Bill Text: CT HB05347 | 2016 | General Assembly | Introduced
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-Introduced.html
General Assembly |
Raised Bill No. 5347 | ||
February Session, 2016 |
LCO No. 1038 | ||
*01038_______PRI* | |||
Referred to Committee on PROGRAM REVIEW AND INVESTIGATIONS |
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Introduced by: |
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(PRI) |
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AN ACT IMPROVING CUSTOMER SERVICE TO VETERANS BY THE ADVOCACY AND ASSISTANCE UNIT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS 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 Subsections (b) and (c) of section 27-102l of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2016):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) (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 shall develop a system through which the unit head and each service officer may electronically report 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 health care 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 health care facilities. Any information collected as a result of such visits shall be compiled and reported quarterly to the Board of Trustees for the Department of Veterans' Affairs.
(D) The unit shall develop an electronic tracking system in which complaints by veterans or their spouses, eligible dependents or family members related to the quality of assistance provided by the unit are recorded and compiled. Any member of the unit recording any such complaint shall note the details of such complaint, including, but not limited to, the nature of the complaint, the date and time of its receipt, the date and time of its resolution and any relevant outcome. The unit head shall monthly review each complaint recorded in the previous month for the purpose of identifying and analyzing any recurring deficiency and improving the delivery of services provided by the unit.
(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 health care facility, as defined in section 19a-630, in the state electronically notify the veterans' advocacy and assistance unit twice annually of (A) any new resident in such 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 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 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.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
October 1, 2016 |
27-102l(b) and (c) |
Statement of Purpose:
To improve outreach efforts of the veterans' advocacy and assistance unit, increase the unit's awareness of veterans in the state's health care facilities and utilize customer feedback to address service delivery issues.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]