# 119-s-5328: Empowering States to Serve Veterans Act

119-s-5328, Empowering States to Serve Veterans Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV] (D-NV); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-26).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5328
- As of: 2026-08-26
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-5328
- Congress: 119
- Title: Empowering States to Serve Veterans Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-08-06
- Sponsor: Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV] (D-NV)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-26

## Summary

**Sharing limited veterans' contact information with State veterans agencies for outreach and statistics.** The bill would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide contact lists at least quarterly while excluding sensitive records and giving veterans a clear opt-out and privacy protections. - Veterans: Get notice and a simple opt-out. Notice must be given at least 45 days before initial transfer for existing veterans and at transition for separating service members, and an opt-out halts sharing and requires destruction of any copies. - State veterans agencies: Would receive quarterly contact lists for outreach and statistical analysis but only non-sensitive contact data. They must not sell, transfer, disclose to third parties, or publish the information and must meet federal-style cybersecurity and certification or audit requirements. - Oversight and VA duties: The Secretary must verify state security compliance before sharing and may withhold data from states that cannot demonstrate adequate protections. The Secretary must issue implementing regulations within 180 days and most provisions take effect one year after enactment.

## Cosponsors (2)

- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV] (D-NV), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Veterans' notice and opt-out rights: benefit, low. If enacted, the VA would notify veterans in paper and electronic messages that their contact information may be shared and that they may opt out. For veterans who are already veterans on the enactment date, notice would go out at least 45 days before the first transfer. For service members, notice…
- State access to veterans' contact info: mixed, low. If enacted, the VA would provide each State veterans agency with contact information for veterans at least once every three months. Sharing would start one year after enactment and the VA would issue rules within 180 days to govern how sharing works. The VA would not include sensitive items like pr…
- State agencies must meet cybersecurity: mixed, low. If enacted, State veterans agencies would need data protection and cybersecurity measures that match Federal standards before the VA would share contact information. The VA would require proof of compliance and could refuse to share with agencies that do not demonstrate adequate security. The VA wo…

## Related bills

- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026
- 119-s-1503: Equality Act
- 119-s-1068: Putting Veterans First Act of 2025
- 119-s-2295: Child Care for Working Families Act

## Sources
- [119-s-5328 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5328)

## Related
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503)
- [119-s-1068: Putting Veterans First Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1068)
- [119-s-2295: Child Care for Working Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2295)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5328 (as of 2026-08-26).