S.Amdt. 1769

SA 1769. Mr. SCHATZ submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 4049, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2021 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATION SUPPORT TO TRANSITION
ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.

(a) In General.--Not later than 270 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in
collaboration with the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of
Homeland Security, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs,
shall establish a process by which a representative of a
veterans service organization may be present at any portion
of the program carried out under section 1144 of title 10,
United States Code, relating to the submittal of claims to
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for compensation under
chapter 11 or 13 of title 38, United States Code.
(b) Purpose.--The process established in subsection (a)
shall ensure that a representative of a veteran service
organization can support and facilitate the efforts of the
Department of Defense to provide preseparation counseling and
transition assistance carried out under section 1144 of title
10, United States Code, relating to the submittal of claims
to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for compensation under
chapter 11 or 13 of title 38, United States Code.
(c) Access to Be Authorized.--In accordance with the
process established in subsection (a), the Secretary of
Defense shall review and modify as necessary the memorandum
of the Secretary entitled ``Installation Access and Support
Services for Nonprofit Non-Federal Entities'' and dated
December 23, 2014, to permit a representative of a veterans
service organization access to a military installations to be
present at any portion of the program carried out under
section 1144 of title 10, United States Code, to members of
the Armed Forces stationed at such installations.
(d) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed as authorizing the Secretary of Defense to offer--
(1) a recommendation or endorsement of a particular
veterans service organization over another veterans service
organization for the purposes of supporting preseparation
counseling and transition assistance programming; and
(2) the encouragement, support, or other suggestion that a
member of the Armed Forces seek membership in a veterans
service organization.
(e) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 540 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall
submit to Congress a report on participation of veterans
service organizations in the program carried out under
section 1144 of title 10, United States Code.
(2) Contents.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
(A) An assessment of the compliance of facilities of the
Department of Defense with the directives providing a
representative of a veteran service organization access to a
military installation, including--
(i) the memorandum of the Secretary entitled ``Installation
Access and Support Services for Nonprofit Non-Federal
Entities'' and dated December 23, 2014; or
(ii) a memorandum of the Secretary superseding the
memorandum described in clause (i).
(B) The number of military bases that have complied with
such directives.
(C) How many veterans service organizations have been
present at a portion of a program as described in subsection
(a).
(f) Veterans Service Organization Defined.--In this
section, the term ``veterans service organization'' means any
organization recognized by the Secretary for the
representation of veterans under section 5902 of title 38,
United States Code.
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