Sergeant Daniel Somers Veterans Network of Support Act of 2019

116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. 2864 AN ACT To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program on information sharing between the De- partment of Veterans Affairs and designated relatives and friends of veterans regarding the assistance and benefits available to the veterans, and for other purposes. 2 † S 2864 ES 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 ‘‘Sergeant Daniel 4 Somers Veterans Network of Support Act of 2019’’. 5 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON INFORMATION SHARING BE- 6 TWEEN DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 7 AND DESIGNATED RELATIVES AND FRIENDS 8 OF VETERANS REGARDING THE ASSISTANCE 9 AND BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO THE VET- 10 ERANS. 11 (a) PILOT PROGRAM REQUIRED.— 12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 13 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec- 14 retary of Veterans Affairs shall commence carrying 15 out a pilot program— 16 (A) to encourage members of the Armed 17 Forces who are transitioning from service in the 18 Armed Forces to civilian life, before separating 19 from such service, to designate up to 10 per- 20 sons to whom information regarding the assist- 21 ance and benefits available to the veterans 22 under laws administered by the Secretary shall 23 be disseminated using the contact information 24 obtained under paragraph (7); and 25 3 † S 2864 ES (B) provides such persons, within 30 days 1 after the date on which such persons are des- 2 ignated under subparagraph (A), the option to 3 elect to receive such information. 4 (2) DURATION.—The Secretary shall carry out 5 the pilot program during a period beginning on the 6 date of the commencement of the pilot program that 7 is not less than two years. 8 (3) DISSEMINATION.—The Secretary shall dis- 9 seminate information described in paragraph (1)(A) 10 under the pilot program no less frequently than 11 quarterly. 12 (4) TYPES OF INFORMATION.—The types of in- 13 formation to be disseminated under the pilot pro- 14 gram to persons who elect to receive such informa- 15 tion shall include information regarding the fol- 16 lowing: 17 (A) Services and benefits offered to vet- 18 erans and their family members by the Depart- 19 ment of Veterans Affairs. 20 (B) Challenges and stresses that might ac- 21 company transitioning from service in the 22 Armed Forces to civilian life. 23 (C) Services available to veterans and their 24 family members to cope with the experiences 25 4 † S 2864 ES and challenges of service in the Armed Forces 1 and transition from such service to civilian life. 2 (D) Services available through community 3 partner organizations to support veterans and 4 their family members. 5 (E) Services available through Federal, 6 State, and local government agencies to support 7 veterans and their family members. 8 (F) The environmental health registry pro- 9 gram, health and wellness programs, and re- 10 sources for preventing and managing diseases 11 and illnesses. 12 (G) A toll-free telephone number through 13 which such persons who elect to receive infor- 14 mation under the pilot program may request in- 15 formation regarding the program. 16 (H) Such other matters as the Secretary, 17 in consultation with members of the Armed 18 Forces and such persons who elect to receive in- 19 formation under the pilot program, determines 20 to be appropriate. 21 (5) PRIVACY OF INFORMATION.—In carrying 22 out the pilot program, the Secretary may not dis- 23 seminate information under paragraph (4) in viola- 24 tion of laws and regulations pertaining to the pri- 25 5 † S 2864 ES vacy of members of the Armed Forces, including re- 1 quirements pursuant to— 2 (A) section 552a of title 5, United States 3 Code; and 4 (B) the Health Insurance Portability and 5 Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law 104– 6 191). 7 (6) NOTICE AND MODIFICATIONS.—In carrying 8 out the pilot program, the Secretary shall, with re- 9 spect to a veteran— 10 (A) ensure that such veteran is notified of 11 the ability to modify designations made by such 12 veteran under paragraph (1)(A); and 13 (B) upon the request of a veteran, author- 14 ize such veteran to modify such designations at 15 any time. 16 (7) CONTACT INFORMATION.—In making a des- 17 ignation under the pilot program, a veteran shall 18 provide necessary contact information, specifically 19 including an email address, to facilitate the dissemi- 20 nation of information regarding the assistance and 21 benefits available to the veteran under laws adminis- 22 tered by the Secretary. 23 (8) OPT-IN AND OPT-OUT OF PILOT PRO- 24 GRAM.— 25 6 † S 2864 ES (A) OPT-IN BY MEMBERS.—A veteran may 1 participate in the pilot program only if the vet- 2 eran voluntarily elects to participate in the pro- 3 gram. A veteran seeking to make such an elec- 4 tion shall make such election in a manner, and 5 by including such information, as the Secretary 6 shall specify for purposes of the pilot program. 7 (B) OPT-IN BY DESIGNATED RECIPI- 8 ENTS.—A person designated pursuant to para- 9 graph (1)(A) may receive information under the 10 pilot program only if the person makes the elec- 11 tion described in paragraph (1)(B). 12 (C) OPT-OUT.—In carrying out the pilot 13 program, the Secretary shall, with respect to a 14 person who has elected to receive information 15 under such pilot program, cease disseminating 16 such information to that person upon request of 17 such person. 18 (b) SURVEY AND REPORT ON PILOT PROGRAM.— 19 (1) SURVEY.— 20 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 21 after the date of the commencement of the pilot 22 program and not less frequently than once each 23 year thereafter for the duration of the pilot pro- 24 gram, the Secretary shall administer a survey 25 7 † S 2864 ES to persons who elected to receive information 1 under the pilot program for the purpose of re- 2 ceiving feedback regarding the quality of infor- 3 mation disseminated under this section. 4 (B) ELEMENTS.—Each survey conducted 5 under subparagraph (A) shall include solicita- 6 tion of the following: 7 (i) Feedback on the following: 8 (I) The nature of information 9 disseminated under the pilot program. 10 (II) Satisfaction with the pilot 11 program. 12 (III) The utility of the pilot pro- 13 gram. 14 (IV) Overall pilot program suc- 15 cesses and challenges. 16 (ii) Recommendations for improving 17 the pilot program. 18 (iii) Reasons for opting in or out of 19 the pilot program. 20 (iv) Such other feedback or matters as 21 the Secretary considers appropriate. 22 (2) REPORT.— 23 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than three 24 years after the date on which the pilot program 25 8 † S 2864 ES commences, the Secretary shall submit to the 1 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate 2 and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 3 House of Representatives a final report on the 4 pilot program. 5 (B) CONTENTS.—The report submitted 6 under subparagraph (A) shall include the fol- 7 lowing: 8 (i) The results of the survey adminis- 9 tered under paragraph (1). 10 (ii) The number of participants en- 11 rolled in the pilot program who are vet- 12 erans. 13 (iii) The number of persons des- 14 ignated under subsection (a)(1)(A). 15 (iv) The number of such persons who 16 opted in or out of the pilot program under 17 subsection (a)(8). 18 (v) The average period such persons 19 remained in the pilot program. 20 (vi) An assessment of the feasibility 21 and advisability of making the pilot pro- 22 gram permanent. 23 9 † S 2864 ES (vii) Identification of legislative or ad- 1 ministrative action that may be necessary 2 if the pilot program is made permanent. 3 (viii) A plan to expand the pilot pro- 4 gram if the pilot program is made perma- 5 nent. 6 (ix) If the Secretary finds under 7 clause (vi) that making the pilot program 8 permanent is not feasible or advisable, a 9 justification for such finding. 10 Passed the Senate June 30, 2020. Attest: Secretary. 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. 2864 AN ACT To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program on information sharing between the Department of Veterans Affairs and designated relatives and friends of veterans re- garding the assistance and benefits available to the veterans, and for other purposes.