EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0279*
HOUSE BILL 279
P1 2lr1252
HB 1358/21 – HGO CF 2lr1253
By: Delegates Rogers, Bartlett, Charles, Crosby, Henson, Hill, R. Jones, Kaiser,
Kerr, Kipke, Love, Patterson, Saab, Sample–Hughes, Szeliga, and Williams
Introduced and read first time: January 17, 2022
Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Veterans Affairs – Office of Communications and Public Affairs – Veterans 2
Advocacy and Education Act 3
FOR the purpose of altering the name of the Outreach and Advocacy Program in the 4
Department of Veterans Affairs to be the Office of Communications and Public 5
Affairs; requiring the Office, in collaboration with the Maryland Higher Education 6
Commission, to actively help veterans and their dependents become aware of and 7
access certain benefits; altering certain responsibilities of the director of the Office; 8
repealing a certain requirement that the Department develop and maintain a certain 9
database of veterans in the State; altering certain responsibilities of the Department; 10
altering certain responsibilities of the Office; and generally relating to the Office of 11
Communications and Public Affairs. 12
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 13
Article – State Government 14
Section 9–940 through 9–944 to be under the amended part “Part V. Office of 15
Communications and Public Affairs”; and 9–946 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2021 Replacement Volume) 18
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20
Article – State Government 21
Part V. [Outreach and Advocacy Program] OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND 22
PUBLIC AFFAIRS. 23
9–940. 24 2 HOUSE BILL 279
(a) In this part, [“Program”] “OFFICE” means the [Outreach and Advocacy 1
Program] OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS. 2
(b) There is an [Outreach and Advocacy Program ] OFFICE OF 3
COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS in the Department. 4
(c) The purpose of the [Program] OFFICE is to ensure that: 5
(1) veterans are informed of the services, benefits, and assistance available 6
to them from the State and federal government AND COMMUNITY ORGANI ZATIONS; and 7
(2) general issues relating to veterans needs are brought to the attention 8
of the Governor and the General Assembly in order for them to be addressed. 9
9–941. 10
(a) The Secretary shall appoint a director for the [Program] OFFICE. 11
(b) The director is entitled to the salary provided in the State budget. 12
(c) The director shall administer and coordinate the [Program] OFFICE. 13
9–942. 14
(a) The [Outreach and Advocacy Program] OFFICE shall actively help veterans 15
and their dependents become aware of and access any service or benefit to which they are 16
entitled including: 17
(1) tax benefits; 18
(2) health care benefits; 19
(3) disability benefits; AND 20
(4) pension benefits[; and 21
(5) education]. 22
(B) THE OFFICE, IN COLLABORATION WIT H THE MARYLAND HIGHER 23
EDUCATION COMMISSION, SHALL ACTIVELY HELP VETERANS AND THEIR 24
DEPENDENTS BECOME AW ARE OF AND ACCESS ED UCATION AND TRAINING BENEFITS 25
TO WHICH THEY ARE EN TITLED. 26
[(b)] (C) The director of the [Program] OFFICE shall: 27 HOUSE BILL 279 3
(1) support veterans and their dependents through the service or benefit 1
process; and 2
[(2) keep in contact with the appropriate governmental unit as to the status 3
of each claim of a veteran, a veteran’s dependent, or a veteran’s survivor.] 4
(2) REFER VETERANS , VETERANS’ DEPENDENTS , AND VETERANS’ 5
SURVIVORS TO THE APP ROPRIATE GOVERNMENTA L UNIT FOR CLAIM ASSISTANCE . 6
9–943. 7
(a) (1) For the purposes of reaching any veteran, veteran’s dependent, or 8
veteran’s survivor in need of assistance in obtaining services or benefits granted by the law, 9
the director shall develop and implement [an outreach] A COMMUNICATIONS AND 10
PUBLIC AFFAIRS plan. 11
(2) In order to carry out the director’s responsibilities under paragraph (1) 12
of this subsection, the director may: 13
(i) enter into contracts; and 14
(ii) work with governmental units and community –based 15
organizations, including the Maryland Department of Health, the Department of Aging, 16
faith–based groups, veterans groups, senior centers, adult day care centers, institutions of 17
higher education, and other entities the director considers appropriate. 18
(b) (1) The director shall develop mechanisms for outreach to be disseminated 19
by direct mail and through community–based veterans organizations, the Department of 20
Veterans Affairs, the Department of Human Services, the Maryland Department of Health, 21
and any other State agency or unit the director considers appropriate. 22
(2) [The mechanisms for outreach] COMMUNICATION MECHANI SMS 23
shall include: 24
(i) [the development of a pamphlet] DESIGNING MARKETING 25
MATERIALS describing the services provided by the [Outreach and Advocacy Program] 26
DEPARTMENT ; 27
(ii) a regular ELECTRONIC newsletter; 28
(iii) brochures describing various benefits or any other issue or 29
benefit of interest to veterans or their dependents; and 30
(iv) other measures the director considers appropriate. 31
4 HOUSE BILL 279
(c) The Department shall [develop and maintain a database of veterans in the 1
State] COMMUNICATE WELCOME HOME INFORMATION TO VETERANS RETURNING T O 2
THE STATE. 3
(d) The Department, in conjunction with the types of community –based 4
organizations listed in subsection (a)(2) of this section, shall develop [a survey] 5
COMMUNICATION TOOLS to assist in identifying veterans and dependents who may be 6
eligible for [pension programs] BENEFITS AND PROGRAM S OFFERED BY THE 7
DEPARTMENT . 8
(e) The [Program] OFFICE shall: 9
(1) [in conjunction with other governmental units and community–based 10
groups, seek out veterans and their dependents who may be eligible for pension program 11
benefits; and] MANAGE THE MARYLAND VETERANS SERVICE ANIMAL PROGRAM AND 12
FUND ESTABLISHED UNDE R PART VIII OF THIS SUBTITLE; 13
(2) [provide wounded or disabled veterans with information on available 14
services and benefits and support in obtaining these services and benefits] COORDINATE 15
THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF VETERANS’ SERVICES SPECIALISTS DESIGNATED UNDER 16
§ 9–944 OF THIS SUBTITLE; AND 17
(3) MANAGE DEPARTMENT MEDIA RELA TIONS, WEB CONTENT , 18
SOCIAL MEDIA, INTERNAL AND EXTERNA L COMMUNICATIONS , CUSTOMER SERVICE 19
TRAINING, AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELA TIONS. 20
(F) THE DIRECTOR SHALL SE RVE, AS NECESSARY , AS THE SECRETARY’S 21
DESIGNEE TO APPROPRI ATE COMMISSIONS , WORKGROUPS , AND COUNCILS . 22
9–944. 23
(a) In this section, “specialist” means an employee designated by a governmental 24
unit who is responsible for responding to and assisting veterans who are employed by the 25
unit or who contact the unit for assistance. 26
(b) Each governmental unit shall: 27
(1) designate an employee of the unit, who to the extent practicable is a 28
veteran, as a veterans’ services specialist for the unit and whose duties include the 29
coordination of veterans’ services with the Department; 30
(2) provide the Department with any nonprotected or nonprivate 31
information about services the unit provides to veterans; and 32
(3) post on the unit’s website: 33 HOUSE BILL 279 5
(i) all services available for veterans from the unit; 1
(ii) the contact information for the unit’s veterans’ services 2
specialist; and 3
(iii) a link to the Department with the contact information for the 4
director of the [Outreach and Advocacy Program in the Department] OFFICE. 5
(c) The veterans’ services specialist shall: 6
(1) coordinate the provision of veterans’ services available through the unit 7
with the Department; and 8
(2) attend annual training that the Department provides concerning the 9
coordination of veterans’ services. 10
(d) On request for services by a veteran, a governmental unit that does not 11
provide services to veterans shall direct the veteran to contact the Department and provide 12
the veteran with the Department contact information. 13
(e) The Department shall: 14
(1) coordinate a meeting each quarter, or as otherwise necessary, with 15
governmental units to discuss and receive information concerning the implementation of 16
the requirements of this section; and 17
(2) on or before January 15 each year, report on the implementation of the 18
requirements of this section to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of this article, 19
the General Assembly. 20
Part VI. Reporting. 21
9–946. 22
The Secretary shall submit a report by December 31 of each year to the Governor 23
and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of this article, the General Assembly, that includes: 24
(1) the number of: 25
(i) requests for help in obtaining benefits; [and] 26
(ii) [veterans, veterans’ dependents, and veterans’ survivors helped] 27
PUBLIC CONTACTS MADE by the [Outreach and Advocacy Program by category] OFFICE 28
OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS; 29
6 HOUSE BILL 279
[(2) the benefits obtained through the Outreach and Advocacy Program by 1
category; 2
(3) the average length of time it takes to process benefit requests and for a 3
recipient to access health benefits;] 4
(III) VETERANS ENROLLED IN THE UNITED STATES VETERANS 5
HEALTH ADMINISTRATION ; AND 6
(IV) VETERANS RECEIVING B ENEFITS; 7
[(4)] (2) the average amount of disability and pension benefits received 8
by qualified individuals in this State compared to individuals in other states; 9
[(5) a detailed description of the outreach plan in the Outreach and 10
Advocacy Program;] 11
[(6)] (3) an account of the costs of operating the [Outreach and Advocacy 12
Program] OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS; 13
[(7)] (4) a status of the accomplishments for, efficacy of, efficiency of, and 14
level of resources available for each of the following programs: 15
(i) cemetery; 16
(ii) memorial; 17
(iii) service; 18
(iv) veterans homes; [and] 19
[(v) outreach and advocacy;] 20
(V) OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS; 21
(VI) MARYLAND VETERANS SERVICE ANIMAL PROGRAM AND 22
FUND; AND 23
(VII) VETERANS’ SERVICES SPECIALISTS; 24
[(8)] (5) a general assessment of the status of veterans in the State; 25
[(9)] (6) the estimated impact current military operations are likely to 26
have on the needs of veterans in the future; 27
HOUSE BILL 279 7
[(10)] (7) the status of federal veterans programs as they relate to 1
Maryland veterans; and 2
[(11)] (8) any other issues concerning veterans that the Secretary 3
considers appropriate. 4
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 5
1, 2022. 6