LAWRENCE J. HOGAN, JR., Governor Ch. 73
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Chapter 73
(Senate Bill 654)
AN ACT concerning
Veterans Affairs – Office of Communications and Public Affairs
Communications, Outreach, and Advocacy Program – Veterans Advocacy and
Education Act
FOR the purpose of altering the name of the Outreach and Advocacy Program in the
Department of Veterans Affairs to be the Office of Communications and Public
Affairs Communications, Outreach, and Advocacy Program; requiring the Office
Program, in collaboration with the Maryland Higher Education Commission, to
actively help veterans and their dependents become aware of and access certain
benefits; altering certain responsibilities of the director of the Office Program;
repealing a certain requirement that the Department develop and maintain a certain
database of veterans in the State; altering certain responsibilities of the Department;
altering certain responsibilities of the Office Program; and generally relating to the
Office of Communications and Public Affairs Communications, Outreach, and
Advocacy Program.
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article – State Government
Section 9–940 through 9–940 and 9–942 through 9–944 to be under the amended
part “Part V. Office of Communications and Public Affairs Communications,
Outreach, and Advocacy Program”; and 9–946
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2021 Replacement Volume)
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments,
Article – State Government
Section 9–941
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2021 Replacement Volume)
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
Article – State Government
Part V. [Outreach COMMUNICATIONS , OUTREACH, and Advocacy Program] OFFICE
OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS.
9–940.
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(a) In this part, [“Program”] “OFFICE” means PART, “PROGRAM” MEANS the
[Outreach COMMUNICATIONS , OUTREACH, and Advocacy Program] OFFICE OF
COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS.
(b) There is an A [Outreach COMMUNICATIONS , OUTREACH, and Advocacy
Program] OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS in the Department.
(c) The purpose of the [Program] OFFICE is to ensure that:
(1) veterans are informed of the services, benefits, and assistance available
to them from the State and federal government AND COMMUNITY ORGANI ZATIONS; and
(2) general issues relating to veterans needs are brought to the attention
of the Governor and the General Assembly in order for them to be addressed.
9–941.
(a) The Secretary shall appoint a director for the [Program] OFFICE.
(b) The director is entitled to the salary provided in the State budget.
(c) The director shall administer and coordinate the [Program] OFFICE.
9–942.
(a) The [Outreach and Advocacy Program] OFFICE shall actively help veterans
and their dependents become aware of and access any service or benefit to which they are
entitled including:
(1) tax benefits;
(2) health care benefits;
(3) disability benefits; AND
(4) pension benefits[; and
(5) education].
(B) THE OFFICE PROGRAM, IN COLLABORATION WIT H THE MARYLAND
HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION, SHALL ACTIVELY HELP VETERANS AND THEIR
DEPENDENTS BECOME AW ARE OF AND ACCESS ED UCATION AND TRAINING BENEFITS
TO WHICH THEY ARE EN TITLED.
[(b)] (C) The director of the [Program] OFFICE shall: LAWRENCE J. HOGAN, JR., Governor Ch. 73
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(1) support veterans and their dependents through the service or benefit
process; and
[(2) keep in contact with the appropriate governmental unit as to the status
of each claim of a veteran, a veteran’s dependent, or a veteran’s survivor.]
(2) REFER VETERANS , VETERANS’ DEPENDENTS , AND VETERANS ’
SURVIVORS TO THE APP ROPRIATE GOVERNMENTA L UNIT FOR CLAIM ASSIST ANCE.
9–943.
(a) (1) For the purposes of reaching any veteran, veteran’s dependent, or
veteran’s survivor in need of assistance in obtaining services or benefits granted by the law,
the director shall develop and implement [an outreach] A COMMUNICATIONS AND
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OUTREACH plan.
(2) In order to carry out the director’s responsibilities under paragraph (1)
of this subsection, the director may:
(i) enter into contracts; and
(ii) work with governmental units and community–based
organizations, including the Maryland Department of Health, the Department of Aging,
faith–based groups, veterans groups, senior centers, adult day care centers, institutions of
higher education, and other entities the director considers appropriate.
(b) (1) The director shall develop mechanisms for outreach to be disseminated
by direct mail and through community–based veterans organizations, the Department of
Veterans Affairs, the Department of Human Services, the Maryland Department of Health,
and any other State agency or unit the director considers appropriate.
(2) [The mechanisms for outreach] COMMUNICATION MECHANI SMS
shall include:
(i) [the development of a pamphlet] DESIGNING MARKETING
MATERIALS describing the services provided by the [Outreach and Advocacy Program]
DEPARTMENT ;
(ii) a regular ELECTRONIC newsletter;
(iii) brochures describing various benefits or any other issue or
benefit of interest to veterans or their dependents; and
(iv) other measures the director considers appropriate.
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(c) The Department shall [develop and maintain a database of veterans in the
State] COMMUNICATE WELCOME HOME INFORMATION TO VETERANS RETURNING T O
THE STATE.
(d) The Department, in conjunction with the types of community –based
organizations listed in subsection (a)(2) of this section, shall develop [a survey]
COMMUNICATION TOOLS to assist in identifying veterans and dependents who may be
eligible for [pension programs] BENEFITS AND PROGRAM S OFFERED BY THE
DEPARTMENT .
(e) The [Program] OFFICE shall:
(1) [in conjunction with other governmental units and community–based
groups, seek out veterans and their dependents who may be eligible for pension program
benefits; and] MANAGE THE MARYLAND VETERANS SERVICE ANIMAL PROGRAM AND
FUND ESTABLISHED UNDE R PART VIII OF THIS SUBTITLE;
(2) [provide wounded or disabled veterans with information on available
services and benefits and support in obtaining these services and benefits] COORDINATE
THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF VETERANS’ SERVICES SPECIALISTS DESIGNATED UNDER
§ 9–944 OF THIS SUBTITLE ; AND
(3) MANAGE DEPARTMENT MEDIA RELA TIONS, WEB CONTENT ,
SOCIAL MEDIA, INTERNAL AND EXTERNA L COMMUNICATIONS , CUSTOMER SERVICE
TRAINING, AND INTERGOVERNMENTA L RELATIONS.
(F) THE DIRECTOR SHALL SE RVE, AS NECESSARY , AS THE SECRETARY’S
DESIGNEE TO APPROPRI ATE COMMISSIONS , WORKGROUPS , AND COUNCILS .
9–944.
(a) In this section, “specialist” means an employee designated by a governmental
unit who is responsible for responding to and assisting veterans who are employed by the
unit or who contact the unit for assistance.
(b) Each governmental unit shall:
(1) designate an employee of the unit, who to the extent practicable is a
veteran, as a veterans’ services specialist for the unit and whose duties include the
coordination of veterans’ services with the Department;
(2) provide the Department with any nonprotected or nonprivate
information about services the unit provides to veterans; and
LAWRENCE J. HOGAN, JR., Governor Ch. 73
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(3) post on the unit’s website:
(i) all services available for veterans from the unit;
(ii) the contact information for the unit’s veterans’ services
specialist; and
(iii) a link to the Department with the contact information for the
director of the [Outreach and Advocacy Program in the Department] OFFICE.
(c) The veterans’ services specialist shall:
(1) coordinate the provision of veterans’ services available through the unit
with the Department; and
(2) attend annual training that the Department provides concerning the
coordination of veterans’ services.
(d) On request for services by a veteran, a governmental unit that does not
provide services to veterans shall direct the veteran to contact the Department and provide
the veteran with the Department contact information.
(e) The Department shall:
(1) coordinate a meeting each quarter, or as otherwise necessary, with
governmental units to discuss and receive information concerning the implementation of
the requirements of this section; and
(2) on or before January 15 each year, report on the implementation of the
requirements of this section to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of this article,
the General Assembly.
Part VI. Reporting.
9–946.
The Secretary shall submit a report by December 31 of each year to the Governor
and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of this article, the General Assembly, that includes:
(1) the number of:
(i) requests for help in obtaining benefits; [and]
(ii) [veterans, veterans’ dependents, and veterans’ survivors helped]
PUBLIC CONTACTS MADE by the [Outreach and Advocacy Program by category] OFFICE Ch. 73 2022 LAWS OF MARYLAND
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OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS BY THE COMMUNICATIONS ,
OUTREACH, AND ADVOCACY PROGRAM;
[(2) the benefits obtained through the Outreach and Advocacy Program by
category;
(3) the average length of time it takes to process benefit requests and for a
recipient to access health benefits;]
(III) VETERANS ENROLLED IN THE UNITED STATES VETERANS
HEALTH ADMINISTRATION ; AND
(IV) VETERANS RECEIVING B ENEFITS;
[(4)] (2) the average amount of disability and pension benefits received
by qualified individuals in this State compared to individuals in other states;
[(5) a detailed description of the outreach plan in the Outreach and
Advocacy Program;]
[(6)] (3) an account of the costs of operating the [Outreach
COMMUNICATIONS , OUTREACH, and Advocacy Program ] OFFICE OF
COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS;
[(7)] (4) a status of the accomplishments for, efficacy of, efficiency of, and
level of resources available for each of the following programs:
(i) cemetery;
(ii) memorial;
(iii) service;
(iv) veterans homes; [and]
[(v) outreach COMMUNICATIONS , OUTREACH, and advocacy;]
(V) OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS;
(VI) MARYLAND VETERANS SERVICE ANIMAL PROGRAM AND
FUND; AND
(VII) VETERANS’ SERVICES SPECIALISTS ;
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[(8)] (5) a general assessment of the status of veterans in the State;
[(9)] (6) the estimated impact current military operations are likely to
have on the needs of veterans in the future;
[(10)] (7) the status of federal veterans programs as they relate to
Maryland veterans; and
[(11)] (8) any other issues concerning veterans that the Secretary
considers appropriate.
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July
1, 2022.
Approved by the Governor, April 12, 2022.