PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1264 PRINTER'S NO. 1416
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 20070S0915B1416 - 2 -
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 20070S0915B1416 - 3 -
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. F27L51SFL/20070S0915B1416 - 6 -