Rural Veterans Services Outreach and Training Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a program to make competitive grants to provide financial assistance to state departments of veterans affairs for the training of rural county veteran service officers in order to improve outreach and assistance to veterans, as well as their spouses, children, and parents, who may be eligible to receive veterans' or veterans-related benefits and who are residing in rural counties. Limits each grant to $2 million. Requires grants to be made on an annual basis.
[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4028 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4028
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve services for veterans
residing in rural areas.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 5, 2009
Mr. Wu (for himself, Mr. Altmire, Mr. Blumenauer, Ms. Bordallo, Mr.
Childers, Mr. Courtney, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Gordon of Tennessee, Mr. Hill,
Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Hinojosa, Mr. Kagen, Mr. Minnick, Mr. Peterson, Mr.
Pierluisi, Mr. Ross, Mr. Salazar, Mr. Schrader, Mr. Walz, and Mr.
Wilson of Ohio) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve services for veterans
residing in rural areas.
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 ``Rural Veterans Services Outreach and
Training Act''.
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, and to ensure that such individuals are fully
informed about, and assisted in applying for, any benefits and
programs under such laws.''.
SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS GRANT PROGRAM FOR RURAL COUNTY
VETERAN SERVICE OFFICERS.
(a) Grants.--Chapter 5 of title 38, United States Code, is amended
by inserting after section 532 the following new section:
``Sec. 533. Grants to assist certain rural counties in employing
veteran service officers; professional qualifications
``(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to improve 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 and who are residing in rural counties through the
training of covered veteran service officers to serve in rural
counties.
``(b) Grant Program.--The Secretary shall carry out a program to
make competitive grants in accordance with this section to provide
financial assistance to State departments of veterans affairs for the
purpose stated in subsection (a).
``(c) Amount of Grant.--The amount of a grant under this section
shall be determined by the Secretary, but may not exceed $2,000,000.
``(d) Use of Funds.--A State department of veterans affairs that
receives a grant under this section may distribute any amount of the
grant funds to qualified State, county, or local agencies and qualified
non-profit veterans service organizations that provide casework
services to rural veterans. Grant funds distributed under this
subsection shall be used for the purpose stated in subsection (a).
``(e) Eligibility.--For purposes of this section, a State is
eligible for a grant under this section if it can demonstrate any of
the following:
``(1) That it has at least one county, in which veterans
reside, that does not have a covered veterans service officer.
``(2) That it has at least one county, in which veterans
reside, that has a covered veterans service officer who
performs covered veterans service officer functions on less
than a full-time basis and that county is able to demonstrate a
need for additional services by a covered veterans service
officer.
``(3) That it has at least one county, in which not fewer
than 1,000 veterans reside, that currently has a full-time
covered veterans service officer, but only if the county is
able to demonstrate a need for additional services by a covered
veterans service officer.
``(f) Competition for Grant.--An eligible State seeking a grant
under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application for the
grant. The application shall be in such form and shall contain such
information as the Secretary may require, including information
establishing that the State is an eligible State under this section.
From the applications submitted the Secretary shall approve those
applications that the Secretary determines to be the most promising in
carrying out the purposes of the grant program. Each State whose
application is selected by the Secretary to receive a grant under the
grant program shall receive funds in an amount determined by the
Secretary under subsection (c). In making such determination, the
Secretary shall take into consideration the amount of the total
appropriation for the grant program, the relative size of the State's
veteran population, and the funding necessary to improve training and
outreach of covered veteran service officers in rural counties. Such
funds shall go to the State department of veterans affairs.
``(g) Requirements for State Receipt of Federal Funds.--Each State
receiving a grant under this section shall--
``(1) provide to the Secretary information and assurances
that the funds received under the grant program for the
training of covered veteran service officers will go to assist
counties described in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of subsection
(e);
``(2) provide an assurance that the State agency shall
match the Federal funds provided under this section by
providing at least 20 percent of the total cost of the grant
program; and
``(3) use funds received under this section only to
supplement the amount of funds that would, in the absence of
such Federal funds, be made available from non-Federal sources
for the purposes of this section, and not to supplant such
funds.
``(h) Grant Frequency.--Grants under this section shall be made on
an annual basis.
``(i) Covered Veteran Service Officer Defined.--In this section,
the term `covered veteran service officer' means a qualified employee
(regardless of job title)--
``(1) who is an employee of a State, county, local
government, or a veterans service organization recognized under
section 5902 of this title;
``(2) whose duties include providing to veterans advice and
casework services related to benefits provided under laws
administered by the Secretary; and
``(3) who is accredited by the Department to file a claim
with the Veterans Benefits Administration on behalf of a
claimant who is a veteran or a veteran's survivor.
``(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $100,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2010 through 2013.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
531 the following new item:
``532. Grants to assist certain rural counties in employing veteran
service officers; professional
qualifications.''.
(c) Comptroller General Report.--The Comptroller General shall
conduct a review of the grant program under section 533 of title 38,
United States Code, as added by subsection (a), and shall submit to
Congress a report on the results of such review. In carrying out the
review, the Comptroller General shall examine the effectiveness of the
grant program in improving the representation of veterans living in
rural areas by trained individuals who assist the veterans in
understanding and receiving access to the benefits to which they are
entitled.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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