3.0.0 4724 2023-01-11T13:44:41Z 2023-01-11T13:44:41Z Senate S 2020-09-24 116 ssva00 Veterans' Affairs Committee Senate Standing Referred to 2020-09-24T20:00:43Z Solid Start Act of 2020 116 8819 HR 2020-11-24 Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Related bill CRS 2020-09-24 ssva00 Veterans' Affairs Committee Senate Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. IntroReferral 2020-09-24 Introduced in Senate IntroReferral 10000 9 Library of Congress H001076 Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH] Maggie Hassan D NH N C001096 Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND] Kevin Cramer R ND 2020-09-24 True C001075 Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA] Bill Cassidy R LA 2020-09-24 True Armed Forces and National Security Congressional oversight Government information and archives Government studies and investigations Health care coverage and access Mental health Military personnel and dependents Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation Veterans' loans, housing, homeless programs Veterans' medical care Veterans' pensions and compensation Armed Forces and National Security 00 2020-09-24 Introduced in Senate 2021-02-10T21:04:38Z Solid Start Act of 2020

This bill permanently authorizes and expands the Solid Start program, which is an outreach program for veterans in their first year of separation from the military.

Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to coordinate with the Department of Defense to

  • collect updated contact information during transition classes or separation counseling for members of the Armed Forces who are separating from service,
  • explain the existence and purpose of the program,
  • call veterans at least twice within the first year of separation,
  • publish information about the program in booklets and on the VA website,
  • ensure calls are tailored to each veteran's needs by conducting quality assurance tests, and
  • prioritize outreach to veterans who have accessed mental health resources prior to separation from the Armed Forces.

Under the bill, the VA is authorized to (1) encourage members of the Armed Forces to provide additional contact information if they are unreachable following their separation, (2) follow up on missed phone calls, and (3) reach out to veterans who separated prior to the initiation of the Solid Start program.

The Government Accountability Office must assess and report on the Solid Start program.

]]> Solid Start Act of 2020 Display Title Solid Start Act of 2020 Short Title(s) as Introduced Solid Start Act of 2020 Introduced in Senate IS Official Title as Introduced A bill to improve and expand the Solid Start program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Introduced in Senate IS Introduced in Senate 2020-09-24T04:00:00Z https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-116s4724is/xml/BILLS-116s4724is.xml 2020-09-24 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress This file contains bill summaries and statuses for federal legislation. A bill summary describes the most significant provisions of a piece of legislation and details the effects the legislative text may have on current law and federal programs. Bill summaries are authored by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress. As stated in Public Law 91-510 (2 USC 166 (d)(6)), one of the duties of CRS is "to prepare summaries and digests of bills and resolutions of a public general nature introduced in the Senate or House of Representatives". For more information, refer to the User Guide that accompanies this file.