(a) Purpose.—It is the purpose of this section to provide for assistance by the Secretary to States and Indian Tribes to carry out programs that improve covered outreach and assistance to veterans and the spouses, children, and parents of veterans, to ensure that such individuals are fully informed about, and assisted in applying for, any veterans and veterans-related benefits and programs (including veterans programs of a State or Indian Tribe) for which they may be eligible and facilitate opportunities for such individuals to receive competent, qualified services in the preparation, presentation and prosecution of veterans benefits claims.
(b) Authority.—The Secretary may award grants to States and Indian Tribes—
(1) to carry out, coordinate, improve, or otherwise enhance—
(A) covered outreach activities; or
(B) activities to assist in the development and submittal of claims for veterans and veterans-related benefits; or
(2) to increase the number of county or Tribal veterans service officers serving in the State by hiring new, additional such officers.
(c) Application.—(1) To be eligible for a grant under this section, a State or Indian Tribe shall submit to the Secretary an application therefor at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.
(2) Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall include the following:
(A) A detailed plan for the use of the grant.
(B) A description of the programs through which the State or Indian Tribe will meet the outcome measures developed by the Secretary under subsection (j).
(C) A description of how the State or Indian Tribe will distribute grant amounts equitably among counties or Tribal lands with varying levels of urbanization.
(D) A plan for how the grant will be used to meet the unique needs of American Indian veterans, Alaska Native veterans, or Native Hawaiian veterans, elderly veterans, and veterans from other underserved communities.
(d) Distribution.—The Secretary shall seek to ensure that grants awarded under this section are equitably distributed among States and Indian Tribes with varying levels of urbanization.
(e) Set-aside.—Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for grants under this section for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall ensure that not less than five percent is used to make grants to Indian Tribes.
(f) Priority.—The Secretary shall prioritize awarding grants under this section that will serve the following areas:
(1) Areas with a critical shortage of county or Tribal veterans service officers.
(2) Areas with high rates of—
(A) suicide among veterans; or
(B) referrals to the Veterans Crisis Line.
(g) Use of County or Tribal Veterans Service Officers.—A State or Indian Tribe that receives a grant under this section to carry out an activity described in subsection (b)(1) shall carry out the activity through—
(1) a county or Tribal veterans service officer of the State; or
(2) if the State or Indian Tribe does not have a county or Tribal veterans service officer, or if the county or Tribal veterans service officers of the State or Indian Tribe cover only a portion of that State or Indian Tribe, an appropriate entity of a State, local, or Tribal government, as determined by the Secretary.
(h) Required Activities.—Any grant awarded under this section shall be used—
(1) to expand existing programs, activities, and services;
(2) to hire new, additional county or Tribal veterans service officers; or
(3) for travel and transportation to facilitate carrying out paragraph (1) or (2).
(i) Authorized Activities.—A grant under this section may be used to provide education and training, including on-the-job training, for State, county, local, and Tribal government employees who provide (or when trained will provide) covered outreach services in order for those employees to obtain accreditation in accordance with procedures approved by the Secretary.
(j) Outcome Measures.—(1) The Secretary shall develop and provide to each State or Indian Tribe that receives a grant under this section written guidance on the following:
(A) Outcome measures.
(B) Policies of the Department.
(2) In developing outcome measures under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider the following goals:
(A) Increasing the use of veterans and veterans-related benefits, particularly among vulnerable populations.
(B) Increasing the number of county and Tribal veterans service officers recognized by the Secretary for the representation of veterans under chapter 59 of this title.
(k) Tracking Requirements.—(1) With respect to each grant awarded under this section, the Secretary shall track the use of veterans and veterans-related benefits among the population served by the grant, including the average period of time between the date on which a veteran applies for such a benefit and the date on which the veteran receives the benefit, disaggregated by type of benefit.
(2) Not less frequently than annually during the life of the grant program established under this section, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on—
(A) the information tracked under paragraph (1);
(B) how the grants awarded under this section serve the unique needs of American Indian veterans, Alaska Native veterans, or Native Hawaiian veterans, elderly veterans, and veterans from other underserved communities; and
(C) other information provided by States and Indian Tribes pursuant to the grant reporting requirements.
(l) Performance Review.—The Secretary shall—
(1) review the performance of each State or Indian Tribe that receives a grant under this section; and
(2) make information regarding such performance publicly available.
(m) Remediation Plan.—(1) In the case of a State or Indian Tribe that receives a grant under this section and does not meet the outcome measures developed by the Secretary under subsection (j), the Secretary shall require the State or Indian Tribe to submit a remediation plan under which the State shall describe how and when it plans to meet such outcome measures.
(2) The Secretary may not award a subsequent grant under this section to a State or Indian Tribe described in paragraph (1) unless the Secretary approves the remediation plan submitted by the State or Indian Tribe.
(n) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) The term "county or Tribal veterans service officer" includes a local equivalent veterans service officer.
(2) The term "covered outreach" means outreach with respect to—
(A) benefits administered by the Under Secretary for Benefits; or
(B) similar benefits administered by a State or Indian Tribe.
(3) The term "Indian Tribe" has the meaning given such term in section
4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C.
5304).
(4) The term "State" includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any territory or possession of the United States.
(5) The term "Veterans Crisis Line" means the toll-free hotline for veterans established under section
1720F(h) of this title.