[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 82 (Thursday, June 5, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7492-S7493]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. FEINGOLD (for himself, Mrs. Lincoln, and Mr. McCain):
  S. 1199. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the 
outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation that 
will help to ensure that all of our veterans know about Federal 
benefits to which they may be entitled by improving outreach programs 
conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
  I am please to be joined in this effort by the Senator from Arkansas, 
Mrs. Lincoln, and the Senator from Arizona, Mr. McCain.
  Three years ago, the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, WDVA, 
launched a statewide program called ``I Owe You.'' Under the direction 
of Secretary Ray Boland, the program encourages veterans to apply, or 
to re-apply, for benefits that they earned from their service in the 
United States military.
  As part of this program, WDVA has sponsored six events around 
Wisconsin called ``Supermarkets of Veterans Benefits'' at which 
veterans can begin the process of learning whether they qualify for 
Federal benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA. These 
events, which are based on a similar program in Georgia, supplement the 
work of Wisconsin's County Veterans Service Officers and veterans 
service organizations by helping our veterans to reconnect with the VA 
and to learn more about services and benefits for which they may be 
eligible. More than 11,000 veterans and their families have attended 
the supermarkets, which include information booths with representatives 
from WDVA, VA, and veterans service organizations, as well as a variety 
of Federal, State, and local agencies. I was proud to have members of 
my staff speak with veterans and their families at a number of these 
events. These events have helped veterans and their families to learn 
about numerous topics, including health care, how to file a disability 
claim, and pre-registration for internment in veterans cemeteries.
  The Institute for Government Innovation at Harvard University's 
Kennedy School of Government recognized the ``I Owe You'' program by 
naming it a semi-finalist for the 2002 Innovations in American 
Government Award. The program was also featured in the March/April 2003 
issue of Disabled American Veterans Magazine.
  The State of Wisconsin is performing a service that is clearly the 
obligation of the VA. These are Federal benefits that we owe to our 
veterans and it is the Federal Government's responsibility to make sure 
that they receive them. The VA has a statutory obligation to perform 
outreach, and current budget pressures should not be used as an excuse 
to halt or reduce these efforts.
  The legislation that I am introducing today was spurred by the 
overwhelming response to the WDVA's ``I Owe You'' program and the 
supermarkets of veterans benefits. If more than 11,000 Wisconsin 
veterans are unaware of benefits that may be owed to them, it is 
troubling to think how many veterans around our country are also 
unaware of them. We can and should do better for our veterans, who 
selflessly served our country and protected the freedoms that we all 
cherish. And it is important to address gaps in the VA's outreach 
program as we welcome home and prepare to enroll into the VA system the 
tens of thousands of dedicated military personnel who are serving in 
Afghanistan, Iraq, and other places around the globe.
  In order to help to facilitate consistent implementation of VA's 
outreach responsibilities around the country, my bill would create a 
statutory definition of the term ``outreach.''
  My bill also would help to improve outreach activities performed by 
the VA in three ways. First, it would create separate funding line 
items for outreach activities within the budgets of the VA and its 
agencies, the Veterans Health Administration, the Veterans Benefits 
Administration, and the National Cemetery Administration. Currently 
funding for outreach is taken from the general operating expenses for 
these agencies. These important programs should have a dedicated 
funding source instead of being forced to compete for scarce funding 
with other crucial VA programs.
  I have long supported efforts adequately fund VA programs. We can and 
should do more to provide the funding necessary to ensure that our 
brave veterans are getting the health care and other benefits that they 
have earned in a timely manner and without having to travel long 
distances or wait more than a year to see a doctor or to have a claim 
processed.
  Secondly, the bill would create an intra-agency structure to require 
the Office of the Secretary, the Office of Public Affairs, the VBA, the 
VHA, and the NCA to coordinate outreach activities. By working more 
closely together, the VA components would be able to consolidate their 
efforts, share proven outreach mechanisms, and avoid duplication of 
effort that could waste scarce funding.
  Finally, the bill would ensure that the VA can enter into cooperative 
agreements with State Departments of Veterans Affairs regarding 
outreach activities and would give the VA grant-making authority to 
award funds to State Departments of Veterans Affairs for outreach 
activities such as the WDVA's ``I Owe You Program.'' Grants that are 
awarded to State departments under this program could be used to 
enhance outreach activities and to improve activities relating to 
veterans claims processing, which is a key component of the VA benefits 
process. State departments that receive grants under this program may 
choose to award portions of their grants to local governments, other 
public entities, or private or non-profit organizations that engage in 
veterans outreach activities.
  I am pleased that this bill has the support of a number of national 
and Wisconsin organizations that are committed to improving the lives 
of our Nation's veterans, including: Disabled American Veterans; 
Paralyzed Veterans of America; Vietnam Veterans of America; the 
National Association of County Veterans Service Officers; the National 
Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs; the Wisconsin 
Department of Veterans Affairs; the Wisconsin Association of County 
Veterans Service Officers; the Wisconsin Department of Disabled 
American Veterans; the Wisconsin Department of Veterans of Foreign 
Wars; the Wisconsin Paralyzed Veterans Association; and the Wisconsin 
State Council, Vietnam Veterans of America.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

[[Page S7493]]

                                S. 1199

       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 ``Veterans Outreach 
     Improvement Act of 2003''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF OUTREACH.

       Section 101 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
     adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(34) The term `outreach' means the act or process of 
     reaching out in a systematic manner to proactively provide 
     information, services, and benefits counseling to veterans, 
     and to the spouses, children, and parents of veterans who may 
     be eligible to receive benefits under the laws administered 
     by the Secretary, to ensure that such individuals are fully 
     informed about, and assisted in applying for, any benefits 
     and programs under such laws.''.

     SEC. 3. AUTHORITIES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR ENHANCEMENT OF 
                   OUTREACH OF ACTIVITIES DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
                   AFFAIRS.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 5 of title 38, United States Code, 
     is amended by adding at the end the following new subchapter:

                       ``SUBCHAPTER IV--OUTREACH

     ``Sec. 561. Outreach activities: funding

       ``(a) The 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.

     ``Sec. 562. Outreach activities: coordination of activities 
       within Department

       ``(a) The 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.

     ``Sec. 563. Outreach activities: cooperative activities with 
       States; grants to States for improvement of outreach

       ``(a) It is the purpose of this section to assist States 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) The Secretary shall ensure that outreach and 
     assistance is provided under programs referred to in 
     subsection (a) in locations proximate to populations of 
     veterans and other individuals referred to in that 
     subsection, as determined utilizing criteria for determining 
     the proximity of such populations to veterans health care 
     services.
       ``(c) The Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements 
     and arrangements with veterans agencies of the States in 
     order to carry out, coordinate, improve, or otherwise enhance 
     outreach by the Department and the States (including outreach 
     with respect to State veterans' programs).
       ``(d)(1) The Secretary may award grants to veterans 
     agencies of States in order to achieve purposes as follows:
       ``(A) To carry out, coordinate, improve, or otherwise 
     enhance outreach, including activities pursuant to 
     cooperative agreements and arrangements under subsection (c).
       ``(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, 
     including activities pursuant to cooperative agreements and 
     arrangements under subsection (c).
       ``(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 private non-profit 
     organizations in such State for such purposes.
       ``(e) 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 (d).''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--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. Outreach activities: cooperative activities with States; grants 
              to States for improvement of outreach.''.
                                 ______