[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1198 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1198

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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 15, 2021

 Ms. Hassan (for herself, Mr. Cramer, and Mr. Cassidy) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
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 2021''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) In 2021, veterans continue to die by suicide at higher 
        rates than civilians. Many of those veterans have no ties to 
        the Department of Veterans Affairs, limiting the ability of the 
        Department to help in times of crisis.
            (2) The first year after separating from the military is a 
        critical time in the transition to civilian life for a member 
        of the Armed Forces. Many changes occur during that transition, 
        from career and location changes to shifts in financial 
        circumstances and health care coverage.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that the United States must strive to 
better serve members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are 
transitioning to civilian life by--
            (1) providing up-to-date information and access to 
        resources that such members of the Armed Forces and veterans 
        may not be aware of;
            (2) supporting the critical time of transition by ensuring 
        that mental health needs are met in a timely manner; and
            (3) assisting members of the Armed Forces and veterans in 
        accessing newly available services.

SEC. 4. 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) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are--
            ``(1) to 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) to 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;
            ``(B) following up missed phone calls with tailored 
        mailings to ensure the veteran still receives similar 
        information; and
            ``(C) striving to reach out to veterans who separated prior 
        to the initiation of the Solid Start program to provide similar 
        services to those veterans, as feasible.
    ``(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.
    ``(c) Obligations of Amounts.--Subject to the availability of 
appropriations, the Secretary may not, in a fiscal year, obligate an 
amount to carry out the Solid Start program that is less than the total 
amount obligated in the previous fiscal year to carry out the program, 
unless the Secretary determines that increased efficiencies of the 
program warrant the obligation of a lesser amount.''.
    (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 contents 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.''.
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