Bill · S. 5328· Senate(119-S-5328)
Empowering States to Serve Veterans Act
- Introduced
- 8/6/2026
- Last activity
- 8/6/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Sponsored by
- Catherine Cortez Masto
- Cosponsors
- - 2 - 0
- 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
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?+6
The bill provides veterans with enhanced outreach opportunities while maintaining strict privacy controls.
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?+5
The bill facilitates better outreach and support through information sharing with state agencies.
Does this help veterans get medical care?+5
The bill enhances veteran outreach services through improved data sharing with state agencies.
The opposite
Does this give the government more power to monitor people inside the country?-1
The sharing of contact information could be viewed as a minor increase in government data tracking.
Does this give the federal government more power?-1
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. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves Veterans Benefits+5Improves Cybersecurity Defense+3Increases Domestic Surveillance-1
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Veterans+6
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Privacy Rights+4Increase States Rights+3Increases Federal Power-1
- Healthcare
- Improves Veterans Healthcare+5
- Education And Technology
- Improves Data Privacy+4
- 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