[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 183 (Tuesday, November 29, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H8602-H8604]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             COMMITMENT TO VETERAN SUPPORT AND OUTREACH ACT

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4601) to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award grants to States to improve 
outreach to veterans, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4601

       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 ``Commitment to Veteran 
     Support and Outreach Act''.

     SEC. 2. AUTHORITY FOR SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO AWARD 
                   GRANTS TO STATES AND INDIAN TRIBES TO IMPROVE 
                   OUTREACH TO VETERANS.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 63 of title 38, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (1) by redesignating sections 6307 and 6308 and sections 
     6308 and 6309, respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after section 6306 the following new 
     section 6307:

     ``Sec. 6307. Grants to States and Indian Tribes to improve 
       outreach to veterans

       ``(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to 
     provide for assistance by the Secretary to States and Indian 
     Tribes to carry out programs that--
       ``(1) improve outreach and assistance to veterans and the 
     spouses, children, and parents of veterans, to ensure that 
     such individuals are fully informed about any veterans and 
     veterans-related benefits and programs (including veterans 
     programs of a State or Indian Tribe) for which they may be 
     eligible; and
       ``(2) facilitate opportunities for such individuals to 
     receive competent, qualified services in the preparation, 
     presentation, and prosecution of veterans benefits claims.
       ``(b) Authority.--The Secretary may award grants under this 
     section to States and Indian Tribes--
       ``(1) to carry out, coordinate, improve, or otherwise 
     enhance outreach activities;
       ``(2) to increase the number of county or Tribal veterans 
     service officers serving in the State or Indian Tribe by 
     hiring new, additional such officers; or
       ``(3) to expand, carry out, coordinate, improve, or 
     otherwise enhance existing programs, activities, and services 
     of the existing organization of the State or Indian Tribe 
     that has been recognized by the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs pursuant to section 5902, in the preparation, 
     presentation, and prosecution of claims for veterans benefits 
     through representatives who hold positions as county or 
     Tribal veterans service officers.
       ``(c) Application.--(1) To be eligible for a grant under 
     this section, a State or Indian Tribe shall submit to the 
     Secretary an application therefor at such time, in such 
     manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
     require.
       ``(2) Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall 
     include the following:
       ``(A) A detailed plan for the use of the grant.
       ``(B) A description of the programs through which the State 
     or Indian Tribe will meet the outcome measures developed by 
     the Secretary under subsection (i).
       ``(C) A description of how the State or Indian Tribe will 
     distribute grant amounts equitably among counties (or Tribal 
     lands, as the case may be) with varying levels of 
     urbanization.
       ``(D) A plan for how the grant will be used to meet the 
     unique needs of American Indian or Alaska Native veterans, 
     elderly veterans, women veterans, and veterans from other 
     underserved communities.
       ``(d) Distribution.--The Secretary shall seek to ensure 
     that grants awarded under this section are equitably 
     distributed among States and Indian Tribes with varying 
     levels of urbanization.
       ``(e) Priority.--The Secretary shall prioritize awarding 
     grants under this section that will serve the following 
     areas:
       ``(1) Areas with a critical shortage of county or Tribal 
     veterans service officers.
       ``(2) Areas with high rates of--
       ``(A) suicide among veterans; or
       ``(B) referrals to the Veterans Crisis Line.
       ``(f) Use of County or Tribal Veterans Service Officers.--A 
     State or Indian Tribe that receives a grant under this 
     section to carry out an activity described in subsection 
     (b)(1) may only carry out the activity through--
       ``(1) a county or Tribal veterans service officer of the 
     State or Indian Tribe; or
       ``(2) if the State or Indian Tribe does not have a county 
     or Tribal veterans service officer, or if the county or 
     Tribal veterans service officers of the State or Indian Tribe 
     cover only a portion of that State or Indian Tribe, an 
     appropriate entity of a State, local, or Tribal government, 
     as determined by the Secretary.
       ``(g) Required Activities.--Any grant awarded under this 
     section shall be used--
       ``(1) to expand existing programs, activities, and 
     services;
       ``(2) to hire and maintain new, additional county or Tribal 
     veterans service officers; or
       ``(3) for travel and transportation to facilitate carrying 
     out paragraph (1) or (2).
       ``(h) Other Permissible Activities.--A grant under this 
     section may be used to provide education and training, 
     including on-the-job training, for State, county, local, and 
     Tribal government employees who provide (or when trained will 
     provide) veterans outreach services in order for those 
     employees to obtain and maintain accreditation in accordance 
     with procedures approved by the Secretary.
       ``(i) Outcome Measures.--(1) The Secretary shall develop 
     and provide to each State or Indian Tribe that receives a 
     grant under this section written guidance on the following:
       ``(A) Outcome measures.
       ``(B) Policies of the Department.
       ``(2) In developing outcome measures under paragraph (1), 
     the Secretary shall consider the following goals:
       ``(A) Increasing the use of veterans and veterans-related 
     benefits, particularly among vulnerable populations.
       ``(B) Increasing the number of county and Tribal veterans 
     service officers recognized by the Secretary for the 
     representation of veterans under chapter 59 of this title.
       ``(j) Tracking Requirements.--(1) With respect to each 
     grant awarded under this section, the Secretary shall track 
     the use of veterans benefits among the population served by 
     the grant, including the average period of time between the 
     date on which a veteran or other eligible claimant applies 
     for such a benefit and the date on which the veteran or other 
     eligible claimant receives the benefit, disaggregated by type 
     of benefit.
       ``(2) Not less frequently than annually during the life of 
     the grant program established under this section, the 
     Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on--
       ``(A) the information tracked under paragraph (1);
       ``(B) how the grants awarded under this section serve the 
     unique needs of American Indian or Alaska Native veterans, 
     elderly veterans, women veterans, and veterans from other 
     underserved communities; and
       ``(C) other information provided by States and Indian 
     Tribes pursuant to the grant reporting requirements.
       ``(k) Performance Review.--(1) The Secretary shall--
       ``(A) review the performance of each State or Indian Tribe 
     that receives a grant under this section; and
       ``(B) make information regarding such performance publicly 
     available.
       ``(l) Remediation Plan.--(1) In the case of a State or 
     Indian Tribe that receives a grant

[[Page H8603]]

     under this section and does not meet the outcome measures 
     developed by the Secretary under subsection (i), the 
     Secretary shall require the State or Indian Tribe to submit a 
     remediation plan under which the State or Indian Tribe shall 
     describe how and when it plans to meet such outcome measures.
       ``(2) The Secretary may not award a subsequent grant under 
     this section to a State or Indian Tribe described in 
     paragraph (1) unless the Secretary approves the remediation 
     plan submitted by the State of Indian Tribe.
       ``(m) Maximum Amount.--The amount of a grant awarded under 
     this section may not exceed 10 percent of amounts made 
     available for grants under this section for the fiscal year 
     in which the grant is awarded.
       ``(n) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Any grant awarded under 
     this section shall be used to supplement and not supplant 
     State and local funding that is otherwise available.
       ``(o) Definitions.--In this section:
       ``(1) The term `county or Tribal veterans service officer' 
     includes a local equivalent veterans service officer.
       ``(2) The term `Indian Tribe' has the meaning given such 
     term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
     Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
       ``(3) The term `State' includes the District of Columbia, 
     the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the 
     Northern Mariana Islands, and any territory or possession of 
     the United States.
       ``(4) The term `Veterans Crisis Line' means the toll-free 
     hotline for veterans established under section 1720F(h) of 
     this title.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of chapter 63 of such title is amended by striking 
     the items relating to sections 6307 and 6308 and inserting 
     the following new items:

``6307. Grants to States and Indian Tribes to improve outreach to 
              veterans.
``6308. Outreach for eligible dependents.
``6309. Biennial report to Congress.''.
       (c) Modification of Certain Housing Loan Fee.--The loan fee 
     table in section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, United States Code, 
     is amended by striking ``January 14, 2031'' each place it 
     appears and inserting ``February 10, 2031''.
       (d) Authorization of Additional Full-time Equivalent 
     Employee.--During fiscal years 2024 through 2028, the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs may hire two or more additional 
     full-time equivalent employees in the Office of the General 
     Counsel of the Department of Veterans Affairs, as compared to 
     the number of full-time equivalent employees that would 
     otherwise be authorized for such office, to carry out duties 
     under the accreditation, discipline, and fees program.

     SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

       The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
     complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall 
     be determined by reference to the latest statement titled 
     ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, 
     submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the 
     Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such 
     statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Takano) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
insert extraneous material on H.R. 4601, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4601, the Commitment to 
Veteran Support and Outreach Act, as amended. This bill authorizes VA 
to provide grants to States, counties, and Tribes to implement programs 
that improve outreach and assistance to veterans and their families to 
ensure that such individuals are fully informed about veterans' 
benefits and programs.
  Specifically, VA may provide grants to States, counties, and Tribal 
entities to implement or enhance outreach activities or activities to 
assist in the development and submittal of claims for veterans or 
increase the number of county or Tribal veteran service officers in the 
State.
  Additionally, VA would be required to prioritize awarding grants in 
areas with a critical shortage of county or Tribal veterans service 
officers, areas with high rates of suicide among veterans, and areas 
with high rates of referrals to the veterans crisis line.
  With high-profile, sweeping veterans' legislation like the PACT Act 
recently signed into law, the support and outreach offered by H.R. 4601 
would greatly assist in implementing such new programs as smoothly as 
possible.
  With enhanced communication outreach focused on explaining new 
benefits and services to a broader range of veterans and their 
families, the more opportunities we will have to connect with potential 
beneficiaries interacting with VA for the very first time.
  With more accredited claims representatives available to assist with 
the preparation and submission of claim applications, the better 
positioned VA will be to decide these claims in a more timely and 
accurate manner.
  With funds to recruit and train more county and Tribal veterans 
service officers, helpful skills and information related to life-
changing benefits and other VA services will reach farther into our 
veteran communities that are so often and undeservedly overlooked.
  Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly support this bill. I thank 
Representative Levin for crafting this important legislation. I urge my 
colleagues to vote for its passage, and I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4601, as amended, the 
Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act.
  This bill would provide VA the authority to award grants to States 
and Indian Tribes to improve outreach to veterans and their families 
about the benefits they may be eligible for.
  H.R. 4601, as amended, would prioritize grants to the areas that have 
large populations of underserved veterans and high rates of suicide. 
Additionally, this bill would help county and Tribal VSOs assist 
veterans with preparing and presenting their disability compensation 
claims.
  With the implementation of the PACT Act right around the corner, it 
is imperative that Congress provide local VSOs with the resources they 
need to assist veterans with their claims.
  Every veteran deserves access to the same wraparound help with their 
benefits regardless of where they live. Congressman Levin and 
Congressman Rosendale's proposal would do exactly that.
  I also want to point out that this bill has a mandatory cost because 
of toxic exposure funds created by the PACT Act. Now, I am happy to see 
the cost is now fully offset rather than swept under the rug.
  Congress must find a permanent solution to the toxic exposure fund 
scoring problem before we use up all of our offsets and become unable 
to move additional legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage all my colleagues to work toward that 
solution, and I urge all Members to support H.R. 4601, as amended.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, again, I ask all my colleagues to join me in 
passing H.R. 4601, as amended. I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I proudly stand in strong support of 
H.R. 4601, the Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act, which 
will authorize the VA to provide grants to states to implement programs 
that improve outreach and assistance to veterans and their families to 
ensure that such individuals are fully informed about veterans' 
benefits and programs.
  As our veterans have put their lives on the line for defense of our 
nation, we must do everything in our power to support them when they 
return home after their service.
  This bill achieves this goal by increasing outreach to veterans and 
their families to ensure that they are fully informed about their 
benefits and can get the assistance they need to apply for and get the 
benefits to which they are entitled.
  According to a report by the Department of Veterans Affairs, America 
has over 19 million veterans, of whom over 1,567,000 live in Texas, the 
second most of any state. Over 179,000 live in Harris County and about 
29,000 live in my district.
  Of the total veteran population, the VA reports that only 49% (9.8 
million out of 20.0 million) used at least one VA benefit or service in 
FY 2017.
  That percentage is far too low. Too few veterans are taking advantage 
of the programs and services available to them to cope with the ravages 
of war.
  Their ailments include everything from respiratory problems caused by 
burn-pit toxic exposure to combat conditions such as Traumatic Brain 
Injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

[[Page H8604]]

  Prompt and easy access to services to address these problems 
determines a veteran's ability to recover from them.
  For example, according to research conducted by the VA, veterans who 
received care soon after the end of their service had lower levels of 
PTSD upon a follow-up evaluation a year after they initiated care. 
According to the study, for each year that a veteran waited to initiate 
treatment, there was about a 5 percent increase in the odds of their 
PTSD either not improving or worsening.
  In 2018, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine 
found that post-9/11 veterans who had not sought VA mental health care 
didn't know how to apply for benefits--or were unsure whether they were 
even eligible. Some didn't know what services the VA offered or felt 
that they didn't deserve care even if they could get it.
  This bill addresses that problem by making grants available to states 
to help the thousands of veterans who need services for their 
conditions acquired or exacerbated by military service but who don't 
know how to access them.
  This legislation will not only be key to assisting veterans to get 
over barriers to access their benefits but will also improve veteran 
mental health and help reduce the veteran suicide crisis.
  This bill focuses on equity by prioritizing grants to areas with high 
suicide rates among veterans and high referrals to the Veterans Crisis 
Line. This approach will help save veterans' lives and ensure this 
funding is directed to areas most in need.
  Smoother access to VA mental health care and suicide prevention has 
never been more important than it is today. A disproportionate number 
of veterans die by suicide following separation from military service.
  Veterans ages 18 to 34 have the highest rate of suicide.
  As reported by the Houston Chronicle, in 2020, the suicide rate for 
Texas veterans was 36.6 suicides per 100,000 veterans while the 
nationwide rate was 34.4, according to data from the U.S. Department of 
Veteran Affairs. This rate is in stark contrast to the suicide rate 
among Texans overall, which is 13.3 per 100,000 people.
  I am proud to support this legislation because it will reduce veteran 
suicide among Texans and nationwide, and it will enable states to 
better serve veterans who are in need of many types of assistance.
  This is especially important because of the Texas governor's recent 
actions impacting troops and veterans in Texas with regard to the 
southern border.
  Texas's governor has thrust our National Guard into a disastrous 
border operation, Operation Lone Star, by declaring a fictional 
``migrant invasion'', and falsely claiming that activation of the 
National Guard is needed for what he describes as ``secure our 
communities against record-breaking illegal border crossings and 
transnational criminal activity.''
  The result is that our National Guard troops are being forced to 
commit major human rights violations. The governor's use of the 
National Guard to police misdemeanor trespassing by migrants has 
sparked a civil rights probe by the Justice Department. According to 
Human Rights Watch, the operation results in arrests that target people 
based on race and national origin and disregard due process, including 
abuses in detention.
  Black and Brown migrants, and even US citizens, are subjected to 
racially discriminatory arrests, prosecutions on flimsy pretexts, and 
detention with substandard food and inadequate or nonexistent health 
care, according to detainees cited in a complaint filed with the US 
Justice Department. Defendants have been forced to wait weeks or months 
in pretrial detention before they have an opportunity to see a judge.
  Troops commanded to carry out this operation are so affected that at 
least four confirmed suicides have occurred since the operation began, 
while ten soldiers linked to the operation have died since September 
2021, all via accident or suicide.
  In addition to human rights abuses, Texas Guard troops have 
complained about pay problems, poor living conditions and inconsistent 
guidance from leaders since the operation expanded massively last Fall.
  I strongly denounce the program, its abuses, and the trauma that it 
is inflicting on our troops who are charged to carry out the program's 
edicts.
  This legislation, H.R. 4601, will help these veterans who struggle 
with the aftermath of the psychological and physical toil of serving on 
this operation, just as veterans of combat in Afghanistan and Iraq and 
elsewhere continue to wrestle with the aftereffects of their service.
  We must help veterans access the benefits and services that they 
earned and so definitely deserve.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 4601, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________