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Managing America: Veteran Affairs

TheWeekInCongress.com (TM)

Week Ending May 25, 2006

H.R.67 To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

An effective coordination is to be established between government agencies with the purpose of improving outreach from the Department of veteran’s Affairs to the veterans, their spouses and children and parents. The outreach will be accomplished through cooperative agreements with State veterans agencies as well as grants with a 50% federal share.

The Office of the Secretary the Office of Public Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration, the Veterans Benefits Administration, and the National Cemetery Administration will coordinate for the purpose of focusing procedures to assure that recipients are fully informed about and assisted in applying for any veterans’ and veterans’-related benefits and programs for which they may be eligible. In formation on State veteran’s programs is included.

The Secretary must assure the programs to receive the grants are in locations that have relatively large concentrations of veteran populations and families or are experiencing growth in veteran populations.

The Secretary may make grants to carry out, coordinate, improve or otherwise enhance outreach including activities pursuant to cooperative agreements and arrangements. Grants may fund other efforts to otherwise enhance activities to assist veterans in developing and submitting claims.

A State veterans agency may use the grants by awarding a portion to local governments that provide outreach services based on the number of veterans residing in that local jurisdiction. Grants can also be made to local governments seeking to establish outreach services. No funds can be used to administer the programs. If a locality does not want to establish an outreach program but has a population of veterans the State veterans’ agency can use the funds to extend outreach to those areas.

Education and training spending is authorized and outreach is defined: “… the term `outreach' means the act or process of taking steps in a systematic manner to provide information, services, and benefits counseling to veterans, and the survivors of veterans, who may be eligible to receive benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary to ensure that those individuals are fully informed about, and assisted in applying for, any benefits and programs under such laws for which they may be eligible.”

Sponsor:  Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC-7^th)

Vote: Passed House 421 to 0 May 23, 2007 RC 410

Cost to the taxpayers: The bill authorizes $25 million yearly through 2009. The actual amount spent will be decided at a later date in a separate appropriations bill

Earmark Certification:   Not applicable to this bill.

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