Veterans Collaboration Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 552 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 552

   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
 program to promote and encourage collaboration between the Department 
  of Veterans Affairs and nonprofit organizations and institutions of 
  higher learning that provide administrative assistance to veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 16, 2025

 Mr. Wittman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
 program to promote and encourage collaboration between the Department 
  of Veterans Affairs and nonprofit organizations and institutions of 
  higher learning that provide administrative assistance to veterans.

    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 Collaboration Act''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PILOT PROGRAM ON ENCOURAGEMENT 
              OF PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS 
              AND LAW SCHOOLS PROVIDING PRO BONO SERVICES TO VETERANS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out 
a two-year pilot program to promote and encourage partnerships between 
the Department of Veterans Affairs and nonprofit organizations and 
institutions of higher learning. In carrying out the pilot program, the 
Secretary shall encourage partnerships between--
            (1) veterans service organizations that provide personnel 
        with appropriate credentials to assist veterans in filing 
        claims and appeals with the Department for disability 
        compensation and to address other legal needs of veterans; and
            (2) law schools that provide pro bono legal assistance and 
        legal services to veterans.
    (b) Metrics.--The Secretary shall establish guidelines to determine 
which organizations and institutions are best positioned to serve 
veterans and seek to encourage such organizations and institutions to 
participate in the pilot program.
    (c) Location.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program in 
States with the highest veteran populations, as determined by the 
Secretary.
    (d) Use of Social Media.--In carrying out the pilot program, the 
Secretary shall use social media to promote the partnerships carried 
out under the pilot program and to notify veterans of such 
partnerships.
    (e) Reports.--Not later than 30 days after the last day of each 
fiscal quarter until the termination of the pilot program, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the 
Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the pilot program. 
Each such report shall include, for the fiscal quarter covered by the 
report, a description of the use of social media under subsection (d) 
and the number of veterans who received assistance from law schools 
through the program.
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