#aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  ,s4   
#ajf  ,,an ,,act  ,to amend title #ch1  
,united ,states ,code1 to authorize the 
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to     
award grants to ,states to improve      
outreach to veterans1 and for other     
purposes4  #a4 ,authority for ,secretary
 of ,veterans ,affairs to award grants  
to ,states to improve outreach to       
veterans  7a7 ,in general ,chapter #fc  
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is 
amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating sections
 #fcjg and #fcjh as sections #fcjh and  
#fcji1 respectively2 and  7#b7 by       
inserting after section #fcjf the       
following new section #fcjg3  #fcjg4    
,grants to ,states to improve outreach  
to veterans  7a7 ,purpose ,it is the    
purpose of this section to provide for  
assistance by the ,secretary to ,states 
to carry out programs that improve      
covered outreach and assistance to      
veterans and the spouses1 children1 and 
parents of veterans1 to ensure that such
 individuals are fully informed about1  

and assisted in applying for1 any       
veterans and veterans-related benefits  
and programs 7including ,state veterans 
programs7 for which they may be         
eligible4  7b7 ,authority ,the          
,secretary may award grants to ,states--
 7#a7 to carry out1 coordinate1 improve1
 or otherwise enhance-- 7,a7 covered    
outreach activities2 or  7,b7 activities
 to assist in the development and       
submittal of claims for veterans and    
veterans-related benefits2 or  7#b7 to  
increase the number of county or tribal 
veterans service officers serving in the
 ,state by hiring new1 additional such  
officers4  7c7 ,application  7#a7 ,to be
 eligible for a grant under this        
section1 a ,state shall submit to the   
,secretary an application therefor at   
such time1 in such manner1 and          
containing such information as the      
,secretary may require4  7#b7 ,each     
application submitted under paragraph   
7#a7 shall include the following3 7,a7  
,a detailed plan for the use of the     

grant4  7,b7 ,a description of the      
programs through which the ,state will  
meet the outcome measures developed by  
the ,secretary under subsection 7i74    
7,c7 ,a description of how the ,state   
will distribute grant amounts equitably 
among counties with varying levels of   
urbanization4  7,d7 ,a plan for how the 
grant will be used to meet the unique   
needs of ,american ,indian veterans1    
,alaska ,native veterans1 or ,native    
,hawaiian veterans1 elderly veterans1   
and veterans from other underserved     
communities4  7d7 ,distribution ,the    
,secretary shall seek to ensure that    
grants awarded under this section are   
equitably distributed among ,states with
 varying levels of urbanization4  7e7   
,priority ,the ,secretary shall         
prioritize awarding grants under this   
section that will serve the following   
areas3 7#a7 ,areas with a critical      
shortage of county or tribal veterans   
service officers4  7#b7 ,areas with high
 rates of-- 7,a7 suicide among veterans2

 or  7,b7 referrals to the ,veterans    
,crisis ,line4  7f7 ,use of county or   
tribal veterans service officers ,a     
,state that receives a grant under this 
section to carry out an activity        
described in subsection 7b77#a7 shall   
carry out the activity through-- 7#a7 a 
county or tribal veterans service       
officer of the ,state2 or  7#b7 if the  
,state does not have a county or tribal 
veterans service officer1 or if the     
county or tribal veterans service       
officers of the ,state cover only a     
portion of that ,state1 an appropriate  
entity of a ,state1 local1 or tribal    
government1 or another publicly funded  
entity1 as determined by the ,secretary4
  7g7 ,required activities ,any grant   
awarded under this section shall be     
used-- 7#a7 to expand existing programs1
 activities1 and services2  7#b7 to hire
 new1 additional county or tribal       
veterans service officers2 or  7#c7 for 
travel and transportation to facilitate 
carrying out paragraph 7#a7 or 7#b74    

7h7 ,authorized activities ,a grant     
under this section may be used to       
provide education and training1         
including on-the-job training1 for      
,state1 county1 local1 and tribal       
government employees who provide 7or    
when trained will provide7 covered      
outreach services in order for those    
employees to obtain accreditation in    
accordance with procedures approved by  
the ,secretary4  7i7 ,outcome measures  
7#a7 ,the ,secretary shall develop and  
provide to each ,state that receives a  
grant under this section written        
guidance on the following3 7,a7 ,outcome
 measures4  7,b7 ,policies of the       
,department4  7#b7 ,in developing       
outcome measures under paragraph 7#a71  
the ,secretary shall consider the       
following goals3 7,a7 ,increasing the   
use of veterans and veterans-related    
benefits1 particularly among vulnerable 
populations4  7,b7 ,increasing the      
number of county and tribal veterans    
service officers recognized by the      

,secretary for the representation of    
veterans under chapter #ei of this      
title4  7j7 ,tracking requirements  7#a7
 ,with respect to each grant awarded    
under this section1 the ,secretary shall
 track the use of veterans and          
veterans-related benefits among the     
population served by the grant1         
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       
benefit1 disaggregated by type of       
benefit4  7#b7 ,not less frequently than
 annually1 the ,secretary shall submit  
to ,congress a report on the information
 tracked under paragraph 7#a74  7k7     
,performance review  7#a7 ,the          
,secretary shall-- 7,a7 review the      
performance of each ,state that receives
 a grant under this section2 and  7,b7  
make information regarding such         
performance publicly available4  7l7    
,remediation plan  7#a7 ,in the case of 
a ,state that receives a grant under    

this section and does not meet the      
outcome measures developed by the       
,secretary under subsection 7i71 the    
,secretary shall require the ,state to  
submit a remediation plan under which   
the ,state shall describe how and when  
it plans to meet such outcome measures4 
7#b7 ,the ,secretary may not award a    
subsequent grant under this section to a
 ,state described in paragraph 7#a7     
unless the ,secretary approves the      
remediation plan submitted by the       
,state4  7m7 ,definitions ,in this      
section3 7#a7 ,the term county or tribal
 veterans service officer includes a    
local equivalent veterans service       
officer4  7#b7 ,the term covered        
outreach means outreach with respect    
to-- 7,a7 benefits administered by the  
,under ,secretary for ,benefits2 or     
7,b7 similar benefits administered by a 
,state or ,indian ,tribe4  7#c7 ,the    
term ,veterans ,crisis ,line means the  
toll-free hotline for veterans          
established under section #agbj;,f7h7 of

 this title4  4  7b7 ,clerical amendment
 ,the table of sections at the beginning
 of chapter #fc of such title is amended
 by striking the items relating to      
sections #fcjg and #fcjh and inserting  
the following new items3  #fcjg4 ,grants
 to ,states to improve outreach to      
veterans4 #fcjh4 ,outreach for eligible 
dependents4 #fcji4 ,biennial report to  
,congress4  4  ,passed the ,senate      
,november #af 7legislative day1         
,november #ae71 #bjbc4,secretary