[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 190 (Wednesday, November 15, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5556-S5558]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COMMITMENT TO VETERAN SUPPORT AND OUTREACH ACT
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration Calendar No. 117, S. 106.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 106) 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.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill,
which had been reported from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs with an
amendment to strike all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu
thereof the following:
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 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 to improve outreach to veterans
``(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to
provide for assistance by the Secretary to States to carry
out programs that improve outreach and assistance to veterans
and the spouses, children, and parents of veterans, to ensure
that such individuals are fully informed about, and assisted
in applying for, any veterans and veterans-related benefits
and programs (including State veterans programs) for which
they may be eligible.
``(b) Authority.--The Secretary may award grants to
States--
``(1) to carry out, coordinate, improve, or otherwise
enhance--
``(A) outreach activities; or
``(B) activities to assist in the development and submittal
of claims for veterans and veterans-related benefits; or
``(2) to increase the number of county or tribal veterans
service officers serving in the State by hiring new,
additional such officers.
``(c) Application.--(1) To be eligible for a grant under
this section, a State 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
will meet the outcome measures developed by the Secretary
under subsection (i).
``(C) A description of how the State will distribute grant
amounts equitably among counties with varying levels of
urbanization.
``(D) A plan for how the grant will be used to meet the
unique needs of American Indian veterans, Alaska Native
veterans, or Native Hawaiian 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 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 that receives a grant under this section to carry out
an activity described in subsection (b)(1) shall carry out
the activity through--
``(1) a county or tribal veterans service officer of the
State; or
``(2) if the State does not have a county or tribal
veterans service officer, or if the county or tribal veterans
service officers of the State cover only a portion of that
State, an appropriate entity of a State, local, or tribal
government, or another publicly funded entity, 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 new, additional county or tribal veterans
service officers; or
``(3) for travel and transportation to facilitate carrying
out paragraph (1) or (2).
``(h) Authorized 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 accreditation in accordance with
procedures approved by the Secretary.
``(i) Outcome Measures.--(1) The Secretary shall develop
and provide to each State that receives a grant under this
section written guidance on the following:
``(A) Outcome measures.
``(B) Policies of the Department.
[[Page S5557]]
``(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 and veterans-related benefits among the
population served by the grant, including the average period
of time between the date on which a veteran applies for such
a benefit and the date on which the veteran receives the
benefit, disaggregated by type of benefit.
``(2) Not less frequently than annually, the Secretary
shall submit to Congress a report on the information tracked
under paragraph (1).
``(k) Performance Review.--(1) The Secretary shall--
``(A) review the performance of each State 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 that
receives a grant under this section and does not meet the
outcome measures developed by the Secretary under subsection
(i), the Secretary shall require the State to submit a
remediation plan under which the State 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 described in paragraph (1) unless the
Secretary approves the remediation plan submitted by the
State.
``(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 `Veterans Crisis Line' means the toll-free
hotline for veterans established under section 1720F(h) of
this title.
``(p) Funding.--(1) Amounts for the activities of the
Department under this section shall be budgeted and
appropriated through a separate appropriation account.
``(2) 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 to be appropriated
for that fiscal year for the account specified in paragraph
(1).
``(q) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary for each of fiscal years
2023, 2024, and 2025, $50,000,000 to carry out this
section.''.
(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 to improve outreach to veterans.
``6308. Outreach for eligible dependents.
``6309. Biennial report to Congress.''.
Mr. SCHUMER. I further ask that the committee-reported substitute
amendment be withdrawn; that the Baldwin substitute amendment, which is
at the desk, be considered and agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be
considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no
intervening action or debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment, in the nature of a substitute, was
withdrawn.
The amendment (No. 1368), in the nature of a substitute, was agreed
to, as follows:
(Purpose: To improve the bill)
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. AUTHORITY FOR SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO
AWARD GRANTS TO STATES 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 as sections
6308 and 6309, respectively; and
(2) by inserting after section 6306 the following new
section 6307:
``Sec. 6307. Grants to States to improve outreach to veterans
``(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to
provide for assistance by the Secretary to States to carry
out programs that improve covered outreach and assistance to
veterans and the spouses, children, and parents of veterans,
to ensure that such individuals are fully informed about, and
assisted in applying for, any veterans and veterans-related
benefits and programs (including State veterans programs) for
which they may be eligible.
``(b) Authority.--The Secretary may award grants to
States--
``(1) to carry out, coordinate, improve, or otherwise
enhance--
``(A) covered outreach activities; or
``(B) activities to assist in the development and submittal
of claims for veterans and veterans-related benefits; or
``(2) to increase the number of county or tribal veterans
service officers serving in the State by hiring new,
additional such officers.
``(c) Application.--(1) To be eligible for a grant under
this section, a State 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
will meet the outcome measures developed by the Secretary
under subsection (i).
``(C) A description of how the State will distribute grant
amounts equitably among counties with varying levels of
urbanization.
``(D) A plan for how the grant will be used to meet the
unique needs of American Indian veterans, Alaska Native
veterans, or Native Hawaiian veterans, elderly 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 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 that receives a grant under this section to carry out
an activity described in subsection (b)(1) shall carry out
the activity through--
``(1) a county or tribal veterans service officer of the
State; or
``(2) if the State does not have a county or tribal
veterans service officer, or if the county or tribal veterans
service officers of the State cover only a portion of that
State, an appropriate entity of a State, local, or tribal
government, or another publicly funded entity, 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 new, additional county or tribal veterans
service officers; or
``(3) for travel and transportation to facilitate carrying
out paragraph (1) or (2).
``(h) Authorized 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) covered outreach services in order for those
employees to obtain accreditation in accordance with
procedures approved by the Secretary.
``(i) Outcome Measures.--(1) The Secretary shall develop
and provide to each State 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 and veterans-related benefits among the
population served by the grant, including the average period
of time between the date on which a veteran applies for such
a benefit and the date on which the veteran receives the
benefit, disaggregated by type of benefit.
``(2) Not less frequently than annually, the Secretary
shall submit to Congress a report on the information tracked
under paragraph (1).
``(k) Performance Review.--(1) The Secretary shall--
``(A) review the performance of each State 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 that
receives a grant under this section and does not meet the
outcome measures developed by the Secretary under subsection
(i), the Secretary shall require the State to submit a
remediation plan under which the State 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 described in paragraph (1) unless the
Secretary approves the remediation plan submitted by the
State.
``(m) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The term `county or tribal veterans service officer'
includes a local equivalent veterans service officer.
``(2) The term `covered outreach' means outreach with
respect to--
``(A) benefits administered by the Under Secretary for
Benefits; or
``(B) similar benefits administered by a State or Indian
Tribe.
[[Page S5558]]
``(3) 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 to improve outreach to veterans.
``6308. Outreach for eligible dependents.
``6309. Biennial report to Congress.''.
The bill (S. 106), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.
____________________