Veterans Hardship Outreach for Priority Eights (HOPE) Act

Veterans Hardship Outreach for Priority Eights (HOPE) Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide grants and other assistance to states for the purpose of providing outreach to veterans who may be able to apply for a change in priority under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) patient enrollment system due to hardship.

Requires priority for such grants and assistance be given to states with: (1) veteran populations of at least 500,000; and (2) unemployment rates exceeding the national average unemployment rate.

Sets a limit on the amount of such grants and assistance provided to any one state in any fiscal year.

[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3522 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3522

   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide grants and 
assistance to States to conduct outreach to veterans regarding hardship 
     and priority under the Department of Veterans Affairs patient 
                           enrollment system.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 31, 2009

 Mr. Space (for himself and Mr. Ryan of Ohio) introduced the following 
     bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide grants and 
assistance to States to conduct outreach to veterans regarding hardship 
     and priority under the Department of Veterans Affairs patient 
                           enrollment system.

    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 Hardship Outreach for 
Priority Eights (HOPE) Act''.

SEC. 2. OUTREACH TO VETERANS REGARDING HARDSHIP AND PRIORITY UNDER 
              DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PATIENT ENROLLMENT SYSTEM.

    (a) Assistance Provided.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
provide grants and other assistance to States for the purpose of 
providing outreach to veterans who may be able to apply for a change in 
priority under the patient enrollment system maintained by the 
Secretary under section 1705 of title 38, United States Code, due to 
hardship.
    (b) Priority for Certain States.--In providing grants and 
assistance under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give priority to 
States with--
            (1) veteran populations of at least 500,000; and
            (2) unemployment rates that exceed the national average 
        unemployment rate.
    (c) Limitation.--For any fiscal year, not more than 20 percent of 
the amount of the funds made available for the provision of grants and 
assistance under subsection (a) shall be provided to any one State.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this Act such sums as may be necessary for 
each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014.
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