1.This Act may be cited as
the Veterans One Source Act of
2010
.
2.One-stop
Internet website for information on benefits, resources, services, and
opportunities for veterans and their families and caregivers
(a)Congress
makes the following findings:
(1)One of the most critical problems
identified by veterans and their families and caregivers is a lack of easily
accessible information and advice on benefits, resources, services, and
opportunities for members of the veteran community.
(2)A guiding principle of the Department of
Veterans Affairs in bringing the Department into the 21st century is to ensure
coordination between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of
Defense to provide a seamless transition from military life to civilian
life.
(3)The Department of Veterans Affairs has also
emphasized its intent to modernize, streamline, and simplify the provision of
resources to the veteran community, including through the elimination of paper
waste.
(4)The Internet increasingly serves as an
essential communication tool for all sectors of society and should be used
efficiently and effectively as a tool to provide interactive outreach to the
veteran community.
(5)The Department of Veterans Affairs, the
Department of Labor, and other departments and agencies of the Federal
Government have taken strong steps to improve outreach to veterans, including
through the creation of Internet websites for specific veteran populations,
such as the National Resource Directory for wounded veterans.
(6)However, the lack of a single,
all-inclusive, user-friendly Internet website with all relevant information on
benefits, resources, services, and opportunities for veterans and their
families and caregivers continues to impede the seamless transition of veterans
from military life to civilian life.
(7)Moreover, veterans and their families and
caregivers continue to seek direct and personalized assistance from the
Department of Veterans Affairs that could be effectively and efficiently
supplemented by strong, interactive online services.
(8)The Department of Defense has implemented
an effective and well-used program, Military One Source, that includes an
Internet website with consolidated information for members of the Armed Forces
on active duty.
(9)The Department of Defense has also
successfully employed various interactive, virtual tools on its Internet
websites to provide a higher quality virtual Internet experience to members of
the Armed Forces.
(10)The veterans community would be well-served
by the establishment of a single, consolidated, expanded, and interactive
Internet website to ensure streamlined and simplified access to all information
and advice on benefits, resources, services, and opportunities available to
veterans and their families and caregivers.
(b)One-Stop
Internet website for information on benefits, resources, services, and
opportunities for veterans and their families and caregivers
(1)The Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall establish and maintain an interactive Internet website
that provides information on the benefits, resources, services, and
opportunities described in subsection (d). The Secretary may enter into a
contract with an appropriate Federal or private sector entity for purposes of
establishing or maintaining the website.
(2)The website
shall—
(A)serve to consolidate, expand on, and
improve information and links from other existing Internet websites relating to
the benefits, resources, services, and opportunities described in subsection
(d), and may include such other information and links on such benefits,
resources, services, and opportunities as the Secretary considers appropriate;
and
(B)integrate dynamic
Internet features and virtual interface tools described in subsection (e) to
provide veterans a personalized, interactive, and user-centered Internet
experience and increase interoperability, facilitate collaborative information
sharing, and streamline provision of information and advice to veterans and
their families and caregivers.
(3)Utilization of
existing website in establishmentIn establishing the website,
the Secretary may utilize an existing Internet website, such as the National
Resource Directory for wounded veterans, as the basis for the website, in order
to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort.
(4)The
Secretary of Veterans Affairs carry out activities under this subsection in
consultation with the following:
(A)The Secretary of
Defense, particularly with respect to the Military One Source program and other
interactive virtual tools employed by the Department of Defense.
(B)The Secretary of
Labor.
(C)The Secretary of
Education.
(D)The Commissioner
of Internal Revenue.
(E)The Commissioner
of Social Security.
(F)The Administrator
of the Small Business Administration.
(G)Any other Federal
officials that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs considers appropriate for
purposes of this section.
(H)Appropriate advisory committees on veterans
matters.
(I)Other representatives, individuals, and
organizations specified in section 6302(c) of title 38, United States
Code.
(c)Domain and name
of website
(1)In
establishing the Internet website under subsection (b) the Secretary shall
consider the advisability of registering the website in the .com
domain, rather than the .gov
domain, and shall register the
website in the .com
domain if the Secretary considers
registration of the website in that domain advisable.
(2)The
name selected for the website shall be a name intended to reveal the website as
a single, one-stop resource for veterans and their families and caregivers on
the benefits, resources, services, and opportunities described in subsection
(d).
(d)Benefits,
resources, services, and opportunitiesThe benefits, resources,
services, and opportunities described in this subsection are benefits,
resources, services, and opportunities as follows:
(1)Veterans benefits provided by or through
the Department of Veterans Affairs, including pension and compensation
benefits, health care benefits (including mental health care benefits),
education assistance and benefits, housing assistance and benefits, and other
assistance and benefits.
(2)Veterans benefits provided by or through
the Department of Labor, including employment and reemployment benefits, and
other benefits provided by or through the Department of Labor.
(3)Tax benefits.
(4)Social security benefits.
(5)Veterans benefits provided by or through
the Small Business Administration, including assistance related to small
business, and other benefits provided by or though the Small Business
Administration.
(6)Resources, services, and opportunities such
as—
(A)resources for families;
(B)resources on child care;
(C)resources on home care;
(D)resources for caregivers;
(E)resources for
education professionals, mental health professionals, and other professionals
that provide for veterans;
(F)resources on stress management and mental
health care;
(G)resources on veterans service organizations
(including website links to organization locators and claims
assistance);
(H)information and
links on State and local resources;
(I)information on discounts available to
veterans;
(J)information and resources on volunteer
opportunities available to veterans, including opportunities at Department of
Veterans Affairs medical centers;
(K)information and resources on community
events; and
(L)such other information and resources as the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs considers appropriate for purposes of the website
required by this section.
(7)Assistance in applying for and receiving
benefits and resources under paragraphs (1) through (6).
(8)Such other benefits, resources, services,
opportunities, and assistance as the Secretary considers appropriate for
purposes of the website.
(e)In incorporating interactive features in the Internet
website required by this section pursuant to subsection (b)(2)(B), the
Secretary should incorporate the following:
(1)Tools such as interactive, animated virtual
guides, to guide users through the website.
(2)Resources on peer-to-peer discussions,
workshops, and other interactive services for veterans and their families and
caregivers.
(3)Information on ride-sharing for
appointments.
(4)Memorial notices.
(5)Internet
applications.
(6)Such other interactive features as the
Secretary considers appropriate.
(f)Inclusion of
information on website in biennial reports relating to outreach
activities
(1)The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall include in each
biennial plan on outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs
under section 6302 of title 38, United States Code, the plans of the Department
for the period covered by such report for improving and enhancing the Internet
website required by this section to better provide information on the benefits,
resources, services, and opportunities described in subsection (d) and to
otherwise enhance the website as a source and point of contract for information
on such benefits, resources, services, and opportunities.
(2)The Secretary shall include in each biennial report on
outreach activities of the Department under section 6308 of title 38, United
States Code, a description of the manner in which the Internet website required
by this section contributed to the outreach activities of the Secretary,
including outreach activities under chapter 63 of such title.