[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2819 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2819
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve and expand the Solid
Start program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 22, 2021
Ms. Slotkin (for herself and Mr. Joyce of Ohio) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve and expand the Solid
Start program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Solid Start Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) In 2021, veterans continue to die by suicide at higher
rates than civilians. Many of those veterans have no ties to
the Department of Veterans Affairs, limiting the ability of the
Department to help in times of crisis.
(2) The first year after separating from the military is a
critical time in the transition to civilian life for a member
of the Armed Forces. Many changes occur during that transition,
from career and location changes to shifts in financial
circumstances and health care coverage.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that the United States must strive to
better serve members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are
transitioning to civilian life by--
(1) providing up-to-date information and access to
resources that such members of the Armed Forces and veterans
may not be aware of;
(2) supporting the critical time of transition by ensuring
that mental health needs are met in a timely manner; and
(3) assisting members of the Armed Forces and veterans in
accessing newly available services.
SEC. 4. SOLID START PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) In General.--Chapter 63 of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new subchapter:
``Subchapter II--Other Outreach Programs and Activities
``Sec. 6320. Solid Start program
``(a) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are--
``(1) to build the capacity of the Department to
efficiently and effectively respond to the queries and needs of
veterans who have recently separated from the Armed Forces; and
``(2) to systemically integrate and coordinate efforts to
assist veterans, including efforts--
``(A) to proactively reach out to newly separated
veterans to inform them of their eligibility for
programs of and benefits provided by the Department;
and
``(B) to connect veterans in crisis to resources
that address their immediate needs.
``(b) Activities of the Solid Start Program.--(1) The Secretary, in
coordination with the Secretary of Defense, shall carry out the Solid
Start program of the Department by--
``(A) collecting up-to-date contact information during
transition classes or separation counseling for all members of
the Armed Forces who are separating from the Armed Forces,
while explaining the existence and purpose of the Solid Start
program;
``(B) calling each veteran, regardless of separation type
or characterization of service, three times within the first
year after separation of the veteran from the Armed Forces;
``(C) providing information about the Solid Start program
on the website of the Department and in materials of the
Department, especially transition booklets and other resources;
``(D) ensuring calls are truly tailored to the needs of
each veteran's unique situation by conducting quality assurance
tests;
``(E) prioritizing outreach to veterans who have accessed
mental health resources prior to separation from the Armed
Forces;
``(F) providing women veterans with information that is
tailored to their specific health care and benefit needs;
``(G) as feasible, providing information on access to State
and local resources, including Vet Centers and veterans service
organizations; and
``(H) gathering and analyzing data assessing the
effectiveness of the Solid Start program.
``(2) The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense,
may carry out the Solid Start program by--
``(A) encouraging members of the Armed Forces who are
transitioning to civilian life to authorize alternate points of
contact who can be reached should the member be unavailable
during the first year following the separation of the member
from the Armed Forces;
``(B) following up missed phone calls with tailored
mailings to ensure the veteran still receives similar
information; and
``(C) striving to reach out to veterans who separated prior
to the initiation of the Solid Start program to provide similar
services to those veterans, as feasible.
``(3) In this subsection:
``(A) The term `Vet Center' has the meaning given that term
in section 1712A(h) of this title.
``(B) The term `veterans service organization' means an
organization recognized by the Secretary for the representation
of veterans under section 5902 of this title.
``(c) Obligations of Amounts.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations, the Secretary may not, in a fiscal year, obligate an
amount to carry out the Solid Start program that is less than the total
amount obligated in the previous fiscal year to carry out the program,
unless the Secretary determines that increased efficiencies of the
program warrant the obligation of a lesser amount.''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--Chapter 63 of such title, as amended by
subsection (a), is further amended--
(1) by inserting before section 6301 the following:
``Subchapter I--Outreach Services Program'';
and
(2) in sections 6301, 6303, 6304, 6305, 6306, and 6307, by
striking ``this chapter'' each place it appears and inserting
``this subchapter''.
(c) Clerical Amendments.--The table of contents at the beginning of
chapter 63 of such title is amended--
(1) by inserting before the item relating to section 6301
the following new item:
``subchapter i--outreach services program'';
and
(2) by adding at the end the following new items:
``subchapter ii--other outreach programs and activities
``6320. Solid Start program.''.
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