Empowering States to Serve Veterans Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 5328 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 5328

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to share veterans' contact information with State veterans agencies to improve outreach, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

August 6, 2026

Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself, Mr. Blumenthal, and Ms. Rosen) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to share veterans' contact information with State veterans agencies to improve outreach, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Empowering States to Serve Veterans Act''.

SEC. 2. SHARING OF VETERANS' CONTACT INFORMATION WITH STATE VETERANS AGENCIES.

(a) In General.-- (1) Requirement.--Subject to paragraph (2), not less frequently than quarterly, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall share with each State veterans agency contact information of veterans maintained by the Department of Veterans Affairs for statistical purposes and conducting outreach to veterans residing in that State. (2) Limitations.--Contact information shared under this Act shall not include-- (A) any protected health information (as defined in section 160.103 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulations)); (B) any Social Security number or date of birth; (C) any financial, disability rating, appeal, or claims information; or (D) any information designated by the Secretary as sensitive or restricted under Federal law. (b) Notice; Opt Out.-- (1) Notice.-- (A) In general.--The Secretary shall provide clear notice to each veteran, in paper and electronic communications, that-- (i) the veteran's contact information may be shared, for statistical and outreach purposes, with the State veterans agency of the State in which the veteran resides; and (ii) the veteran may opt out of such sharing at any time. (B) Timing.--The Secretary shall provide notice required by subparagraph (A)-- (i) 45 days before the initial transfer of contact information to a State veterans agency for any individual who is a veteran on the date of the enactment of this Act; and (ii) at the time of transition from military service for any individual who is a member of the Armed Forces. (2) Opt out.-- (A) Process.--The Secretary shall establish and maintain an accessible process for veterans to opt out of contact-information sharing under this Act, including an online form and toll-free telephone number. (B) Prohibition.--If a veteran opts out of contact- information sharing under this Act through the process established under subparagraph (A)-- (i) the Secretary shall not share the contact information of the veteran under this Act unless the veteran subsequently provides the Secretary affirmative consent for such sharing; and (ii) any State veterans agency in receipt of contact information of the veteran shall immediately cease use of and destroy that information. (c) Privacy and Security.-- (1) Use and disclosure.--Each State veterans agency that receives contact information of veterans under this Act-- (A) shall use such information solely for statistical and outreach purposes authorized by the Secretary; and (B) shall not-- (i) sell, transfer, or otherwise disclose such information to any third party; or (ii) publish data based on such information. (2) Security measures.--Each State veterans agency that receives contact information of veterans under this Act shall implement data protection and cybersecurity measures consistent with Federal standards for safeguarding personally identifiable information. (3) Compliance.--The Secretary-- (A) shall require proof of compliance with the measures described in paragraph (2) before sharing contact information of veterans under this Act with a State veterans agency; (B) shall not share contact information of veterans under this Act with a State veterans agency that does not demonstrate compliance with the requirements of this Act; and (C) shall require certifications or audits to ensure ongoing compliance with this Act. (d) State Veterans Agency Defined.--In this section, the term ``State veterans agency'' means an agency of a State government that provides a range of benefits and services to veterans and their families. (e) Regulations.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prescribe regulations to carry out this Act, including procedures for contact-information sharing, opt-out management, and security compliance. (f) Effective Date.--Subsections (a) through (d) shall take effect on the date that is one year after the date of the enactment of this Act. <all>