2019-09-11
text: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-05-23
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>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.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2972 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.

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. 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.