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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 veterans.
Summary
This bill, the Veterans Collaboration Act, directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct a two-year pilot program to promote partnerships between veterans service organizations and law schools that provide pro bono legal assistance to veterans. The pilot program would connect veterans service organizations that assist with VA disability compensation claims and appeals with law schools providing free legal services to address other legal needs of veterans. The pilot program would operate in states with the highest veteran populations, as determined by the VA Secretary, and the Secretary would use social media to promote the partnerships and inform veterans about available services. The VA Secretary must submit quarterly reports to Congress detailing social media outreach efforts and the number of veterans who received assistance through participating law schools. The pilot program is designed to improve veterans' access to legal and administrative assistance for filing claims and addressing other legal matters.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
1 cosponsor
- Rep. Harris, Mark [R-NC-8] (R-NC)
Actions (3)
- Feb 20, 2025 Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. · house
- Jan 16, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. · house
- Jan 16, 2025 Introduced in House
More bills on these subjects (8)
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Similar bills (6)
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Text versions (1)
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Full text
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 nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher learning that provide administrative assistance to veterans.
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 “Veterans Collaboration Act”.
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PILOT PROGRAM ON ENCOURAGEMENT OF PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AND LAW SCHOOLS PROVIDING PRO BONO SERVICES TO VETERANS.
(a) 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 learning. In carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary shall encourage partnerships between—
(1) 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 veterans; and
(2) law schools that provide pro bono legal assistance and legal services to veterans.
(b) 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 program.
(c) Location.—The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program in States with the highest veteran populations, as determined by the Secretary.
(d) Use of Social Media.—In carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary shall use social media to promote the partnerships carried out under the pilot program and to notify veterans of such partnerships.
(e) Reports.—Not later than 30 days after the last day of each fiscal quarter until the termination of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the pilot program. Each such report shall include, for the fiscal quarter covered by the report, a description of the use of social media under subsection (d) and the number of veterans who received assistance from law schools through the program. <all>
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