,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ddhj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #ag1 #bjbe,mr4 
,barrett introduced the following bill2 
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,transportation and ,infrastructure  ,a 
,,bill  ,to amend the ,robert ,t4       
,stafford ,disaster ,relief and         
,emergency ,assistance ,act to direct   
the ,president to designate a ,veteran  
,advocate of the ,federal ,emergency    
,management ,agency1 and for other      
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,improving ,disaster
 ,assistance for ,veterans ,act4  #b4   
,designation of ,veterans ,advocate  7a7
 ,in general ,title ,,iii of the ,robert
 ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and    
,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#ae        
,u4,s4,c4 #eada et seq47 is amended by  
adding at the end the following3  #cbh4 
,designation of veteran advocate  7a7   
,in general ,the ,president shall       
designate in the ,federal ,emergency    
,management ,agency a ,veteran          

,advocate4  7b7 ,responsibilities ,the  
,veterans ,advocate shall be an advocate
 for the fair treatment of veterans in  
the provision of assistance under this  
,act4  7c7 ,duties ,the ,veterans       
,advocate shall-- 7#a7 participate in   
the disaster declaration process under  
section #dja and the emergency          
declaration process under section #eja  
to ensure that the needs of veterans are
 being addressed2  7#b7 serve as the    
primary point of contact between        
veterans service organizations and the  
,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency2
  7#c7 identify opportunities for       
expanded veteran recruitment for        
,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency 
employment1 including ,federal          
,emergency ,management ,agency reservist
 positions2 and  7#d7 conduct such other
 activities as the ,administrator of the
 ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency
 considers appropriate4  4  7b7         
,statutory construction ,nothing in this
 section or the amendment made by this  

section shall be construed to authorize 
major disaster or emergency assistance  
under the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford         
,disaster ,relief and ,emergency        
,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaba et
 seq47 that is not authorized as of the 
date of enactment of this ,act4