[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 67 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 67
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the outreach
activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 4, 2007
Mr. McIntyre introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the outreach
activities 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 ``Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of
2007''.
SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENT OF OUTREACH ACTIVITIES WITHIN DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) In General.--Chapter 5 of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new subchapter:
``SUBCHAPTER IV--OUTREACH ACTIVITIES
``Sec. 561. Outreach activities: coordination of activities within the
Department
``(a) The Secretary shall establish and maintain procedures for
ensuring the effective coordination of the outreach activities of the
Department between and among the following:
``(1) The Office of the Secretary.
``(2) The Office of Public Affairs.
``(3) The Veterans Health Administration.
``(4) The Veterans Benefits Administration.
``(5) The National Cemetery Administration.
``(b) The Secretary shall--
``(1) annually review the procedures in effect under
subsection (a) for the purpose of ensuring that those
procedures meet the requirements of that subsection; and
``(2) make such modifications to those procedures as the
Secretary considers appropriate in light of such review in
order to better achieve that purpose.
``Sec. 562. Outreach activities: cooperative activities with States;
grants to States for improvement of outreach
``(a) It is the purpose of this section to provide for assistance
by the Secretary to the States in carrying out programs within their
respective jurisdiction that offer a high probability of improving
outreach and assistance to veterans, and to the spouses, children, and
parents of veterans, so as to ensure that such individuals are fully
informed about, and assisted in applying for, any veterans' and
veterans-related benefits and programs (including State veterans'
programs) for which they may be eligible.
``(b) The Secretary shall ensure that, as a condition of the
provision of assistance by the Secretary under this section, that such
assistance is provided for outreach and assistance under State and
county veteran service programs referred to in subsection (a) in
locations--
``(1) that have relatively large concentrations of
populations of veterans and other individuals referred to in
subsection (a); or
``(2) that are experiencing growth in the population of
veterans and other individuals referred to in subsection (a).
``(c) The Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements and
arrangements with State veterans agencies in order to carry out,
coordinate, improve, or otherwise enhance outreach by the Department
and the States (including outreach with respect to State veterans'
programs).
``(d)(1) The Secretary may make grants to State veterans agencies
in order to achieve the following purposes:
``(A) To carry out, coordinate, improve, or otherwise
enhance outreach, including activities pursuant to cooperative
agreements and arrangements under subsection (c).
``(B) To carry out, coordinate, improve, or otherwise
enhance activities to assist in the development and submittal
of claims for veterans' and veterans-related benefits,
including activities pursuant to cooperative agreements and
arrangements under subsection (c).
``(2) A State veterans agency receiving a grant under this
subsection shall use the grant amount for purposes described in
paragraph (1) by--
``(A) awarding a portion of such grant amount to local
governments of that State that provide veterans outreach
services, to be awarded on the basis of the number of veterans
residing in the jurisdiction of that local government;
``(B) awarding a portion of such grant amount to local
governments in that State seeking to establish a program of
outreach services; and
``(C) using the remainder for outreach activities of that
State veterans agency.
``(3) No portion of the amount of a grant to a State under this
subsection may be used at the State level for the purpose of
administering those funds.
``(4) Federal funds provided to a State by a grant under this
subsection may not be used to provide more than 50 percent of the total
cost of such State and local government activities and shall be used to
expand existing outreach programs and services, not to supplant
existing State and local funding. The Secretary shall allocate funds to
the States for grants under this subsection on the basis of the veteran
population of the respective States.
``(5)(A) In a case in which a unit of local government does not
have a veteran services program, funds from a grant under this
subsection may be used to establish such a program.
``(B) In a case in which a unit of local government does not have
such a program and does not seek to establish such a program through
assistance from a grant amount under this subsection, the State
veterans agency may use funds available under this subsection to
provide outreach services for that local government jurisdiction.
``(C) In the case of a State in which State and local government
veteran service programs do not seek to receive a grant amount under
this subsection, the funds for that State shall be reallocated to those
States in which local government veteran service programs exist and
have chosen to seek to receive a grant amount under this subsection.
``(6) Funds made available through a grant under this subsection
may be used for education and training for State and local government
employees who provide (or when trained will provide) veterans outreach
services in order for those employees to obtain accreditation in
accordance with procedures approved by the Secretary and, for employees
so accredited, for purposes of continuing education.
``(7) In this subsection, the term `State veterans agency' means
the element of the government of a State that has responsibility for
programs and activities of that State government relating to veterans
benefits.
``Sec. 563. Outreach activities: funding
``(a) Amounts for the outreach activities of the Department under
this subchapter shall be budgeted and appropriated through a separate
appropriation account.
``(b) In the budget justification materials submitted to Congress
in support of the Department budget for any fiscal year (as submitted
with the budget of the President under section 1105(a) of title 31),
the Secretary shall include a separate statement of the amount
requested to be appropriated for that fiscal year for the account
specified in subsection (a).
``Sec. 564. Definition of outreach
``For purposes of this subchapter, the term `outreach' means the
act or process of taking steps in a systematic manner to provide
information, services, and benefits counseling to veterans, and the
survivors of veterans, who may be eligible to receive benefits under
the laws administered by the Secretary to ensure that those individuals
are fully informed about, and assisted in applying for, any benefits
and programs under such laws for which they may be eligible.
``Sec. 565. Authorization of appropriations
``There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for the
purposes of carrying out this subchapter, including the making of
grants under section 562(d) of this title, the amount of $25,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2007, 2008, and 2009.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new items:
``subchapter iv--outreach activities
``561. Outreach activities: coordination of activities within the
Department.
``562. Outreach activities: cooperative activities with States; grants
to States for improvement of outreach.
``563. Outreach activities: funding.
``564. Definition of outreach.
``565. Authorization of appropriations.''.
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