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        PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1264                      PRINTER'S NO. 1416

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


SENATE BILL

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 AND
           FOLMER, JUNE 30, 2007

        SENATOR BAKER, VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, AS
           AMENDED, SEPTEMBER 25, 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 veterans' service officer programs.
    13     (a)  Award allocations.--From funds specifically appropriated
    14  for this purpose, the department shall make grants to designated
    15  veterans' service organizations to support veterans' service
    16  officer programs. Grants made under this section shall be used


     1  solely to support accredited veterans' service officers and the
     2  associated costs, including:
     3         (1)  Wages, benefits, other compensation and related
     4     personnel costs.
     5         (2)  Training provided by accredited veterans' service
     6     advocacy staff.
     7         (3)  Equipment to be used by accredited veterans' service
     8     officer staff.
     9     (b)  Goals.--The overall goals of this program shall be to
    10  improve the coordination and distribution of veterans' benefits,
    11  to maximize the effective and efficient use of taxpayer dollars
    12  and to increase veterans participation in available benefits
    13  programs. To accomplish these goals, the designated veterans'
    14  service organizations shall strive to improve the administration
    15  and delivery of services to Pennsylvania's veterans by:
    16         (1)  Increasing interaction with the veterans' service
    17     organizations and the United States Department of Veterans
    18     Affairs in order to enhance the delivery of services to
    19     Pennsylvania veterans.
    20         (2)  Seeking to increase the number of initial claims
    21     filed with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
    22     on behalf of Pennsylvania veterans for service-related
    23     disabilities and/or pension benefits.
    24         (3)  Developing methods to increase rates of recovery
    25     paid by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to
    26     Pennsylvania veterans.
    27         (4)  Expanding training opportunities for designated
    28     veterans' service organizations and veterans' service
    29     officers.
    30         (5)  Seeking to increase either the number or percentage
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     1     of Pennsylvania veterans enrolled in the Department of
     2     Veterans Affairs health care system.
     3         (6)  Improving coordination among the veterans' service
     4     organizations and with the department to assure an integrated
     5     approach to claims processing.
     6         (7)  Improving outreach services to veterans throughout
     7     Pennsylvania and its 67 counties.
     8     (c)  Eligibility.--The following veterans' service
     9  organizations are designated to receive grants under this
    10  program:
    11         (1)  The American Legion.
    12         (2)  AMVETS.
    13         (3)  Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.
    14         (4)  Disabled American Veterans.
    15         (5)  The department may identify additional Pennsylvania
    16     veterans' service organizations to receive grants under the
    17     program when:
    18             (i)  The veterans' service organization is a member
    19         of the State Veterans' Commission as listed in section
    20         1702(b).
    21             (ii)  The veterans' service organization services as
    22         an active participant of the State Veterans' Commission
    23         abiding by the statutory rules and guidelines.
    24     (d)  Application for allocations.--Veterans' service
    25  organizations eligible for funding under subsection (c) shall
    26  submit their annual spending plans to the department for funding
    27  consistent with the goals set forth in subsection (b).
    28     (e)  Amount of grants.--The department shall determine the
    29  annual allocation to each of the designated veterans service
    30  organizations based on the proposed spending plan for the
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     1  upcoming fiscal year as well as a consideration of actual
     2  recoveries from the previous fiscal year. If the total
     3  appropriation totals less than the collective spending plans,
     4  the department shall prorate the allocations across the
     5  organizations based on the spending plans and past performance.
     6     (f)  Procedures, policies and guidelines.--The department
     7  shall establish procedures, policies, guidelines, forms and
     8  reporting requirements necessary to carry out the purposes of
     9  this program within 60 business days of the effective date of
    10  this section. Procedures, policies, guidelines, forms and
    11  reporting requirements established under this section shall be
    12  submitted to the Veterans' Affairs and Emergency Preparedness
    13  Committee of the Senate and the Veterans Affairs and Emergency
    14  Preparedness Committee of the House of Representatives for their
    15  review and comment.
    16     (g)  Administrative start-up.--The General Assembly shall      <--
    17  provide nominal funds to defray the department's administrative
    18  and implementation oversight costs.
    19     (h)  Recapture of unused allocation.--A portion of an
    20  allocation provided under subsection (d) which is not used by
    21  the deadline set by the department, including any extension by
    22  the department, shall be recaptured for reallocation by the
    23  department in consultation with the Secretary of the Budget.
    24     (i)
    25     (G)  VETERANS' SERVICE OFFICER GRANT ACCOUNT.--A RESTRICTED    <--
    26  ACCOUNT IS HEREBY CREATED IN THE STATE TREASURY WHICH SHALL BE
    27  KNOWN AS THE VETERANS' SERVICE OFFICER GRANT ACCOUNT. ALL MONEYS
    28  APPROPRIATED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR VETERANS' OUTREACH
    29  SERVICES SHALL BE PLACED IN THE ACCOUNT. FUNDS IN THIS ACCOUNT
    30  ARE HEREBY APPROPRIATED UPON APPROVAL OF THE GOVERNOR FOR
    20070S0915B1416                  - 4 -     

     1  PAYMENT OF THE COSTS OF IMPLEMENTING THIS ACT.
     2     (H)  Reporting requirements.--On or before October 1 of each
     3  year, designated veterans service organizations participating in
     4  the program established by this section shall file a written
     5  report with the Adjutant General and the Deputy Adjutant General
     6  for Veterans' Affairs and send copies to the chairman and
     7  minority chairman of the Veterans' Affairs and Emergency
     8  Preparedness Committee of the Senate and the chairman and
     9  minority chairman of the Veterans Affairs and Emergency
    10  Preparedness Committee of the House of Representatives and State
    11  Veterans' Commission. The report shall contain the following
    12  information:
    13         (1)  A description of all veterans service officer
    14     activities, an accounting of recoveries and a listing of
    15     volunteer hours for the preceding Commonwealth fiscal year.
    16         (2)  A proposed budget and spending plan for the
    17     Commonwealth fiscal year beginning on July 1 of the year
    18     following the filing of the report.
    19         (3)  An accounting of its expenditures from grants
    20     awarded under this program, audited by a certified public
    21     accountant for the preceding Commonwealth fiscal year.
    22     (j) (I)  Review of reports.--The Veterans' Affairs and         <--
    23  Emergency Preparedness Committee of the Senate and the Veterans
    24  Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee of the House of
    25  Representatives shall annually review the reports filed by the
    26  participating veterans service organizations.
    27     (k) (J)  Audits.--The department or the Auditor General may    <--
    28  conduct such audits and reviews of the grant program hereby
    29  established as the department or the Auditor General determines
    30  to be necessary or appropriate. Copies of all audit reports or
    20070S0915B1416                  - 5 -     

     1  reviews conducted by the department or the Auditor General shall
     2  be made available to the chairman and minority chairman of the
     3  Veterans' Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee of the
     4  Senate and the chairman and minority chairman of the Veterans
     5  Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee of the House of
     6  Representatives.
     7     Section 2.  This act shall apply to fiscal years beginning on
     8  and after July 1, 2007, when and if funds are specifically
     9  appropriated to support the grant program established by this
    10  act.
    11     Section 3.  This act shall take effect immediately.













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