,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #eeb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #af1        
#bjbe,mr4 ,wittman introduced the       
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of 
,veterans ,affairs to carry out a pilot 
program to promote and encourage        
collaboration between the ,department of
 ,veterans ,affairs and nonprofit       
organizations and institutions of higher
 learning that provide administrative   
assistance to veterans4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,veterans ,collaboration ,act4  #b4     
,department of ,veterans ,affairs pilot 
program on encouragement of partnerships
 between veterans service organizations 
and law schools providing pro bono      
services to veterans  7a7 ,in general   
,the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs   
shall carry out a two-year pilot program
 to promote and encourage partnerships  
between the ,department of ,veterans    

,affairs and nonprofit organizations and
 institutions of higher learning4 ,in   
carrying out the pilot program1 the     
,secretary shall encourage partnerships 
between-- 7#a7 veterans service         
organizations that provide personnel    
with appropriate credentials to assist  
veterans in filing claims and appeals   
with the ,department for disability     
compensation and to address other legal 
needs of veterans2 and  7#b7 law schools
 that provide pro bono legal assistance 
and legal services to veterans4  7b7    
,metrics ,the ,secretary shall establish
 guidelines to determine which          
organizations and institutions are best 
positioned to serve veterans and seek to
 encourage such organizations and       
institutions to participate in the pilot
 program4  7c7 ,location ,the ,secretary
 shall carry out the pilot program in   
,states with the highest veteran        
populations1 as determined by the       
,secretary4  7d7 ,use of social media   
,in carrying out the pilot program1 the 

,secretary shall use social media to    
promote the partnerships carried out    
under the pilot program and to notify   
veterans of such partnerships4  7e7     
,reports ,not later than #cj days after 
the last day of each fiscal quarter     
until the termination of the pilot      
program1 the ,secretary shall submit to 
the ,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs  
of the ,senate and the ,house of        
,representatives a report on the pilot  
program4 ,each such report shall        
include1 for the fiscal quarter covered 
by the report1 a description of the use 
of social media under subsection 7d7 and
 the number of veterans who received    
assistance from law schools through the 
program4