PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1264, 1416 PRINTER'S NO. 1430
No. 915 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY BAKER, SCARNATI, PILEGGI, ARMSTRONG, ROBBINS,
TOMLINSON, PUNT, WAUGH, MELLOW, DINNIMAN, KITCHEN,
WASHINGTON, STACK, PIPPY, D. WHITE, BOSCOLA, COSTA,
GREENLEAF, MUSTO, RHOADES, TARTAGLIONE, BROWNE, ERICKSON,
FONTANA, KASUNIC, LOGAN, O'PAKE, WONDERLING, FERLO, ORIE,
RAFFERTY, BRUBAKER, CORMAN, EARLL, MADIGAN, McILHINNEY,
REGOLA, VANCE, M. WHITE, GORDNER, HUGHES, LAVALLE,
C. WILLIAMS, WOZNIAK, FUMO, PICCOLA, STOUT, EICHELBERGER,
FOLMER AND A. WILLIAMS, JUNE 30, 2007
SENATOR ARMSTRONG, APPROPRIATIONS, RE-REPORTED AS AMENDED,
OCTOBER 1, 2007
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 51 (Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, providing for the establishment of a
3 grant program for designated accredited veterans' service
4 organizations, for the establishment of the Veterans' Service
5 Officer Grant Account, for defraying the costs for wages,
6 benefits, training and equipment and for improving outreach
7 and delivery of services to Pennsylvania's veterans.
8 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
9 hereby enacts as follows:
10 Section 1. Title 51 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
11 Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
12 § 9304. Support for GRANTS TO veterans' service officer <--
13 programs.
14 (a) Award allocations.--From funds specifically appropriated
15 for this purpose, the department shall make AWARD grants to <--
16 designated veterans' service organizations to support veterans'
1 service officer programs. Grants made AWARDED under this section <--
2 shall be used solely to support accredited veterans' service
3 officers and the associated costs, including:
4 (1) Wages, benefits, other compensation and related
5 personnel costs.
6 (2) Training provided by accredited veterans' service
7 advocacy staff.
8 (3) Equipment to be used by accredited veterans' service
9 officer staff.
10 (b) Goals.--The overall goals of this program shall be to <--
11 improve the coordination and distribution of veterans' benefits,
12 to maximize the effective and efficient use of taxpayer dollars
13 and to increase veterans participation in available benefits
14 programs. To accomplish these goals, the designated veterans'
15 service organizations shall strive to improve the administration
16 and delivery of services to Pennsylvania's veterans by:
17 (B) PROGRAM GOALS.--THE GOALS OF THE PROGRAM SHALL INCLUDE: <--
18 (1) IMPROVEMENT OF THE COORDINATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF
19 VETERANS' BENEFITS;
20 (2) MAXIMIZATION OF THE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT USE OF
21 TAXPAYER DOLLARS; AND
22 (3) INCREASING VETERANS' PARTICIPATION IN AVAILABLE
23 BENEFITS PROGRAMS.
24 (C) USE OF GRANTS.--A DESIGNATED VETERANS' SERVICE
25 ORGANIZATION SHALL USE GRANTS RECEIVED UNDER THIS SECTION TO
26 IMPROVE THE ADMINISTRATION AND DELIVERY OF SERVICES TO
27 PENNSYLVANIA'S VETERANS AND MEET THE GOALS SET FORTH IN
28 PARAGRAPH (6) BY:
29 (1) Increasing interaction with the veterans' service
30 organizations and the United States Department of Veterans
20070S0915B1430 - 2 -
1 Affairs in order to enhance the delivery of services to
2 Pennsylvania veterans.
3 (2) Seeking to increase INCREASING the number of initial <--
4 claims filed with the United States Department of Veterans
5 Affairs on behalf of Pennsylvania veterans for service-
6 related disabilities and/or OR pension benefits. <--
7 (3) Developing methods to increase rates of recovery
8 paid by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to
9 Pennsylvania veterans.
10 (4) Expanding training opportunities for designated
11 veterans' service organizations and veterans' service
12 officers.
13 (5) Seeking to increase INCREASING either the number or <--
14 percentage of Pennsylvania veterans enrolled in the
15 Department of Veterans Affairs health care system.
16 (6) Improving coordination among the veterans' service
17 organizations and with the department to assure an integrated
18 approach to claims processing.
19 (7) Improving outreach services to veterans throughout
20 Pennsylvania and its 67 counties.
21 (c) (D) Eligibility.--The following veterans' service <--
22 organizations are designated to receive grants under this
23 program:
24 (1) The American Legion.
25 (2) AMVETS.
26 (3) Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.
27 (4) Disabled American Veterans.
28 (5) The department may identify DESIGNATE additional <--
29 Pennsylvania veterans' service organizations to receive
30 grants under the program when:
20070S0915B1430 - 3 -
1 (i) The veterans' service organization is a member
2 of the State Veterans' Commission as listed in section
3 1702(b).
4 (ii) The veterans' service organization services as
5 an active participant of IN the State Veterans' <--
6 Commission abiding by the statutory rules and guidelines.
7 (d) (E) Application for allocations.--Veterans' service <--
8 organizations eligible for funding under subsection (c) shall
9 submit their annual spending plans to the department for funding <--
10 SUBMIT AN ANNUAL SPENDING PLAN TO THE DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO BE <--
11 ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A GRANT UNDER THIS SECTION consistent with
12 the goals set forth in subsection (b) SUBSECTIONS (B) AND (C). <--
13 (e) (F) Amount of grants.--The department shall determine <--
14 the annual allocation to each of the designated veterans service
15 organizations based on the proposed spending plan SPENDING PLAN <--
16 SUBMITTED UNDER SUBSECTION (E) for the upcoming fiscal year as <--
17 well as a consideration of actual UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR AND ON <--
18 ACTUAL recoveries from the previous fiscal year. If the total
19 appropriation totals less than the collective spending plans,
20 the department shall prorate the allocations across the AMONG <--
21 ELIGIBLE organizations based on the spending plans PLAN and past <--
22 performance.
23 (f) (G) Procedures, policies and guidelines.--The department <--
24 shall establish procedures, policies, guidelines, forms and
25 reporting requirements necessary to carry out the purposes of
26 this program within 60 business 45 days of the effective date of <--
27 this section. Procedures, policies, guidelines, forms and
28 reporting requirements established under this section shall be
29 submitted to the Veterans' Affairs and Emergency Preparedness
30 Committee of the Senate and the Veterans Affairs and Emergency
20070S0915B1430 - 4 -
1 Preparedness Committee of the House of Representatives for their
2 review and comment.
3 (g) Veterans' Service Officer Grant Account.--A restricted <--
4 account is hereby created in the State Treasury which shall be
5 known as the Veterans' Service Officer Grant Account. All moneys
6 appropriated by the General Assembly for veterans' outreach
7 services shall be placed in the account. Funds in this account
8 are hereby appropriated upon approval of the Governor for
9 payment of the costs of implementing this act.
10 (h) Reporting requirements.--On or before October 1 of each
11 year, designated veterans service organizations participating in
12 the program established by this section shall file a written
13 report with the Adjutant General and the Deputy Adjutant General
14 for Veterans' Affairs and send copies to the chairman and
15 minority chairman of the Veterans' Affairs and Emergency
16 Preparedness Committee of the Senate and the chairman and
17 minority chairman of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency
18 Preparedness Committee of the House of Representatives and State
19 Veterans' Commission. The report shall contain the following
20 information:
21 (1) A description of all veterans service officer
22 activities, an accounting of recoveries and a listing of
23 volunteer hours for the preceding Commonwealth fiscal year.
24 (2) A proposed budget and spending plan for the
25 Commonwealth fiscal year beginning on July 1 of the year
26 following the filing of the report.
27 (3) An accounting of its expenditures from grants
28 awarded under this program, audited by a certified public
29 accountant for the preceding Commonwealth fiscal year.
30 (i) Review of reports.--The Veterans' Affairs and Emergency
20070S0915B1430 - 5 -
1 Preparedness Committee of the Senate and the Veterans Affairs
2 and Emergency Preparedness Committee of the House of
3 Representatives shall annually review the reports filed by the <--
4 participating veterans service organizations.
5 (j) Audits.--The department or the Auditor General may
6 conduct such audits and reviews of the grant program hereby
7 established as the department or the Auditor General determines
8 to be necessary or appropriate. Copies of all audit reports or
9 reviews conducted by the department or the Auditor General shall
10 be made available to the chairman and minority chairman of the
11 Veterans' Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee of the
12 Senate and the chairman and minority chairman of the Veterans
13 Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee of the House of
14 Representatives.
15 Section 2. This act shall apply to fiscal years beginning on
16 and after July 1, 2007, when and if funds are specifically
17 appropriated to support the grant program established by this
18 act.
19 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
F27L51SFL/20070S0915B1430 - 6 -