A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program on the award of grants to State and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide assistance to veterans with their submittal of claims to the Veterans Benefits Administration, and for other purposes.

Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to commence a two-year pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of awarding grants to state or local government agencies or nonprofit organizations to provide assistance to veterans who are submitting claims to the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), with the purpose of reducing VBA claim processing time.

[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3286 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3286

   To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
 program on the award of grants to State and local government agencies 
  and nonprofit organizations to provide assistance to veterans with 
their submittal of claims to the Veterans Benefits Administration, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 29, 2010

  Mr. Specter introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
 program on the award of grants to State and local government agencies 
  and nonprofit organizations to provide assistance to veterans with 
their submittal of claims to the Veterans Benefits Administration, 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. PILOT PROGRAM ON GRANTS TO STATE AND LOCAL AGENCIES AND 
              NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO VETERANS 
              WITH SUBMITTAL OF CLAIMS FOR VETERANS BENEFITS.

    (a) Grant Program.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
        shall commence a pilot program to assess the feasibility and 
        advisability of awarding grants to eligible entities to provide 
        assistance to veterans with their submittal of claims to the 
        Veterans Benefits Administration for purposes of facilitating 
        reduction in the amount of time required by the Veterans 
        Benefits Administration to process such claims.
            (2) Duration of program.--The pilot program shall be 
        carried out during the two-year period beginning on the date of 
        the commencement of the pilot program.
            (3) Amount of grant awards.--The amount of a grant awarded 
        to an eligible entity under the pilot program shall be such 
        amount as the Secretary considers appropriate after considering 
        the number of veterans expected to receive assistance from the 
        eligible entity under the pilot program.
    (b) Eligible Entities.--For purposes of this section, an eligible 
entity is any State or local government agency or nonprofit 
organization that the Secretary considers appropriate to provide 
assistance under the pilot program.
    (c) Application.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under the 
pilot program shall submit to the Secretary an application therefor in 
such form and in such manner as the Secretary considers appropriate.
    (d) Assistance.--The assistance provided to a veteran by an 
eligible entity under the pilot program shall include assistance with 
the following:
            (1) Collecting evidence in support of the claim of a 
        veteran.
            (2) Submitting a claim to the Veterans Benefits 
        Administration.
            (3) Such other matters as the Secretary considers
    (e) Model.--To the degree practicable, the Secretary shall model 
the pilot program on the comprehensive service programs under 
subchapter II of chapter 20 of title 38, United States Code.
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