S.Amdt. 2380

SA 2380. Ms. BALDWIN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by her to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2025 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 end of subtitle H of title X, add the following:

SEC. 1095. AUTHORITY FOR SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO
AWARD GRANTS TO STATES AND INDIAN TRIBES TO
IMPROVE OUTREACH TO VETERANS.

(a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 63 of title 38,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:

``Sec. 6321. Grants to States and Indian Tribes to improve
outreach to veterans

``(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to
provide for assistance by the Secretary to States and Indian
Tribes to carry out programs that improve covered outreach
and assistance to veterans and the spouses, children, and
parents of veterans--
``(1) to ensure that such individuals are fully informed
about, and assisted in applying for, any veterans and
veterans-related benefits and programs (including veterans
programs of a State or Indian Tribe) for which they may be
eligible; and
``(2) to facilitate opportunities for such individuals to
receive competent, qualified services in the preparation,
presentation, and prosecution of claims for such benefits.
``(b) Authority.--The Secretary may award grants to States
and Indian Tribes--
``(1) to carry out, coordinate, improve, or otherwise
enhance--
``(A) covered outreach activities; or
``(B) activities to assist in the development and submittal
of claims for veterans and veterans-related benefits; or
``(2) to increase the number of county or Tribal veterans
service officers serving in a State by hiring new, additional
such officers.
``(c) Application.--(1) To be eligible for a grant under
this section, a State or Indian Tribe shall submit to the
Secretary an application therefor at such time, in such
manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may
require.
``(2) Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
``(A) A detailed plan for the use of the grant.
``(B) A description of the programs through which the State
or Indian Tribe will meet the outcome measures developed by
the Secretary under subsection (j).
``(C) A description of how the State or Indian Tribe will
distribute grant amounts equitably among counties or Tribal
lands with varying levels of urbanization.
``(D) A plan for how the grant will be used to meet the
unique needs of American Indian veterans, Alaska Native
veterans, or Native Hawaiian veterans, elderly veterans, and
veterans from other underserved communities.
``(d) Distribution.--The Secretary shall seek to ensure
that grants awarded under this section are equitably
distributed among States and Indian Tribes with varying
levels of urbanization.
``(e) Set-aside.--Of the amounts authorized to be
appropriated or otherwise made available for grants under
this section for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall use not
less than five percent to make grants to Indian Tribes.
``(f) Priority.--The Secretary shall prioritize awarding
grants under this section that will serve the following
areas:
``(1) Areas with a critical shortage of county or Tribal
veterans service officers.
``(2) Areas with high rates of--
``(A) suicide among veterans; or
``(B) referrals to the Veterans Crisis Line.
``(g) Use of County or Tribal Veterans Service Officers.--A
State or Indian Tribe that receives a grant under this
section to carry out an activity described in subsection
(b)(1) shall carry out the activity through--
``(1) a county or Tribal veterans service officer of the
State or Indian Tribe; or

[[Page S4715]]

``(2) if the State or Indian Tribe does not have a county
or Tribal veterans service officer, or if the county or
Tribal veterans service officers of the State or Indian Tribe
cover only a portion of that State or Indian Tribe, an
appropriate entity of a State, local, or Tribal government,
as determined by the Secretary.
``(h) Required Activities.--Any grant awarded under this
section shall be used--
``(1) to expand existing programs, activities, and
services;
``(2) to hire new, additional county or Tribal veterans
service officers; or
``(3) for travel and transportation to facilitate carrying
out paragraph (1) or (2).
``(i) Authorized Activities.--A grant under this section
may be used to provide education and training, including on-
the-job training, for State, county, local, and Tribal
government employees who provide (or when trained will
provide) covered outreach services in order for those
employees to obtain accreditation in accordance with
procedures approved by the Secretary.
``(j) Outcome Measures.--(1) The Secretary shall develop
and provide to each State or Indian Tribe that receives a
grant under this section written guidance on the following:
``(A) Outcome measures.
``(B) Policies of the Department.
``(2) In developing outcome measures under paragraph (1),
the Secretary shall consider the following goals:
``(A) Increasing the use of veterans and veterans-related
benefits, particularly among vulnerable populations.
``(B) Increasing the number of county and Tribal veterans
service officers recognized by the Secretary for the
representation of veterans under chapter 59 of this title.
``(k) Tracking Requirements.--(1) With respect to each
grant awarded under this section, the Secretary shall track
the use of veterans and veterans-related benefits among the
population served by the grant, including the average period
of time between the date on which a veteran applies for such
a benefit and the date on which the veteran receives the
benefit, disaggregated by type of benefit.
``(2) Not less frequently than annually during the duration
of the grant program under this section, the Secretary shall
submit to Congress a report on--
``(A) information tracked under paragraph (1);
``(B) how the grants awarded under this section serve the
unique needs of American Indian veterans, Alaska Native
veterans, or Native Hawaiian veterans, elderly veterans, and
veterans from other underserved communities; and
``(C) other information provided by States and Indian
Tribes pursuant to grant reporting requirements.
``(l) Performance Review.--(1) The Secretary shall--
``(A) review the performance of each State and Indian Tribe
that receives a grant under this section; and
``(B) make information regarding such performance publicly
available.
``(m) Remediation Plan.--(1) In the case of a State or
Indian Tribe that receives a grant under this section and
does not meet the outcome measures developed by the Secretary
under subsection (j), the Secretary shall require the State
or Indian Tribe to submit a remediation plan under which the
State or Indian Tribe shall describe how and when it plans to
meet such outcome measures.
``(2) The Secretary may not award a subsequent grant under
this section to a State or Indian Tribe described in
paragraph (1) unless the Secretary approves the remediation
plan submitted by the State or Indian Tribe.
``(n) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The term `county or Tribal veterans service officer'
includes a local equivalent veterans service officer.
``(2) The term `covered outreach' means outreach with
respect to--
``(A) benefits administered by the Under Secretary for
Benefits; or
``(B) similar benefits administered by a State or Indian
Tribe.
``(3) The term `Indian Tribe' has the meaning given that
term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
``(4) The term `State' includes the District of Columbia,
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, and any territory or possession of
the United States.
``(5) The term `Veterans Crisis Line' means the toll-free
hotline for veterans established under section 1720F(h) of
this title.
``(o) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 and 2026.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of chapter 63 of such title is amended by adding at
the end the following new item:

``6321. Grants to States and Indian Tribes to improve outreach to
veterans.''.
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