Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Empowering States to Serve Veterans Act
A Democratic bill with 2 Democratic cosponsors · See all 2 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "Empowering States to Serve Veterans Act" requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to share veteran contact information with State veterans agencies at least quarterly. This information is intended for statistical purposes and to improve outreach to veterans living in specific States. The bill establishes strict limitations, prohibiting the sharing of sensitive data like Social Security numbers, health information, or financial details. Veterans must be provided with notice and are given the right to opt out of this information sharing. Additionally, the act mandates that State agencies follow specific security and privacy protocols.
Yes· 3 of 7
- Scored +6
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill provides veterans with enhanced outreach opportunities while maintaining strict privacy controls.
- Scored +5
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?
The bill facilitates better outreach and support through information sharing with state agencies.
- Scored +5
Does this help veterans get medical care?
The bill enhances veteran outreach services through improved data sharing with state agencies.
The opposite
- Scored -1
Does this give the government more power to monitor people inside the country?
The sharing of contact information could be viewed as a minor increase in government data tracking.
- Scored -1
Does this give the federal government more power?
The bill mandates specific actions that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs must perform regarding state agencies.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Improved Outreach and Statistics: The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must share contact information with State veterans agencies to assist with conducting outreach and gathering statistics (Section 2(a)(1)).
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Protection of Sensitive Information: The bill prohibits the sharing of protected health information, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, financial data, or disability ratings (Section 2(a)(2)).
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Individual Control via Opt-Out: Veterans are given the right to opt out of the sharing process at any time through an accessible process, including an online form and a toll-free number (Section 2(b)(1) and (2)).
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Data Privacy Protections: State agencies are prohibited from selling, transferring, or disclosing the shared information to third parties, and they cannot publish data based on it (Section 2(c)(1)).
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Security Requirements: State agencies are required to implement data protection and cybersecurity measures that match Federal standards for safeguarding personally identifiable information (Section 2(c)(2)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Requirement of Notice: The Secretary must provide notice to veterans via paper and electronic communications, which involves specific timing requirements such as 45 days before the initial transfer for current veterans (Section 2(b)(1)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The bill facilitates better outreach and support through information sharing with state agencies. Does this better protect the country from computer attacks? — The bill mandates security and cybersecurity measures for state agencies handling veteran data. Does this give the government more power to monitor people inside the country? — The sharing of contact information could be viewed as a minor increase in government data tracking.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill provides veterans with enhanced outreach opportunities while maintaining strict privacy controls.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The bill explicitly limits the sharing of sensitive data and provides an opt-out mechanism to protect privacy. Does this leave more decisions to the states? — The bill empowers state veterans agencies by providing them with necessary contact information. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill mandates specific actions that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs must perform regarding state agencies.
- Healthcare
- Does this help veterans get medical care? — The bill enhances veteran outreach services through improved data sharing with state agencies.
- Education And Technology
- Does this give people more control over their personal data? — The bill includes significant protections to ensure sensitive veteran data is not shared or misused.
- 8/6/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Jacky RosenDemocrat · Nevada