#aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,s4   
#bhfd  ,,an ,,act  ,to require the      
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to     
carry out a pilot program on information
 sharing between the ,department of     
,veterans ,affairs and designated       
relatives and friends of veterans       
regarding the assistance and benefits   
available to the veterans1 and for other
 purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,sergeant ,daniel   
,somers ,veterans ,network of ,support  
,act of #bjai4  #b4 ,pilot program on   
information sharing between ,department 
of ,veterans ,affairs and designated    
relatives and friends of veterans       
regarding the assistance and benefits   
available to the veterans  7a7 ,pilot   
program required  7#a7 ,in general ,not 
later than one year after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
commence carrying out a pilot program-- 
7,a7 to encourage members of the ,armed 
,forces who are transitioning from      

service in the ,armed ,forces to        
civilian life1 before separating from   
such service1 to designate up to #aj    
persons to whom information regarding   
the assistance and benefits available to
 the veterans under laws administered by
 the ,secretary shall be disseminated   
using the contact information obtained  
under paragraph 7#g72 and  7,b7 provides
 such persons1 within #cj days after the
 date on which such persons are         
designated under subparagraph 7,a71 the 
option to elect to receive such         
information4  7#b7 ,duration ,the       
,secretary shall carry out the pilot    
program during a period beginning on the
 date of the commencement of the pilot  
program that is not less than two years4
  7#c7 ,dissemination ,the ,secretary   
shall disseminate information described 
in paragraph 7#a77;,a7 under the pilot  
program no less frequently than         
quarterly4  7#d7 ,types of information  
,the types of information to be         
disseminated under the pilot program to 

persons who elect to receive such       
information shall include information   
regarding the following3 7,a7 ,services 
and benefits offered to veterans and    
their family members by the ,department 
of ,veterans ,affairs4  7,b7 ,challenges
 and stresses that might accompany      
transitioning from service in the ,armed
 ,forces to civilian life4  7,c7        
,services available to veterans and     
their family members to cope with the   
experiences and challenges of service in
 the ,armed ,forces and transition from 
such service to civilian life4  7,d7    
,services available through community   
partner organizations to support        
veterans and their family members4  7,e7
 ,services available through ,federal1  
,state1 and local government agencies to
 support veterans and their family      
members4  7,f7 ,the environmental health
 registry program1 health and wellness  
programs1 and resources for preventing  
and managing diseases and illnesses4    
7,g7 ,a toll-free telephone number      

through which such persons who elect to 
receive information under the pilot     
program may request information         
regarding the program4  7,h7 ,such other
 matters as the ,secretary1 in          
consultation with members of the ,armed 
,forces and such persons who elect to   
receive information under the pilot     
program1 determines to be appropriate4  
7#e7 ,privacy of information ,in        
carrying out the pilot program1 the     
,secretary may not disseminate          
information under paragraph 7#d7 in     
violation of laws and regulations       
pertaining to the privacy of members of 
the ,armed ,forces1 including           
requirements pursuant to-- 7,a7 section 
#eeb;a of title #e1 ,united ,states     
,code2 and  7,b7 the ,health ,insurance 
,portability and ,accountability ,act of
 #aiif 7,public ,law #ajd-aia74  7#f7   
,notice and modifications ,in carrying  
out the pilot program1 the ,secretary   
shall1 with respect to a veteran-- 7,a7 
ensure that such veteran is notified of 

the ability to modify designations made 
by such veteran under paragraph         
7#a77;,a72 and  7,b7 upon the request of
 a veteran1 authorize such veteran to   
modify such designations at any time4   
7#g7 ,contact information ,in making a  
designation under the pilot program1 a  
veteran shall provide necessary contact 
information1 specifically including an  
email address1 to facilitate the        
dissemination of information regarding  
the assistance and benefits available to
 the veteran under laws administered by 
the ,secretary4  7#h7 ,opt-in and       
opt-out of pilot program  7,a7 ,opt-in  
by members ,a veteran may participate in
 the pilot program only if the veteran  
voluntarily elects to participate in the
 program4 ,a veteran seeking to make    
such an election shall make such        
election in a manner1 and by including  
such information1 as the ,secretary     
shall specify for purposes of the pilot 
program4  7,b7 ,opt-in by designated    
recipients ,a person designated pursuant

 to paragraph 7#a77;,a7 may receive     
information under the pilot program only
 if the person makes the election       
described in paragraph 7#a77;,b74  7,c7 
,opt-out ,in carrying out the pilot     
program1 the ,secretary shall1 with     
respect to a person who has elected to  
receive information under such pilot    
program1 cease disseminating such       
information to that person upon request 
of such person4  7b7 ,survey and report 
on pilot program  7#a7 ,survey  7,a7 ,in
 general ,not later than one year after 
the date of the commencement of the     
pilot program and not less frequently   
than once each year thereafter for the  
duration of the pilot program1 the      
,secretary shall administer a survey to 
persons who elected to receive          
information under the pilot program for 
the purpose of receiving feedback       
regarding the quality of information    
disseminated under this section4  7,b7  
,elements ,each survey conducted under  
subparagraph 7,a7 shall include         

solicitation of the following3 7i7      
,feedback on the following3 7,i7 ,the   
nature of information disseminated under
 the pilot program4  7,,ii7             
,satisfaction with the pilot program4   
7,,iii7 ,the utility of the pilot       
program4  7,,iv7 ,overall pilot program 
successes and challenges4  7ii7         
,recommendations for improving the pilot
 program4  7iii7 ,reasons for opting in 
or out of the pilot program4  7iv7 ,such
 other feedback or matters as the       
,secretary considers appropriate4  7#b7 
,report  7,a7 ,in general ,not later    
than three years after the date on which
 the pilot program commences1 the       
,secretary shall submit to the          
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,senate and the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives a final report on the  
pilot program4  7,b7 ,contents ,the     
report submitted under subparagraph 7,a7
 shall include the following3 7i7 ,the  
results of the survey administered under

 paragraph 7#a74  7ii7 ,the number of   
participants enrolled in the pilot      
program who are veterans4  7iii7 ,the   
number of persons designated under      
subsection 7a77#a77;,a74  7iv7 ,the     
number of such persons who opted in or  
out of the pilot program under          
subsection 7a77#h74  7v7 ,the average   
period such persons remained in the     
pilot program4  7vi7 ,an assessment of  
the feasibility and advisability of     
making the pilot program permanent4     
7vii7 ,identification of legislative or 
administrative action that may be       
necessary if the pilot program is made  
permanent4  7viii7 ,a plan to expand the
 pilot program if the pilot program is  
made permanent4  7ix7 ,if the ,secretary
 finds under clause 7vi7 that making the
 pilot program permanent is not feasible
 or advisable1 a justification for such 
finding4  ,passed the ,senate ,june #cj1
 #bjbj4,secretary