Empowering States to Serve Veterans Act

Key Points

• The VA would have to give state veterans agencies basic contact information for veterans every three months so states can reach out about benefits and services.
• Veterans must be told ahead of time that their info could be shared, and they can opt out anytime through an online form or a toll-free phone line.
• Sensitive data like Social Security numbers, birth dates, medical records, disability ratings, and financial or claims information cannot be shared, only basic contact details.
• States that get this data can't sell it, share it with third parties, or publish it, and they must meet federal cybersecurity standards or the VA will cut them off from the data.
• The actual sharing of information doesn't start right away, it only kicks in a year after the bill becomes law, giving time for rules and notices to be set up.