To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

June 5, 2003

Mr. FEINGOLD(for himself, Mrs. LINCOLN, and Mr. MCCAIN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

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 `Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2003'.

SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF OUTREACH.

Section 101 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

`(34) The term `outreach' means the act or process of reaching out in a systematic manner to proactively provide information, services, and benefits counseling to veterans, and to the spouses, children, and parents of veterans who may be eligible to receive benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary, to ensure that such individuals are fully informed about, and assisted in applying for, any benefits and programs under such laws.'.

SEC. 3. AUTHORITIES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR ENHANCEMENT OF OUTREACH OF ACTIVITIES DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

(a) IN GENERAL- Chapter 5 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subchapter:

`SUBCHAPTER IV--OUTREACH

`Sec. 561. Outreach activities: funding

`(a) The Secretary shall establish a separate account for the funding of the outreach activities of the Department, and shall establish within such account a separate subaccount for the funding of the outreach activities of each element of the Department specified in subsection (c).

`(b) 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 for such fiscal year for activities as follows:

`(1) For outreach activities of the Department in aggregate.

`(2) For outreach activities of each element of the Department specified in subsection (c).

`(c) The elements of the Department specified in this subsection are as follows:

`(1) The Veterans Health Administration.

`(2) The Veterans Benefits Administration.

`(3) The National Cemetery Administration.

`Sec. 562. Outreach activities: coordination of activities within Department

`(a) The Secretary shall establish and maintain procedures for ensuring the effective coordination of the outreach activities of the Department between and among the following:

`(1) The Office of the Secretary.

`(2) The Office of Public Affairs.

`(3) The Veterans Health Administration.

`(4) The Veterans Benefits Administration.

`(5) The National Cemetery Administration.

`(b) The Secretary shall--

`(1) periodically review the procedures maintained under subsection (a) for the purpose of ensuring that such procedures meet the requirement in that subsection; and

`(2) make such modifications to such procedures as the Secretary considers appropriate in light of such review in order to better achieve that purpose.

`Sec. 563. Outreach activities: cooperative activities with States; grants to States for improvement of outreach

`(a) It is the purpose of this section to assist States in carrying out programs that offer a high probability of improving outreach and assistance to veterans, and to the spouses, children, and parents of veterans who may be eligible to receive veterans' or veterans'-related benefits, to ensure that such individuals are fully informed about, and assisted in applying for, any veterans' and veterans'-related benefits and programs (including under State veterans' programs).

`(b) The Secretary shall ensure that outreach and assistance is provided under programs referred to in subsection (a) in locations proximate to populations of veterans and other individuals referred to in that subsection, as determined utilizing criteria for determining the proximity of such populations to veterans health care services.

`(c) The Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements and arrangements with veterans agencies of the States in order to carry out, coordinate, improve, or otherwise enhance outreach by the Department and the States (including outreach with respect to State veterans' programs).

`(d)(1) The Secretary may award grants to veterans agencies of States in order to achieve purposes as follows:

`(A) To carry out, coordinate, improve, or otherwise enhance outreach, including activities pursuant to cooperative agreements and arrangements under subsection (c).

`(B) To carry out, coordinate, improve, or otherwise enhance activities to assist in the development and submittal of claims for veterans' and veterans'-related benefits, including activities pursuant to cooperative agreements and arrangements under subsection (c).

`(2) A veterans agency of a State receiving a grant under this subsection may use the grant amount for purposes described in paragraph (1) or award all or any portion of such grant amount to local governments in such State, other public entities in such State, or private non-profit organizations in such State for such purposes.

`(e) Amounts available for the Department for outreach in the account under section 561 of this title shall be available for activities under this section, including grants under subsection (d).'.

(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT- The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 5 of such title is amended by adding at the end the following new items

`SUBCHAPTER IV--OUTREACH

`561. Outreach activities: funding.

`562. Outreach activities: coordination of activities within Department.

`563. Outreach activities: cooperative activities with States; grants to States for improvement of outreach.'.

END