To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve equitable access to certain benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and to improve certain outreach to individuals who served uniformed services and dependents of such individuals, and for other purposes.
This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve how it identifies and reaches out to survivors of veterans, particularly those who may be underserved. It requires the VA to develop a system for collecting demographic data—such as age, race, ethnicity, tribal affiliation, and location—on surviving spouses, children, and parents who receive certain benefits like dependency and indemnity compensation, pensions, or burial benefits, in order to identify underserved groups within one year of enactment. Based on this data, the VA must create targeted outreach and education strategies, including a specific plan to inform eligible veterans and families about burial benefits in national cemeteries, with regular progress reports to Congress over five years. The bill also expands proactive outreach to surviving family members after a veteran's death, requiring the VA to contact eligible dependents quarterly with information on benefits and local assistance resources until they file a claim or opt out, and mandates hiring 5 to 10 new staff at VA call centers to support this effort. Finally, the bill makes a minor technical change extending a housing loan fee schedule deadline from November 15 to November 29, 2031.
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