[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 115 (Thursday, July 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4714-S4715]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2380. Ms. BALDWIN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by her to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2025 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 end of subtitle H of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1095. AUTHORITY FOR SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO 
                   AWARD GRANTS TO STATES AND INDIAN TRIBES TO 
                   IMPROVE OUTREACH TO VETERANS.

       (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 63 of title 38, 
     United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new section:

     ``Sec. 6321. 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 improve covered outreach 
     and assistance to veterans and the spouses, children, and 
     parents of veterans--
       ``(1) to ensure that such individuals are fully informed 
     about, and assisted in applying for, 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) to facilitate opportunities for such individuals to 
     receive competent, qualified services in the preparation, 
     presentation, and prosecution of claims for such benefits.
       ``(b) Authority.--The Secretary may award grants to States 
     and Indian Tribes--
       ``(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 a State by hiring new, additional 
     such 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 (j).
       ``(C) A description of how the State or Indian Tribe will 
     distribute grant amounts equitably among counties or Tribal 
     lands 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 and Indian Tribes with varying 
     levels of urbanization.
       ``(e) Set-aside.--Of the amounts authorized to be 
     appropriated or otherwise made available for grants under 
     this section for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall use not 
     less than five percent to make grants to Indian Tribes.
       ``(f) 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.
       ``(g) 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) shall carry out the activity through--
       ``(1) a county or Tribal veterans service officer of the 
     State or Indian Tribe; or

[[Page S4715]]

       ``(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.
       ``(h) 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).
       ``(i) 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.
       ``(j) 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.
       ``(k) 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 during the duration 
     of the grant program under this section, the Secretary shall 
     submit to Congress a report on--
       ``(A) information tracked under paragraph (1);
       ``(B) how the grants awarded under this section serve the 
     unique needs of American Indian veterans, Alaska Native 
     veterans, or Native Hawaiian veterans, elderly veterans, and 
     veterans from other underserved communities; and
       ``(C) other information provided by States and Indian 
     Tribes pursuant to grant reporting requirements.
       ``(l) Performance Review.--(1) The Secretary shall--
       ``(A) review the performance of each State and Indian Tribe 
     that receives a grant under this section; and
       ``(B) make information regarding such performance publicly 
     available.
       ``(m) Remediation Plan.--(1) In the case of a State or 
     Indian Tribe that receives a grant under this section and 
     does not meet the outcome measures developed by the Secretary 
     under subsection (j), 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 or Indian Tribe.
       ``(n) 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.
       ``(3) The term `Indian Tribe' has the meaning given that 
     term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
     Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
       ``(4) 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.
       ``(5) The term `Veterans Crisis Line' means the toll-free 
     hotline for veterans established under section 1720F(h) of 
     this title.
       ``(o) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section 
     $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 and 2026.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of chapter 63 of such title is amended by adding at 
     the end the following new item:

``6321. Grants to States and Indian Tribes to improve outreach to 
              veterans.''.
                                 ______