The bipartisan CVSO Act (H.R. 4601/S. 2405) would strengthen county efforts to help veterans access federal service-connected health, pension and disability benefits. Specifically, the legislation would:

• Authorize $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 to strengthen and expand CVSOs or similar local entities, including hiring and training additional CVSOs

• Direct 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

• Direct 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 CVSOs in a given state

The CVSO Act would represent a historic federal investment in this key county workforce and help us better serve our veterans. This Veterans Day, please contact your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and urge them to co-sponsor and pass the CVSO Act. You can also show your support for the legislation using NACo’s social media templates.