---
kind: "section"
citation: "38 U.S.C. § 6307"
title: "38"
title_heading: "Veterans’ Benefits"
number: "6307"
heading: "Grants to States and Indian Tribes to improve outreach to veterans"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/38/6307"
units:
  - "Part IV — General Administrative Provisions"
  - "Chapter 63 — Outreach Activities"
  - "Subchapter I — Outreach Services Program"
---

# §6307. Grants to States and Indian Tribes to improve outreach to veterans

- (a) **Purpose.—** It is the purpose of this section to provide for assistance by the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) to [States](/usc/38/101.md?p=20) and Indian Tribes to carry out programs that improve covered [outreach](/usc/38/6301.md?p=b-1) and assistance to [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) and the [spouses](/usc/38/101.md?p=31), children, and [parents](/usc/38/101.md?p=5) of [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2), to ensure that such individuals are fully informed about, and assisted in applying for, any [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) and [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2)-related benefits and programs (including [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) programs of a [State](/usc/38/101.md?p=20) or Indian Tribe) for which they may be eligible and facilitate opportunities for such individuals to receive competent, qualified services in the preparation, presentation and prosecution of [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) benefits claims.
- (b) **Authority.—** The [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) may award grants to [States](/usc/38/101.md?p=20) and Indian Tribes—
  - (1) to carry out, coordinate, improve, or otherwise enhance—
    - (A) covered [outreach](/usc/38/6301.md?p=b-1) activities; or
    - (B) activities to assist in the development and submittal of claims for [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) and [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2)-related benefits; or
  - (2) to increase the number of county or Tribal [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) service officers serving in the [State](/usc/38/101.md?p=20) by hiring new, additional such officers.
- (c) **Application.—**
  - (1) To be eligible for a grant under this section, a [State](/usc/38/101.md?p=20) or Indian Tribe shall submit to the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) an application therefor at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) may require.
  - (2) Each application submitted under [paragraph (1)](#c-1) shall include the following:
    - (A) A detailed plan for the use of the grant.
    - (B) A description of the programs through which the [State](/usc/38/101.md?p=20) or Indian Tribe will meet the outcome measures developed by the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) under [subsection (j)](#j).
    - (C) A description of how the [State](/usc/38/101.md?p=20) or Indian Tribe will distribute grant amounts equitably among counties or Tribal lands with varying levels of urbanization.
    - (D) A plan for how the grant will be used to meet the unique needs of American Indian [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2), Alaska Native [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2), or Native Hawaiian [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2), elderly [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2), and [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) from other underserved communities.
- (d) **Distribution.—** The [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall seek to ensure that grants awarded under this section are equitably distributed among [States](/usc/38/101.md?p=20) and Indian Tribes with varying levels of urbanization.
- (e) **Set-aside.—** Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for grants under this section for any fiscal year, the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall ensure that not less than five percent is used to make grants to Indian Tribes.
- (f) **Priority.—** The [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall prioritize awarding grants under this section that will serve the following areas:
  - (1) Areas with a critical shortage of county or Tribal [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) service officers.
  - (2) Areas with high rates of—
    - (A) suicide among [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2); or
    - (B) referrals to the [Veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) Crisis Line.
- (g) **Use of County or Tribal Veterans Service Officers.—** A [State](/usc/38/101.md?p=20) or Indian Tribe that receives a grant under this section to carry out an activity described in [subsection (b)(1)](#b-1) shall carry out the activity through—
  - (1) a county or Tribal [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) service officer of the [State](/usc/38/101.md?p=20); or
  - (2) if the [State](/usc/38/101.md?p=20) or Indian Tribe does not have a county or Tribal [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) service officer, or if the county or Tribal [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) service officers of the [State](/usc/38/101.md?p=20) or Indian Tribe cover only a portion of that [State](/usc/38/101.md?p=20) or Indian Tribe, an appropriate entity of a [State](/usc/38/101.md?p=20), local, or Tribal government, as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1).
- (h) **Required Activities.—** Any grant awarded under this section shall be used—
  - (1) to expand existing programs, activities, and services;
  - (2) to hire new, additional county or Tribal [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) service officers; or
  - (3) for travel and transportation to facilitate carrying out paragraph [(1)](#h-1) or [(2)](#h-2).
- (i) **Authorized Activities.—** A grant under this section may be used to provide education and training, including on-the-job training, for [State](/usc/38/101.md?p=20), county, local, and Tribal government employees who provide (or when trained will provide) covered [outreach](/usc/38/6301.md?p=b-1) services in order for those employees to obtain accreditation in accordance with procedures approved by the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1).
- (j) **Outcome Measures.—**
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall develop and provide to each [State](/usc/38/101.md?p=20) or Indian Tribe that receives a grant under this section written guidance on the following:
    - (A) Outcome measures.
    - (B) Policies of the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1).
  - (2) In developing outcome measures under [paragraph (1)](#j-1), the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall consider the following goals:
    - (A) Increasing the use of [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) and [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2)-related benefits, particularly among vulnerable populations.
    - (B) Increasing the number of county and Tribal [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) service officers recognized by the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) for the representation of [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) under [chapter 59](/usc/38/chptIV/ch59.md) of this title.
- (k) **Tracking Requirements.—**
  - (1) With respect to each grant awarded under this section, the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall track the use of [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) and [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2)-related benefits among the population served by the grant, including the average period of time between the date on which a [veteran](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) applies for such a benefit and the date on which the [veteran](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) receives the benefit, disaggregated by type of benefit.
  - (2) Not less frequently than annually during the life of the grant program established under this section, the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall submit to Congress a report on—
    - (A) the information tracked under [paragraph (1)](#k-1);
    - (B) how the grants awarded under this section serve the unique needs of American Indian [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2), Alaska Native [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2), or Native Hawaiian [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2), elderly [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2), and [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) from other underserved communities; and
    - (C) other information provided by [States](/usc/38/101.md?p=20) and Indian Tribes pursuant to the grant reporting requirements.
- (l) **Performance Review.—** The [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall—
  - (1) review the performance of each [State](/usc/38/101.md?p=20) or Indian Tribe that receives a grant under this section; and
  - (2) make information regarding such performance publicly available.
- (m) **Remediation Plan.—**
  - (1) In the case of a [State](/usc/38/101.md?p=20) or Indian Tribe that receives a grant under this section and does not meet the outcome measures developed by the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) under [subsection (j)](#j), the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall require the [State](/usc/38/101.md?p=20) or Indian Tribe to submit a remediation plan under which the [State](/usc/38/101.md?p=20) shall describe how and when it plans to meet such outcome measures.
  - (2) The [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) may not award a subsequent grant under this section to a [State](/usc/38/101.md?p=20) or Indian Tribe described in [paragraph (1)](#m-1) unless the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) approves the remediation plan submitted by the [State](/usc/38/101.md?p=20) or Indian Tribe.
- (n) **Definitions.—** In this section:
  - (1) The term “county or Tribal [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) service officer” includes a local equivalent [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) service officer.
  - (2) The term “covered [outreach](/usc/38/6301.md?p=b-1)” means [outreach](/usc/38/6301.md?p=b-1) with respect to—
    - (A) benefits administered by the Under [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) for Benefits; or
    - (B) similar benefits administered by a [State](/usc/38/101.md?p=20) or Indian Tribe.
  - (3) The term “Indian Tribe” has the meaning given such term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act ([25 U.S.C. 5304](/usc/25/5304.md)).
  - (4) The term “[State](/usc/38/101.md?p=20)” includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any territory or possession of the United States.
  - (5) The term “[Veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) Crisis Line” means the toll-free hotline for [veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) established under [section 1720F(h) of this title](/usc/38/1720F.md?p=h).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 118–210, title III, § 302(a)(2), Jan. 2, 2025, 138 Stat. 2789.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 6307 was renumbered section 6308 of this title.