,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cbhd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #cj1 
#bjba,ms4 ,rosen 7for herself and ,mrs4 
,fischer7 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      
toll-free telephone helpline for        
veterans and other eligible individuals 
to use to obtain information about the  
benefits and services provided by the   
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 and  
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,veterans
 ,assistance ,helpline ,act of #bjba4   
#b4 ,telephone helpline for assistance  
for veterans and other eligible         
individuals  7a7 ,establishment of      
helpline  7#a7 ,in general ,the         
,secretary shall establish a toll-free  
telephone helpline that a covered       
individual may use to obtain information
 about1 or through which a covered      

individual may be directed to1 any      
service or benefit provided under a law 
administered by the ,secretary1         
including any service provided by the   
,department of ,veterans ,affairs in the
 area in which the covered individual is
 located4  7#b7 ,contract for direction 
of calls authorized ,the ,secretary may1
 in coordination with the ,commission1  
enter into a contract with an           
third-party to direct calls made to the 
toll-free helpline established under    
paragraph 7#a7 to the appropriate person
 regarding a service or benefit         
described in that paragraph4  7#c7 ,live
 individual required ,the ,secretary1 in
 coordination with the ,commission1     
shall ensure that a covered individual  
using the telephone helpline established
 under paragraph 7#a7 speaks with a live
 individual rather than a recording4    
7b7 ,study and report required ,not     
later than one year after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary shall1 in coordination with  

the ,commission-- 7#a7 complete a study 
to assess the feasibility and           
advisability of designating a covered   
dialing code for the purposes of        
reaching the toll-free telephone        
helpline established under subsection   
7a77#a72 and  7#b7 submit to the        
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,senate and the ,committee on          
,veteran's ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives a report on the        
findings of the ,commission with respect
 to the study completed under           
subparagraph 7,a74  7c7 ,definitions ,in
 this section3 7#a7 ,commission ,the    
term ,commission means the ,federal     
,communications ,commission4  7#b7      
,covered dialing code ,the term covered 
dialing code means a simple1            
easy-to-remember1 #c-;digit dialing     
code4  7#c7 ,covered individual ,the    
term covered individual means-- 7,a7 a  
veteran2  7,b7 an individual acting on  
behalf of a veteran2 or  7,c7 an        
individual1 other than a veteran1 who is

 eligible to receive a benefit or       
service under a law administered by the 
,secretary4  7#d7 ,secretary ,the term  
,secretary means the ,secretary of      
,veterans ,affairs4  7#e7 ,veteran ,the 
term veteran has the meaning given the  
term in section #aja of title #ch1      
,united ,states ,code4