Bill Text: CT HB05347 | 2016 | General Assembly | Comm Sub

Connecticut House Bill 5347 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: An Act Improving Customer Service To Veterans By The Advocacy And Assistance Unit Of The Department Of Veterans' Affairs And Strengthening Coordination Between The Department And Municipalities Based On A Program Review And Investigations Committee Study.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-03-29 - Referred by House to Committee on Veterans' Affairs [HB05347 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2016-HB05347-Comm_Sub.html

General Assembly		*Substitute Bill No. 5347*
*February Session, 2016*		_____HB05347PRI___030816____

AN ACT IMPROVING CUSTOMER SERVICE TO VETERANS BY THE ADVOCACY AND ASSISTANCE UNIT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS AND STRENGTHENING COORDINATION BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT AND MUNICIPALITIES BASED ON A PROGRAM REVIEW AND INVESTIGATIONS COMMITTEE STUDY.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsections (b) and (c) of section 27-102l of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2016):

(b) (1) The commissioner may appoint a unit head to administer a veterans' advocacy and assistance unit for the aid and benefit of veterans [,] and their spouses, [and] eligible dependents and family members. [Such unit shall conduct an annual training course for any city or town employee designated a veterans' service contact person pursuant to subsection (b) of section 27-135.] The unit shall have a staff of not less than eight men and women, including six service officers, and clerical personnel. The unit head and the service officers shall be veterans, as defined in section 27-103, or veterans who were awarded the armed forces expeditionary medal for service by the armed forces. At least one of the service officers shall be a woman having a demonstrated interest in the concerns of women veterans, who shall be responsible for addressing those concerns, and, effective upon the next opening of a service officer position occurring on or after July 1, 2010, at least two of the service officers shall be individuals having bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish, within existing authorized positions. Each service officer shall successfully complete a course in veterans' benefits within one year of commencement of employment and shall be assigned to one of the five congressional districts of the state.

(2) The unit staff shall, at least twice annually, conduct a training course for any city or town employee designated a veterans' service contact person pursuant to subsection (b) of section 27-135, as amended by this act. The unit staff shall include in such training course a summary of state and federal services and benefits, the duties to be carried out by each veterans' service contact person, as described in subsection (a) of section 27-135, as amended by this act, and any assistance the unit staff may provide to any veterans' service contact person related to such duties.

(3) (A) The veterans' advocacy and assistance unit shall develop a written outreach plan identifying (i) strategies for conducting outreach to veterans and their spouses, eligible dependents and family members for purposes of providing assistance in claims for veterans' services or benefits, and (ii) to the extent possible, specific events and other opportunities to provide such assistance that are sponsored by the unit or in which the unit is participating. The unit shall update such written outreach plan as necessary to improve the efficacy of its outreach efforts.

(B) The unit head and each service officer shall electronically track information relating to outreach conducted by the unit, including, but not limited to, the number of veterans or their spouses, eligible dependents or family members reached and any assistance to any such individual provided at or resulting from an event or opportunity described in subparagraph (A)(ii) of this subdivision.

(C) The unit shall utilize the notifications received from the administrator of each nursing home, hospital and assisted living facility in the state, pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of this section, to develop an annual schedule for each service officer to visit nursing homes, hospitals and assisted living facilities. The unit shall compile any information collected as a result of such visits and provide quarterly reports on such information to the Board of Trustees for the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

(D) The unit shall provide quarterly reports to the Board of Trustees for the Department of Veterans' Affairs on (i) concerns raised by veterans or their spouses, eligible dependents or family members, which concerns shall be summarized by type, frequency and resolution, (ii) petitions filed by veterans or their spouses, eligible dependents or family members received by the commissioner under section 27-102l(d)-54 of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies for the four preceding months, and (iii) copies of any such petitions.

(c) In addition to the powers and duties prescribed under section 4-8, the commissioner shall have the following powers and duties:

(1) To prepare studies and collect information concerning facilities and services available to members of the armed forces [,] or veterans [, their] or the spouses or eligible dependents of such members or veterans, including facilities and services for veterans who may have been exposed to a Vietnam herbicide during their periods of military service;

(2) To [conduct interviews in the nursing homes or hospitals throughout the state to determine the number of veterans admitted and ascertaining which benefits such veterans are currently receiving and are entitled to receive] require that the administrator of each nursing home, hospital and assisted living facility in the state electronically notify the veterans' advocacy and assistance unit twice annually of (A) any new resident in such nursing home, hospital or assisted living facility who is a veteran or a spouse, eligible dependent or family member of a veteran, and (B) any veterans' service or benefit such new resident receives and is entitled to receive. Each such nursing home, hospital or assisted living facility, in the course of notifying said unit, shall collect and maintain any data and shall not release any individually identifiable health information without the consent of the resident or patient to whom the information pertains, in accordance with the requirements of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1196 (P.L. 104-191) (HIPAA), as amended from time to time, or regulations adopted thereunder. As used in this subdivision, "new resident" means a resident of whom the veterans' advocacy and assistance unit has not been previously notified;

(3) To cooperate with service agencies and organizations throughout the state in disseminating and furnishing counsel and assistance of benefit to residents of this state who are or have been members of the armed forces [,] or their spouses or eligible dependents, which will indicate the availability of: (A) Educational training and retraining facilities; (B) health, medical, rehabilitation and housing services and facilities; (C) employment and reemployment services; (D) provisions of federal, state and local laws affording financial rights, privileges and benefits; and (E) other matters of similar nature;

(4) To assist veterans [,] and their spouses, [and] eligible dependents and family members in the preparation, presentation, proof and establishment of such claims, privileges, rights and other benefits accruing to them under federal, state and local laws;

(5) To cooperate with all national, state and local governmental and private agencies securing or offering services or any benefits to veterans [,] or their spouses or eligible dependents;

(6) To develop and prepare a long-range plan and mission statement for the Veterans' Home and the veterans' advocacy and assistance unit;

(7) To review all appeals made by veterans [,] or their spouses, [or] eligible dependents or family members and render the final decision thereon regarding the denial of admission to any program or the refusal to render any service or benefit which is administered by the Department of Veterans' Affairs, the discharge or transfer from any such program or any disciplinary action taken while participating in any such program; and

(8) If the Veterans' Home closes or ceases to provide housing to veterans, to provide or arrange for housing to any veteran residing at the home or the health care facility within the home on the date of such closure or on the date the Veterans' Home ceases to provide housing to veterans.

Sec. 2. Section 27-135 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2016):

(a) Any city or town, either separately or with one or more other cities and towns, may, by ordinance, establish a local veterans' advisory committee which shall have the responsibility of carrying out locally the duties and purposes of this section and, within their charter powers and as otherwise provided by law, may make available to such local committees the necessary funds to carry out their duties and responsibilities. The committee may (1) act as the coordinating agency in all matters concerning veterans and their dependents, coordinating the activities of public and private facilities concerned with veterans' reemployment, education, rehabilitation and adjustment to peacetime living; (2) cooperate with all national, state and local governmental and private agencies in securing services and benefits to which a veteran or his dependents may be entitled; (3) use the services and facilities of the veterans organizations so far as possible to carry out the purposes of this section; and (4) encourage and coordinate vocational training services for veterans.

(b) (1) Any city or town that [(1)] has not established its own local veterans' advisory committee separate from one or more other cities or towns pursuant to subsection (a) of this section [, and (2)] and does not otherwise provide funding for a veterans' service officer shall designate a city or town employee to serve as a veterans' service contact person in such city or town. The Commissioner of Veterans' Affairs shall annually send to the chief executive officer of any such city or town an electronic notification of such chief executive officer's duty to so designate a city or town employee in accordance with this subsection. Such chief executive officer shall, not later than thirty days after receipt of such notification, submit to the veterans' advocacy and assistance unit, as described in subsection (b) of section 27-102l, as amended by this act, the name and electronic mail address of the city or town employee so designated. As used in this subdivision, "chief executive officer" means the officer described in section 7-193.

(2) Any city or town employee designated as a veterans' service contact person shall carry out the duties described in subsection (a) of this section and [may complete an annual] shall complete a training course conducted by the veterans' advocacy and assistance unit, as described in subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of section 27-102l, as amended by this act. Each employee so designated prior to July 1, 2016, shall complete such training course prior to January 1, 2017. Each employee so designated on or after July 1, 2016, shall complete such training course not later than one year after the date of such designation. Upon completion of such training course, a veterans' service contact person may thereafter receive electronically any new or updated training information from the veterans' advocacy and assistance unit and shall not be required to complete any other such training course.


This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	October 1, 2016	27-102l(b) and (c)
Sec. 2	October 1, 2016	27-135