,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bgdj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #ca1     
#bjad ,ms4 ,heitkamp introduced the     
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
require the ,secretary of ,veterans     
,affairs to establish a voluntary       
national directory of veterans to       
support outreach to veterans1 and for   
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title  ,this
 ,act may be cited as the ,connect with 
,veterans ,act of #bjad4  #b4 ,voluntary
 national directory of veterans  7a7    
,program required  7#a7 ,in general ,the
 ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 in   
coordination with the ,secretary of     
,defense1 shall establish a program to  
facilitate outreach to veterans by      
covered entities4  7#b7 ,covered        
entities ,for purposes of this section1 
a covered entity is any of the          
following3 7,a7 ,the ,department of     
,veterans ,affairs4  7,b7 ,the agency or

 department of a ,state that is the     
primary agency or department of the     
,state for the administration of        
benefits and services for veterans in   
the ,state4  7,c7 ,a political          
subdivision of a ,state4  7,d7 ,an      
,indian tribe 7as defined in section #d 
of the ,indian ,self-,determination and 
,education ,assistance ,act 7#be        
,u4,s4,c4 #dej;b774  7#c7 ,national     
directory ,to carry out the program     
required by paragraph 7#a71 the         
,secretary shall-- 7,a7 establish a     
national directory of veterans as       
described in subsection 7b72 and  7,b7  
share information in the directory in   
accordance with subsection 7c74  7b7    
,national directory  7#a7 ,in general   
,the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs   
shall establish the national directory  
required by subsection 7a77#c7 using    
information received from the ,secretary
 of ,defense under subsection 7d77#d74  
7#b7 ,updates ,the ,secretary of        
,veterans ,affairs shall ensure that the

 national directory includes a mechanism
 by which a participating individual can
 update the information in the national 
directory that pertains to the          
participating individual4  7#c7         
,disenrollment ,the ,secretary shall    
establish a mechanism by which a        
participating individual can indicate to
 the ,secretary that the individual     
would no longer like to receive         
information from participating entities 
under the program4  7#d7 ,reenrollment  
,the ,secretary shall establish a       
mechanism for the inclusion of          
information in the national directory of
 individuals who were previously        
participating individuals but who had   
made an indication under paragraph 7#c7 
and subsequently indicate that they     
would like to receive information from  
participating entities under the        
program4  7#e7 ,privacy and security    
,the ,secretary shall take such actions 
as the ,secretary considers appropriate 
to protect-- 7,a7 the privacy of        

individuals participating in the        
program2 and  7,b7 the security of the  
information stored in the national      
directory4  7#f7 e,benefits ,the        
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs may use
 the system and architecture of the     
e,benefits ,internet website of the     
,department of ,veterans ,affairs to    
support and operate the national        
directory as the ,secretary considers   
appropriate4  7c7 ,outreach  7#a7       
,sharing of directory information  7,a7 
,in general ,except as provided in      
paragraph 7#b71 in order to connect     
participating individuals with          
information about the programs they     
could be eligible for or services1      
support1 and information they may be    
interested in receiving1 the ,secretary 
of ,veterans ,affairs may share1 under  
the program established under subsection
 7a77#a71 information in the national   
directory concerning such individuals   
with entities applicable to             
participating individuals4  7,b7        

,entities applicable to participating   
individuals ,for purposes of this       
subsection1 an entity that is applicable
 to a participating individual is a     
covered entity from whom a participating
 individual has expressed interest in   
receiving information under the program4
  7,c7 ,updated information ,in a case  
in which a participating individual     
updates the information pertaining to   
the participating individual under      
subsection 7b77#b71 the ,secretary shall
 transmit such information to each      
entity applicable to the participating  
individual4  7,d7 ,notification of      
disenrollment ,in a case in which a     
participating individual indicates to   
the ,secretary under subsection 7b77#c7 
that the individual would no longer like
 to receive information from            
participating entities under the        
program1 the ,secretary shall inform    
each entity applicable to the           
participating individual that the       
individual would no longer like to      

receive information from the entity     
under the program4  7#b7 ,limitations   
7,a7 ,limitations on the ,secretary  7i7
 ,information shared ,under the program1
 the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs   
may only share from the national        
directory the following3 7,i7 ,the name 
of a participating individual4  7,,ii7  
,the e-mail address of a participating  
individual4  7,,iii7 ,the postal address
 of a participating individual4  7,,iv7 
,the phone number of a participating    
individual4  7ii7 ,prohibition on sale  
of information ,the ,secretary may not  
sell any information collected under    
this section4  7iii7 ,entities ,the     
,secretary may not share any information
 collected under the program with any   
entity that is not a participating      
entity4  7,b7 ,limitations on           
participating entities  7i7 ,sharing    
with third-party and for-profit entities
 ,as a condition of participation in the
 program1 a participating entity shall  
agree not to share any information the  

participating entity receives under the 
program with any third-party or         
for-profit entities4  7ii7 ,purchases of
 products or services ,as a condition of
 participation in the program1 a        
participating entity shall agree not to 
include in any information sent by the  
participating entity to a participating 
individual a requirement that the       
participating individual or the family  
of the participating individual purchase
 a product or service4  7iii7 ,political
 communication ,as a condition of       
participation in the program1 a         
participating entity shall agree not to 
use any information received under the  
program for any political communication4
  7#c7 ,disenrollment by participating  
entities ,the ,secretary shall establish
 a mechanism by which a participating   
entity may indicate to the ,secretary   
that the participating entity would no  
longer like to receive information about
 participating individuals from the     
national directory4  7#d7 ,sense of     

,congress  7,a7 ,consolidation of       
requests ,it is the sense of ,congress  
that covered entities described in      
subsection 7a77#b77;,c7 who are located 
in the same region should work together 
in a manner such that only one of them  
requests receipt of information under   
the program4  7,b7 ,collaboration ,it is
 the sense of ,congress that covered    
entities described in subsection        
7a77#b77;,c7 should work with third     
parties1 such as veterans service       
organizations1 military community       
groups1 and other entities with an      
interest in assisting veterans1 to      
develop the information the covered     
entities send to participating          
individuals under the program4  7#e7    
,publicity ,the ,secretary shall develop
 a plan to publicize the program and    
inform covered entities of the benefits 
of participating in the program4  7d7   
,collection of contact information  7#a7
 ,in general ,to each member of the     
,armed ,forces separating from service  

in the ,armed ,forces1 the ,secretary of
 ,defense shall provide a form for the  
collection of information to be included
 in the national directory established  
under subsection 7a74  7#b7 ,form  7,a7 
,development ,the ,secretary of ,defense
 shall1 in consultation with the        
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1       
develop the form provided under         
paragraph 7#a74  7,b7 ,elements ,the    
form developed under subparagraph 7,a7  
shall allow a member of the ,armed      
,forces who is in the process of        
separating from service in the ,armed   
,forces to indicate the following3 7i7  
,where the member intends to reside     
after separation4  7ii7 ,how the        
individual can best be contacted1 such  
as a telephone number1 an e-mail        
address1 or a postal address4  7iii7    
,for which types of benefits and        
services the member would like to       
receive communication and outreach1 such
 as health care1 education1 employment1 
and housing4  7iv7 ,from which of the   

following the member would like to      
receive the communication and outreach  
specified under clause 7iii73 7,i7 ,the 
,department of ,veterans ,affairs4      
7,,ii7 ,the agency or department of the 
,state in which the member intends to   
reside after separation that is the     
primary agency or department of the     
,state for the administration of        
benefits and services for veterans in   
the ,state4  7,,iii7 ,a political       
subdivision of a ,state4  7,c7 ,notice  
,the form developed under subparagraph  
7,a7 shall include notice of the        
following3 7i7 ,information provided to 
agencies and departments described in   
subparagraph 7,b77iv77,,iii7 will only  
be provided as authorized and upon      
request by such agencies and            
departments4  7ii7 ,political           
subdivisions of ,states that receive    
information under the program           
established under subsection 7a7 may--  
7,i7 share such information with such   
nonprofit organizations as the political

 subdivisions consider appropriate2 and 
7,,ii7 work with such organizations to  
provide the veterans with relevant      
information about benefits and services 
offered by such organizations4  7iii7   
,information provided on the form       
developed under subparagraph 7,a7 will  
never be sold1 provided to a for-profit 
entity1 or used to send any sort of     
political communication4  7,d7 ,manner  
,the ,secretary of ,defense shall ensure
 that the form provided under paragraph 
7#a7 is not primarily electronic in     
nature4  7#c7 ,voluntary participation  
,the ,secretary of ,defense shall ensure
 that completion of the form provided   
under paragraph 7#a7 is voluntary and   
submittal of such form to the ,secretary
 by a member of the ,armed ,forces shall
 be considered an indication to the     
,secretary that the member would like to
 receive information from participating 
entities under the program4  7#d7       
,transmittal of information to          
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs ,not   

later than #cj days after the date on   
which a member of the ,armed ,forces who
 submitted information to the ,secretary
 of ,defense under this subsection      
separates from service in the ,armed    
,forces1 the ,secretary of ,defense     
shall transmit such information to the  
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs4  7#e7 
,privacy and security ,the ,secretary of
 ,defense shall take such actions as the
 ,secretary considers appropriate to    
protect-- 7,a7 the privacy of           
individuals who submit information under
 this subsection2 and  7,b7 the security
 of such information-- 7i7 while it is  
in the possession of the ,secretary2 and
  7ii7 while it is in transit to the    
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs4  7#f7 
,integration with ,transition           
,assistance ,program ,the ,secretary of 
,defense and the ,secretary of ,labor   
shall jointly take such actions as the  
secretaries consider appropriate to     
integrate the collection of information 
under this subsection into the          

,transition ,assistance ,program4  7e7  
,report  7#a7 ,in general ,not later    
than #ahj days after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs and the ,secretary
 of ,defense shall jointly submit to the
 appropriate committees of ,congress a  
report on the program established under 
subsection 7a77#a74  7#b7 ,contents ,the
 report submitted under paragraph 7#a7  
shall include an examination and        
assessment of the following3 7,a7 ,the  
signup process and the effectiveness of 
the forms developed and provided under  
subsection 7d74  7,b7 ,the ways in which
 contact information is transferred from
 the ,secretary of ,defense to the      
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs under  
the program and the plans of the        
secretaries to overcome challenges      
encountered by the secretaries in       
transferring such information4  7,c7    
,the number of covered entities         
described in subsection 7a77#b77;,c7    
participating in the program and any    

challenges they report in receiving the 
contact information from the ,secretary 
of ,veterans ,affairs under the program4
  7,d7 ,the effectiveness of efforts of 
the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs and
 the ,secretary of ,defense to protect  
the personal information of             
participating individuals4  7,e7 ,the   
effectiveness of efforts of covered     
entities described in subsection        
7a77#b77;,c7 to protect the personal    
information of participating            
individuals4  7,f7 ,whether additional  
limitations on the use of information   
collected under the program are         
necessary to protect participating      
individuals from unwanted contact1 or   
contact that is inconsistent with the   
program4  7,g7 ,whether participating   
individuals are benefitting by          
participating in the program and whether
 changing the program would improve such
 benefits4  7,h7 ,the overall           
participation in the program1           
utilization of the program1 and how such

 participation and utilization could be 
improved4  7,i7 ,such other matters as  
the secretaries consider appropriate4   
7#c7 ,appropriate committees of         
,congress defined ,in this subsection1  
the term appropriate committees of      
,congress means the following3 7,a7 ,the
 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs1 the 
,committee on ,armed ,services1 and the 
,subcommittee on ,military              
,construction1 ,veterans ,affairs1 and  
,related ,agencies of the ,committee on 
,appropriations of the ,senate4  7,b7   
,the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs1 
the ,committee on ,armed ,services1 and 
the ,subcommittee on ,military          
,construction1 ,veterans ,affairs and   
,related ,agencies of the ,committee on 
,appropriations of the ,house of        
,representatives4  7f7 ,definitions ,in 
this section3 7#a7 ,participating entity
 ,the term participating entity means a 
covered entity that has indicated to the
 ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs that  
the covered entity would like to receive

 information about participating        
individuals from the national directory 
and has made no subsequent indication   
that the covered entity would like to   
stop receiving such information4  7#b7  
,participating individual ,the term     
participating individual means an       
individual with respect to whom         
information is stored in the national   
directory and who has indicated to the  
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs or the 
,secretary of ,defense that the         
individual would like to receive        
information from participating entities 
under the program and has made no       
subsequent indication that the          
individual would like to stop receiving 
such information4