Empowering States to Serve Veterans Act

This legislation requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to share veterans' contact information quarterly with State veterans agencies to improve outreach and facilitate statistical analysis, connecting veterans with services in their state. The bill establishes stringent safeguards, explicitly prohibiting the sharing of sensitive data such as protected health information , Social Security numbers, dates of birth, or financial and claims details, ensuring only necessary contact information is provided. Veterans will receive clear notice of this sharing and have an accessible option to opt out at any time, with any previously shared data to be destroyed if they choose to do so. State veterans agencies receiving this information are strictly limited to using it solely for authorized statistical and outreach purposes, forbidding its sale or disclosure to third parties. They must also implement robust data protection and cybersecurity measures, with the VA responsible for verifying and ensuring ongoing compliance.