[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1198 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.1198

                    One Hundred Seventeenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

           Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,
          the third day of January, two thousand and twenty two


                                 An Act


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve and expand the Solid 
   Start program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 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. SHORT TITLE.
    This Act may be cited as the ``Solid Start Act of 2022''.
SEC. 2. SOLID START PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
    (a) In General.--Chapter 63 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subchapter:

        ``SUBCHAPTER II--OTHER OUTREACH PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES

``Sec. 6320. Solid Start program
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall carry out a program, to be 
known as the `Solid Start program', under which the Secretary shall--
        ``(1) build the capacity of the Department to efficiently and 
    effectively respond to the queries and needs of veterans who have 
    recently separated from the Armed Forces; and
        ``(2) systemically integrate and coordinate efforts to assist 
    veterans, including efforts--
            ``(A) to proactively reach out to newly separated veterans 
        to inform them of their eligibility for programs of and 
        benefits provided by the Department; and
            ``(B) to connect veterans in crisis to resources that 
        address their immediate needs.
    ``(b) Activities of the Solid Start Program.--(1) The Secretary, in 
coordination with the Secretary of Defense, shall carry out the Solid 
Start program of the Department by--
        ``(A) collecting up-to-date contact information during 
    transition classes or separation counseling for all members of the 
    Armed Forces who are separating from the Armed Forces, while 
    explaining the existence and purpose of the Solid Start program;
        ``(B) calling each veteran, regardless of separation type or 
    characterization of service, three times within the first year 
    after separation of the veteran from the Armed Forces;
        ``(C) providing information about the Solid Start program on 
    the website of the Department and in materials of the Department, 
    especially transition booklets and other resources;
        ``(D) ensuring calls are truly tailored to the needs of each 
    veteran's unique situation by conducting quality assurance tests;
        ``(E) prioritizing outreach to veterans who have accessed 
    mental health resources prior to separation from the Armed Forces;
        ``(F) providing women veterans with information that is 
    tailored to their specific health care and benefit needs;
        ``(G) as feasible, providing information on access to State and 
    local resources, including Vet Centers and veterans service 
    organizations; and
        ``(H) gathering and analyzing data assessing the effectiveness 
    of the Solid Start program.
    ``(2) The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, 
may carry out the Solid Start program by--
        ``(A) encouraging members of the Armed Forces who are 
    transitioning to civilian life to authorize alternate points of 
    contact who can be reached should the member be unavailable during 
    the first year following the separation of the member from the 
    Armed Forces; and
        ``(B) following up missed phone calls with tailored mailings to 
    ensure the veteran still receives similar information.
    ``(3) In this subsection:
        ``(A) The term `Vet Center' has the meaning given that term in 
    section 1712A(h) of this title.
        ``(B) The term `veterans service organization' means an 
    organization recognized by the Secretary for the representation of 
    veterans under section 5902 of this title.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Chapter 63 of such title, as amended by 
subsection (a), is further amended--
        (1) by inserting before section 6301 the following:

              ``Subchapter I--Outreach Services Program'';

    and
        (2) in sections 6301, 6303, 6304, 6305, 6306, and 6307, by 
    striking ``this chapter'' each place it appears and inserting 
    ``this subchapter''.
    (c) Clerical Amendments.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 63 of such title is amended--
        (1) by inserting before the item relating to section 6301 the 
    following new item:

               ``subchapter i--outreach services program'';

    and
        (2) by adding at the end the following new items:

         ``subchapter ii--other outreach programs and activities

``6320. Solid Start program.''.


                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.