[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2776 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2776

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a program of 
  outreach to veterans of World War II and the Korean conflict on the 
    nature and availability of benefits for veterans, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 7, 2004

  Mr. Specter introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a program of 
  outreach to veterans of World War II and the Korean conflict on the 
    nature and availability of benefits for veterans, 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. PROGRAM OF OUTREACH TO VETERANS OF WORLD WAR II AND KOREAN 
              CONFLICT ON VETERANS BENEFITS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Veterans of World War II and the Korean conflict 
        represent 31.6 percent of the current population of veterans. 
        However, veterans of World War II and the Korean conflict 
        represent only 23.2 percent of the total number of veterans 
        currently receiving disability compensation from the Department 
        of Veterans Affairs.
            (2) Veterans of World War II and the Korean conflict who 
        receive disability compensation have, on average, 1.94 and 2.12 
        disabilities per veteran, respectively, whereas veterans of the 
        Vietnam era and the Persian Gulf War who receive disability 
        compensation have, on average, 2.88 and 3.48 disabilities per 
        veteran, respectively.
            (3) Advances in medical science and technology have 
        improved the understanding of the origins of diseases and 
        disabilities which are associated with military service, 
        including diseases and disabilities that manifest long after 
        the completion of military service.
            (4) Unlike veterans of later periods, veterans of World War 
        II and the Korean conflict did not have the benefit of 
        extensive transition assistance and outreach services now 
        routinely provided by the Department and other government 
        agencies.
            (5) Veterans of World War II and the Korean conflict are 
        dying at the aggregate rate of 1,400 per day.
            (6) It is in the interest of the Nation that the Secretary 
        make every effort to inform veterans of World War II and the 
        Korean conflict of the benefits to which they may be entitled.
    (b) Outreach.--(1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry 
out a program to provide outreach to veterans of World War II and of 
the Korean conflict on the nature and availability of benefits for 
veterans.
    (2) The purpose of the program is to make veterans of World War II 
and of the Korean conflict aware of the veterans benefits to which they 
may be entitled and to encourage such veterans to apply for such 
benefits.
    (3)(A) The program shall include a nationwide public service 
campaign consisting of such elements, and appearing in and through such 
media, as the Secretary considers appropriate for the program.
    (B) Of the amount authorized to be appropriated by subsection (e) 
for the program, $35,000,000 shall be available for the public service 
campaign described in subparagraph (A).
    (4) As part of the program, the Secretary shall establish 
performance measures for the outreach under the program to permit the 
on-going evaluation of the extent and success of the outreach under the 
program.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 24 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report 
on the program under this section. The report shall include the 
following:
            (1) A description of the program, including a detailed 
        description of the outreach conducted under the program.
            (2) A statement of the amount expended on the program.
            (3) An assessment of the effectiveness of the program.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``World War II'' and 
``Korean conflict'' have the meanings given such terms in section 101 
of title 38, United States Code.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this section.
                                 <all>