PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1264, 1416, 1430 PRINTER'S NO. 1436
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
AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, OCTOBER 2, 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. Grants to veterans' service officer programs.
13 (a) Award allocations.--From funds specifically appropriated
14 for this purpose, the department shall award grants to
15 designated veterans' service organizations to support veterans'
16 service officer programs. Grants awarded under this section
17 shall be used solely to support accredited veterans' service
1 officers and the associated costs, including:
2 (1) Wages, benefits, other compensation and related
3 personnel costs.
4 (2) Training provided by accredited veterans' service
5 advocacy staff.
6 (3) Equipment to be used by accredited veterans' service
7 officer staff.
8 (b) Program goals.--The goals of the program shall include:
9 (1) improvement of the coordination and distribution of
10 veterans' benefits;
11 (2) maximization of the effective and efficient use of
12 taxpayer dollars; and
13 (3) increasing veterans' participation in available
14 benefits programs.
15 (c) Use of grants.--A designated veterans' service
16 organization shall use grants received under this section to
17 improve the administration and delivery of services to
18 Pennsylvania's veterans and meet the goals set forth in
19 paragraph (6) SUBSECTION (B) by: <--
20 (1) Increasing interaction with BETWEEN the veterans' <--
21 service organizations and the United States Department of
22 Veterans Affairs in order to enhance the delivery of services
23 to Pennsylvania veterans.
24 (2) Increasing the number of initial claims filed with
25 the United States Department of Veterans Affairs on behalf of
26 Pennsylvania veterans for service-related disabilities or
27 pension benefits.
28 (3) Developing methods to increase rates of recovery
29 paid by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to
30 Pennsylvania veterans.
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1 (4) Expanding training opportunities for designated
2 veterans' service organizations and veterans' service
3 officers.
4 (5) Increasing either the number or percentage of
5 Pennsylvania veterans enrolled in the Department of Veterans
6 Affairs health care system.
7 (6) Improving coordination among the veterans' service
8 organizations and with the department to assure an integrated
9 approach to claims processing.
10 (7) Improving outreach services to veterans throughout
11 Pennsylvania and its 67 EACH OF ITS counties. <--
12 (d) Eligibility.--The following veterans' service
13 organizations are designated to receive grants under this
14 program:
15 (1) The American Legion.
16 (2) AMVETS.
17 (3) Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.
18 (4) Disabled American Veterans.
19 (5) The department may designate additional Pennsylvania
20 veterans' service organizations to receive grants under the
21 program when:
22 (i) The veterans' service organization is a member
23 of the State Veterans' Commission as listed in section
24 1702(b).
25 (ii) The veterans' service organization services <--
26 SERVES as an active participant in the State Veterans' <--
27 Commission abiding by the statutory rules and guidelines.
28 (e) Application for allocations.--Veterans' service
29 organizations eligible for funding under subsection (c) shall
30 submit an annual spending plan to the department in order to be
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1 eligible to receive a grant under this section consistent with
2 the goals set forth in PROVISIONS OF subsections (b) and (c). <--
3 (f) Amount of grants.--The department shall determine the
4 annual allocation to each of the designated veterans service
5 organizations based on the spending plan submitted under
6 subsection (e) for the upcoming fiscal year and on actual
7 recoveries from the previous fiscal year. If the total
8 appropriation totals less than the collective spending plans,
9 the department shall prorate the allocations among eligible
10 organizations based on the spending plan and past performance.
11 (g) Procedures, policies and guidelines.--The department
12 shall establish procedures, policies, guidelines, forms and
13 reporting requirements necessary to carry out the purposes of
14 this program within 45 days of the effective date of this
15 section. Procedures, policies, guidelines, forms and reporting
16 requirements established under this section shall be submitted
17 to the Veterans' Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee of
18 the Senate and the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness
19 Committee of the House of Representatives for their review and
20 comment.
21 (h) Reporting requirements.--On or before October 1 of each
22 year, designated veterans service organizations participating in
23 the program established by this section shall file a written
24 report with the Adjutant General and the Deputy Adjutant General
25 for Veterans' Affairs and send copies to the chairman and
26 minority chairman of the Veterans' Affairs and Emergency
27 Preparedness Committee of the Senate and the chairman and
28 minority chairman of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency
29 Preparedness Committee of the House of Representatives and State
30 Veterans' Commission. The report shall contain the following
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1 information:
2 (1) A description of all veterans service officer
3 activities, an accounting of recoveries and a listing of
4 volunteer hours for the preceding Commonwealth fiscal year.
5 (2) A proposed budget and spending plan for the
6 Commonwealth fiscal year beginning on July 1 of the year
7 following the filing of the report.
8 (3) An accounting of its expenditures from grants
9 awarded under this program, audited by a certified public
10 accountant for the preceding Commonwealth fiscal year.
11 (i) Review of reports.--The Veterans' Affairs and Emergency
12 Preparedness Committee of the Senate and the Veterans Affairs
13 and Emergency Preparedness Committee of the House of
14 Representatives shall review the reports filed by the
15 participating veterans service organizations.
16 (j) Audits.--The department or the Auditor General may
17 conduct such audits and reviews of the grant program hereby
18 established as the department or the Auditor General determines
19 to be necessary or appropriate. Copies of all audit reports or
20 reviews conducted by the department or the Auditor General shall
21 be made available to the chairman and minority chairman of the
22 Veterans' Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee of the
23 Senate and the chairman and minority chairman of the Veterans
24 Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee of the House of
25 Representatives.
26 Section 2. This act shall apply to fiscal years beginning on
27 and after July 1, 2007, when and if funds are specifically
28 appropriated to support the grant program established by this
29 act. THE APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AND <--
30 VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR VETERANS OUTREACH SERVICES IN SECTION 218
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1 OF THE ACT OF JULY 17, 2007 (P.L. , NO.8A), KNOWN AS THE
2 GENERAL APPROPRIATION ACT OF 2007, SHALL BE DISBURSED
3 CONSISTENTLY WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT.
4 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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