[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 41 (Monday, March 26, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S2898]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. FIENGOLD (for himself and Mr. Bond):
  S. 612. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to require the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and implement an annual plan 
for outreach regarding veterans benefits, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, today I am introducing a measure that 
will help ensure that all of our nation's veterans who earned benefits 
through their service receive those benefits. I am pleased to be joined 
today by the senior Senator from Missouri, Senator Bond. As chairman of 
the Appropriations Subcommittee on Veterans, Housing and Urban 
Development, he has long been a strong advocate for our veterans.
  Late last year the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) 
launched a statewide program called I Owe You. Under the direction of 
Secretary Ray Boland, the I Owe You program encourages veterans to 
apply, or re-apply, for benefits that they earned from their service to 
the United States.
  As part of this program, WDVA held an outreach event in Milwaukee 
where veterans could apply for benefits--more than 1,500 veterans and 
family members attended the event and many started the process of 
receiving the benefits owed to them. This was only the first of their 
``supermarkets of veterans benefits'' that they plan to hold across the 
State.
  The State of Wisconsin is performing a service that is clearly the 
obligation of the Department of Veterans Affairs. These are federal 
benefits that we owe our veterans and it is the Federal Government's 
obligation to make sure that they receive them. Obviously, we must make 
a greater effort if more than 1,500 people in the Milwaukee area alone 
attended this event.
  This bill calls upon the Department of Veterans Affairs to take on 
the responsibility of better informing our veterans about the benefits 
and services they have earned. Under the National I Owe You Act, the 
Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs will develop and 
implement a plan to encourage veterans to apply for their benefits, 
identify those entitled to benefits who aren't currently receiving 
them, and notify veterans of any modifications to veterans benefits 
programs.
  The American people are indebted to our nation's veterans. As a 
result of their loyal service and sacrifice, we maintain our freedoms 
and rights. It's time that we do right by our veterans and honor the 
commitment that we made to the men and women who served our country in 
the Armed Forces.
  I urge my colleagues to support the National I Owe You Act to ensure 
that this commitment is honored.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 612

       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 ``National I Owe You Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ANNUAL PLAN FOR 
                   OUTREACH REGARDING VETERANS BENEFITS.

       (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) The mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
     includes acting as a principal advocate for veterans in order 
     to assure that veterans receive the benefits to which they 
     are entitled as a result of service to the nation.
       (2) The Veterans Benefits Administration of the Department 
     of Veterans Affairs is responsible for the timely and 
     accurate distribution of benefits to veterans and their 
     dependents.
       (3) Only 2,600,000 of the 24,000,000 living United States 
     veterans are receiving benefits through the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs.
       (4) There may be veterans entitled to veterans benefits who 
     are not aware of their entitlement to such benefits.
       (5) The Veterans Benefits Administration needs to take more 
     aggressive actions to ensure that all veterans are aware of 
     the veterans benefits to which they are entitled.
       (6) The State of Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs 
     recently initiated a program that permits veterans to apply 
     at one location for benefits such as health care, disability 
     compensation, education, and job training.
       (b) Annual Plan.--Subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 38, 
     United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new section:

     ``Sec. 531. Annual plan for outreach regarding veterans 
       benefits

       ``(a) Development.--The Secretary shall, on an annual 
     basis, develop a plan for the outreach activities of the 
     Department regarding veterans benefits during the year 
     covered by such plan.
       ``(b) Plan Elements.--(1) Each plan under this section 
     shall include the following elements:
       ``(A) A program to encourage veterans to apply for veterans 
     benefits.
       ``(B) A program to identify veterans entitled to veterans 
     benefits who are not currently receiving such benefits.
       ``(C) A program to notify veterans of any modifications to 
     veterans benefits programs.
       ``(D) Such other programs or elements as the Secretary 
     considers appropriate.
       ``(2) A plan under this section for a year may consist of 
     an update of the plan under this section for the previous 
     year, taking into account changes in circumstances over time.
       ``(c) Consultation.--In developing a plan under subsection 
     (a), the Secretary shall consult with directors of the 
     veterans agencies of the States, appropriate representatives 
     of veterans service organizations and other veterans advocacy 
     groups, and such other persons as the Secretary considers 
     appropriate.
       ``(d) Implementation.--The Secretary shall implement each 
     plan developed under this section.
       ``(e) Veterans Benefits Defined.--In this section the term 
     `veterans benefits' means benefits for veterans under the 
     laws administered by the Secretary.''.
       (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of chapter 5 of that title is amended by inserting 
     after the item relating to section 530 the following new 
     item:

``531. Annual plan for outreach regarding veterans benefits.''.
                                 ______