1.This Act may be cited as the
Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of
2009
.
2.Authorities and
requirements for enhancement of outreach of activities Department of Veterans
Affairs
(a)Chapter 5 of title
38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new
subchapter:
IV
561.Outreach activities:
funding
(a)Separate
account for outreach activitiesThe Secretary shall establish a separate
account for the funding of the outreach activities of the Department, and shall
establish within such account a separate subaccount for the funding of the
outreach activities of each element of the Department specified in subsection
(c).
(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 for such fiscal year for activities as follows:
(1)For outreach activities of the Department
in aggregate.
(2)For outreach activities of each element of
the Department specified in subsection (c).
(c)The elements of the
Department specified in this subsection are as follows:
(1)The Veterans Health Administration.
(2)The Veterans Benefits
Administration.
(3)The National Cemetery
Administration.
562.Outreach activities:
coordination of activities within Department
(a)Procedures for
effective coordinationThe
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)periodically review the procedures
maintained under subsection (a) for the purpose of ensuring that such
procedures meet the requirement in that subsection; and
(2)make such modifications to such procedures
as the Secretary considers appropriate in light of such review in order to
better achieve that purpose.
563.Grants to State and
local governments and nonprofit community-based organizations for improvement
of outreach
(a)It is the purpose of this section to assist
State and local governments and nonprofit community-based organizations in
carrying out programs that offer a high probability of improving outreach and
assistance to veterans, and to the spouses, children, and parents of veterans
who may be eligible to receive veterans’ or veterans’-related benefits, to
ensure that such individuals are fully informed about, and assisted in applying
for, any veterans’ and veterans’-related benefits and programs (including under
State veterans’ programs).
(b)(1)The Secretary may award grants to State and
local governments and nonprofit community-based organizations in order to
achieve purposes as follows:
(A)To
carry out, coordinate, improve, or otherwise enhance outreach.
(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.
(2)A
veterans agency of a State receiving a grant under this subsection may use the
grant amount for purposes described in paragraph (1) or award all or any
portion of such grant amount to local governments in such State, other public
entities in such State, or nonprofit community-based organizations in such
State for such purposes.
(c)Amounts available for the Department for
outreach in the account under section 561 of this title shall be available for
activities under this section, including grants under subsection
(b).
.
(b)The table of
sections at the beginning of chapter 5 of such title is amended by adding at
the end the following new items:
Subchapter
IV—Outreach
561. Outreach activities:
funding.
562. Outreach activities:
coordination of activities within Department.
563. Grants to State and local
governments and community-based organizations for improvement of
outreach.
.