[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2736 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2736

   To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award grants to 
  provide for a national toll-free hotline to provide information and 
                        assistance to veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 5, 1999

Mrs. Capps (for herself, Mr. Evans, and Mr. Kuykendall) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award grants to 
  provide for a national toll-free hotline to provide information and 
                        assistance to veterans.

    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' Emergency Telephone 
Service Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL VETERANS ASSISTANCE HOTLINE GRANT.

    (a) Authority to Award Grants.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
may award a grant to a private, nonprofit entity to provide for the 
operation of a national, toll-free telephone hotline to provide 
information and assistance to veterans and their families, including 
crisis intervention counseling, general information with respect to 
veterans benefits under title 38, United States Code, referrals to 
appropriate individuals with expertise in such veterans benefits, and 
information with respect to the provision of emergency shelter and 
food, substance abuse rehabilitation, employment training and 
opportunities, and small business assistance programs.
    (b) Duration.--A grant under this section may extend over a period 
of not more than two years.
    (c) Annual Approval.--The provision of payments under a grant under 
this section shall be subject to annual approval by the Secretary and 
subject to the availability of appropriations for each fiscal year to 
make the payments.
    (d) Activities.--Funds received by an entity under this section 
shall be used to establish and operate a national, toll-free telephone 
hotline to provide information and assistance to veterans. In 
establishing and operating the hotline, a private, nonprofit entity 
shall--
            (1) contract with a carrier for the use of a toll-free 
        telephone line;
            (2) employ, train, and supervise personnel to answer 
        incoming calls and provide counseling and referral services to 
        callers on a 24-hour-a-day basis;
            (3) assemble and maintain a current database of information 
        relating to services for veterans to which callers may be 
        referred throughout the United States; and
            (4) publicize the hotline to potential users throughout the 
        United States.
    (e) Application.--A grant may not be made under this section unless 
an application for such grant has been approved by the Secretary. To be 
approved by the Secretary under this subsection an application shall--
            (1) contain such agreements, assurances, and information, 
        be in such form and be submitted in such manner as the 
        Secretary shall prescribe through notice in the Federal 
        Register;
            (2) include a complete description of the applicant's plan 
        for the operation of a national veterans assistance hotline 
        grant, including descriptions of--
                    (A) the training program for hotline personnel;
                    (B) the hiring criteria for hotline personnel;
                    (C) the methods for the creation, maintenance and 
                updating of a resource database;
                    (D) a plan for publicizing the availability of the 
                hotline;
                    (E) a plan for providing service to non-English 
                speaking callers, including hotline personnel who speak 
                Spanish; and
                    (F) a plan for facilitating access to the hotline 
                by persons with hearing impairments;
            (3) demonstrate that the applicant has nationally 
        recognized expertise in the area of furnishing assistance to 
        veterans and a record of high quality service in furnishing 
        such assistance, including a demonstration of support from 
        advocacy groups, such as Veterans Service Organizations; and
            (4) contain such other information as the Secretary may 
        require.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        carry out this section $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2000 
        and 2001.
            (2) Availability.--Funds authorized to be appropriated 
        under paragraph (1) shall remain available until expended.
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