[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.
____________________