§6307 Grants to States and Indian Tribes to Improve Outreach to Veterans

Summary

Gives grants to States and Indian Tribes so they can do better outreach and help veterans and their spouses, children, and parents learn about and apply for veterans benefits. The Secretary can fund work to boost outreach, help prepare and submit claims, or hire new county or Tribal veterans service officers. To get a grant, a State or Tribe must apply with a detailed plan, show how it will meet outcome measures the Secretary sets, explain how it will share money fairly across urban and rural areas, and describe how it will serve American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, elderly, and other underserved veterans. Grants must be used to expand programs, hire new officers, or pay travel, and can pay for training so staff can get accreditation. The Secretary will prefer projects in places with too few service officers or with high veteran suicide or high use of the Veterans Crisis Line. At least five percent of available grant money each year must go to Indian Tribes. The Secretary will create outcome measures and policies, track how grant areas use benefits (including the average time from application to receipt, by benefit type), review grantee performance, publish that performance, and report to Congress at least yearly. If a State or Tribe does not meet the outcome measures, it must submit a remediation plan and cannot get another grant until the plan is approved. Definitions (one line each): county or Tribal veterans service officer — local veterans service officer; covered outreach — outreach about benefits run by the Under Secretary for Benefits or similar State/Tribal benefits; Indian Tribe — as defined in the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304); State — includes DC, Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, and U.S. territories; Veterans Crisis Line — the toll-free hotline under section 1720F(h).