United States HR 552: Veterans Collaboration Act

Bill Text

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119TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 552
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program
to promote and encourage collaboration between the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs and nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher learn-
ing that provide administrative assistance to veterans.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 16, 2025
Mr. WITTMAN introduced the following bill; 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 non-
profit organizations and institutions of higher learning
that provide administrative assistance to veterans.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Collaboration 4
Act’’. 5
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•HR 552 IH
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PILOT PRO-1
GRAM ON ENCOURAGEMENT OF PARTNER-2
SHIPS BETWEEN VETERANS SERVICE ORGA-3
NIZATIONS AND LAW SCHOOLS PROVIDING 4
PRO BONO SERVICES TO VETERANS. 5
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 6
shall carry out a two-year pilot program to promote and 7
encourage partnerships between the Department of Vet-8
erans Affairs and nonprofit organizations and institutions 9
of higher learning. In carrying out the pilot program, the 10
Secretary shall encourage partnerships between— 11
(1) veterans service organizations that provide 12
personnel with appropriate credentials to assist vet-13
erans in filing claims and appeals with the Depart-14
ment for disability compensation and to address 15
other legal needs of veterans; and 16
(2) law schools that provide pro bono legal as-17
sistance and legal services to veterans. 18
(b) METRICS.—The Secretary shall establish guide-19
lines to determine which organizations and institutions are 20
best positioned to serve veterans and seek to encourage 21
such organizations and institutions to participate in the 22
pilot program. 23
(c) LOCATION.—The Secretary shall carry out the 24
pilot program in States with the highest veteran popu-25
lations, as determined by the Secretary. 26
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•HR 552 IH
(d) USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA.—In carrying out the 1
pilot program, the Secretary shall use social media to pro-2
mote the partnerships carried out under the pilot program 3
and to notify veterans of such partnerships. 4
(e) REPORTS.—Not later than 30 days after the last 5
day of each fiscal quarter until the termination of the pilot 6
program, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on 7
Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of Rep-8
resentatives a report on the pilot program. Each such re-9
port shall include, for the fiscal quarter covered by the 10
report, a description of the use of social media under sub-11
section (d) and the number of veterans who received as-12
sistance from law schools through the program. 13
Æ
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