Serving Our LGBTQ Veterans Act

Bill: 117-hr-5776
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Kahele, Kaiali'i [D-HI-2]
Introduced: 2021-10-28
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Department of Veterans Affairs

Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
Latest action: action_date: 2022-07-19
text: Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 19 - 11.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-10-28
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Serving Our LGBTQ Veterans Act</strong></p> <p>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.<br> </p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5776 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 28, 2021 Mr. Kahele (for himself, Ms. Mace , Mr. Ryan , Ms. Dean , Ms. Titus , Ms. Jacobs of California , Ms. Norton , Ms. Davids of Kansas , Mr. Vargas , Mr. Kildee , Mr. Auchincloss , Mr. Moulton , Mr. Case , Mrs. Luria , and Mrs. Hayes ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BILL 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Serving Our LGBTQ Veterans Act . 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): 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. .