The National Association of Counties (NACo) is asking counties to conduct outreach to federal delegation members to urge passage of the Commitment to Veterans Support and Outreach (CVSO) Act.
The legislation, introduced by Representative Mike Levin (D-CA) in the House as H.R. 4601, and by Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) as S. 2405 in the Senate, would support counties in connecting veterans to federal health, pension, and disability benefits.
The CVSO Act does the following:
- Authorizes $50 million annually from Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 through FY 2026 for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to award competitive grants to states. This grant process will strengthen and expand County Veteran Services Officers or similar local entities, including through hiring and training additional County Veteran Services Officers.
- Directs the VA to prioritize grants for areas with a critical shortage of county or tribal veterans service officers, areas with high rates of suicide among veterans, and areas with high rates of referrals to the Veterans Crisis Line
- Directs the VA Secretary to develop guidance for outcome measures related to the goals of increased uptake of veterans’ benefits and increasing the number of VA accredited County Veteran Services Officers in a given state.
This historic investment would allow counties to better serve their veterans and facilitate greater access to resources.
A hearing has been held in the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance Memorial Affairs, with no further action scheduled at this time. NACo is asking counties to reach out to their federal delegation members and urge them to co-sponsor and support passage of the CVSO Act.
Additional opportunities to advocate for this critical legislation, including through social media is available here.
Contributed by: Megan Chuinard | Public Affairs Associate