[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 120 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2508-S2509]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 299. Mrs. MURRAY (for herself and Mr. Boozman) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 2226, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2024 for military activities
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place in title VII, insert the
following:
Subtitle ___--Helping Heroes Act of 2023
SEC. ___. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``Helping Heroes Act of
2023''.
SEC. ___. DEFINITIONS.
In this subtitle:
(1) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
(2) Disabled veteran.--The term ``disabled veteran'' has
the meaning given that term in section 4211 of title 38,
United States Code.
(3) Eligible child.--The term ``eligible child'', with
respect to an eligible veteran, means an individual who--
(A) is a ward, child (including stepchild), grandchild, or
sibling (including stepsibling or halfsibling) of the
eligible veteran; and
(B) is less than 18 years of age.
(4) Eligible veteran.--The term ``eligible veteran'' means
a disabled veteran who has a service-connected disability
rated at 70 percent or more.
(5) Family coordinator.--The term ``Family Coordinator''
means an individual placed at a medical center of the
Department pursuant to [section ___3].
(6) Family support program.--The term ``Family Support
Program'' means the program established under [section ___4].
(7) Non-department provider.--The term ``non-Department
provider'' means a public or non-profit entity that is not an
entity of the Department.
(8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs.
(9) Supportive services.--The term ``supportive services''
means services that address the social, emotional, and mental
health, career-readiness, and other needs of eligible
children, including--
(A) wellness services, including mental, emotional,
behavioral, and physical health and nutritional counseling
and assistance;
(B) peer-support programs for children;
(C) assistance completing college admission and financial
aid applications, including the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid described in section 483(a) of the Higher
Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1090), and accessing veterans'
education benefits as defined under section 480(c)(2) of such
Act (20 U.S.C. 1087vv) that eligible children may be eligible
to receive;
(D) assistance with accessing workforce development
programs, including programs providing the activities
authorized under section 129 of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3164), and programs of vocational
rehabilitation services, including programs authorized under
title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 720 et
seq.);
(E) sports and recreation;
(F) after-school care and summer learning opportunities;
(G) dependent care, including home and community-based
services;
(H) other resources for low-income families;
(I) assistance transitioning from active duty in the Armed
Forces to veteran status; and
(J) any other services or activities the Secretary
considers appropriate to support the needs of eligible
children.
SEC. ___. REQUIREMENTS FOR FAMILY COORDINATORS.
(a) In General.--Not later than three years after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall--
(1) place at each medical center of the Department not
fewer than one Family Coordinator; and
(2) ensure adequate staffing and resources at each such
medical center to ensure Family Coordinators are able to
carry out their duties.
(b) Family Coordinators.--
(1) Employment.--Each Family Coordinator placed at a
medical center of the Department under subsection (a) shall
be employed full-time by the Department as a Family
Coordinator and shall have no other duties in addition to the
duties of a Family Coordinator.
(2) Qualifications.--
(A) In general.--To qualify to be a Family Coordinator
under subsection (a), an individual shall--
(i) be a social worker licensed, registered, or certified
in accordance with the requirements of any State; and
(ii) have a graduate degree in social work or a related
field.
(B) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive the qualifications
required by subparagraph (A) to permit individuals in other
professions to serve as Family Coordinators.
(3) Duties.--Each Family Coordinator shall--
(A) assess the needs of the families of veterans using
evidence-based strategies;
(B) build positive relationships with such families;
(C) refer veterans to local, State, and Federal resources
that support veterans and their families;
(D) develop and maintain a list of--
(i) supportive services offered by the medical center at
which the Family Coordinator is placed; and
(ii) supportive services offered at reduced or no cost by
non-Department providers located in the catchment area of
such medical center; and
(E) develop and maintain on an internet website a list of
family resources that shall be made available for all
veterans in the catchment area of such medical center who are
enrolled in the patient enrollment system of the Department
established and operated under section 1705(a) of title 38,
United States Code.
SEC. ___. ESTABLISHMENT OF FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a
program to be known as the Family Support Program to provide
and coordinate the provision of supportive services to
eligible veterans and eligible children.
(b) Implementation of Family Support Program.--To carry out
the Family Support Program, the Secretary shall--
(1) provide supportive services through medical centers of
the Department;
(2) collaborate with relevant Federal agencies to provide
supportive services;
(3) provide funding to non-Department providers pursuant to
subsection (c); and
(4) engage in any other activities the Secretary considers
appropriate.
(c) Funding to Non-Department Providers.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary may enter into contracts and
award grants to provide funding to eligible non-Department
providers to participate in the Family Support Program.
(2) Eligibility.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary shall establish and make
publicly available the criteria for a non-Department provider
to be eligible to participate in the Family Support Program.
(B) Criteria.--The criteria required by subparagraph (A)
shall include requirements for a non-Department provider--
(i) to provide a description of--
(I) each supportive service proposed to be provided to
eligible children; and
(II) the demonstrated record of the non-Department provider
in providing such supportive service;
(ii) to demonstrate the ability to serve families of
veterans in a manner that is trauma-informed and culturally
and linguistically appropriate; and
(iii) to agree to oversight by the Secretary regarding--
[[Page S2509]]
(I) the use of funds provided by the Department under this
subsection; and
(II) the quality of supportive services provided.
(3) Notice.--The Secretary shall promptly provide to
eligible non-Department providers selected by the Secretary
to participate in the Family Support Program notice of the
award of funds under this subsection to ensure such providers
have sufficient time to prepare to provide supportive
services under the Family Support Program.
(4) Authorized activities.--Funds provided under this
subsection shall be used to provide supportive services.
(5) Training.--For each non-Department provider selected by
the Secretary to participant in the Family Support Program,
the Secretary shall offer training and technical assistance
regarding the planning, development, and provision of
supportive services under the Family Support Program.
(d) Coordination With Other Department of Veterans Affairs
Programs.--The Secretary shall share best practices with and
facilitate referrals of eligible veterans and their families,
as appropriate, from the Family Support Program to other
programs of the Department, such as the program of support
services for caregivers of veterans under section 1720G(b) of
title 38, United States Code.
(e) Reporting Requirements.--
(1) Annual report.--Not later than one year after the date
of the commencement of the Family Support Program, and
annually thereafter, each non-Department provider in receipt
of funds under the Family Support Program shall submit to the
Secretary a report describing the supportive services carried
out with such funds during the year covered by such report.
(2) Reports to congress.--
(A) Report on additional resources.--Not later than 90 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
shall submit to Congress a report on the potential need for
additional resources for family members of eligible veterans
other than eligible children.
(B) Report on progress.--
(i) In general.--Not later than one year after the
commencement of the Family Support Program, the Secretary
shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the
Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives a report on the progress of the Family
Support Program.
(ii) Contents.--The report required by clause (i) shall
include--
(I) the number of eligible veterans and eligible children
who received supportive services under the Family Support
Program;
(II) the demographic data of eligible veterans and family
members, including--
(aa) the relationship to the eligible veteran;
(bb) age;
(cc) race;
(dd) ethnicity;
(ee) gender;
(ff) disability; and
(gg) English proficiency and whether a language other than
English is spoken at home;
(III) a summary of the supportive services carried out
under the Family Support Program and the costs to the
Department of such supportive services; and
(IV) an assessment, measured by a survey of participants,
of whether participation in the Family Support Program
resulted in positive outcomes for eligible veterans and
eligible children.
SEC. ___. OUTREACH ON AVAILABILITY OF SERVICES.
The Secretary shall conduct an outreach program to ensure
eligible veterans who are enrolled in the patient enrollment
system of the Department established and operated under
section 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code, employees of
the Department, and potential State, local, and Federal
entities are informed of the Family Support Program and the
availability of Family Coordinators.
SEC. ___. TRANSITION ASSISTANCE.
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary shall include information regarding
supportive services available for members of the Armed Forces
who are being separated from active duty and their families,
including mental health and other services for children, in
the transition assistance curriculum offered by the
Department.
SEC. ___. SURVEY.
(a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for five
years, the Secretary shall conduct a survey of disabled
veterans and their families to identify and better understand
the needs of such disabled veterans and their families.
(b) Content.--The survey required under subsection (a)
shall include questions with respect to--
(1) the types and quality of support disabled veterans
receive from the children of such disabled veterans; and
(2) the unmet needs of such children.
SEC. ___. NONDISCRIMINATION.
The following provisions of law shall apply to any program
or activity that receives funds provided under this subtitle:
(1) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C.
1681 et seq.).
(2) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C.
2000d et seq.).
(3) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29
U.S.C. 794).
(4) The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C.
12101 et seq.) .
(5) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (42 U.S.C. 6101 et
seq.).
(6) Any other applicable Federal civil rights law.
SEC. ___. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary
such funds as may be necessary to carry out this subtitle.
______