SECTION 1. Section 2 of chapter 115 of the General Laws, as amended by section 30 of chapter 144 of the acts of 2022, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-

The secretary shall oversee and maintain the women veterans' network established in section 18.

SECTION 2. Said chapter 115, as amended by section 18 of chapter 154 of the acts of 2022, is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 18. (a) For the purposes of this section the following term shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meaning:

“Women veterans' network”, a program, within the department of veterans’ services, that identifies women veterans in the commonwealth and informs them about their potential eligibility for benefits they may have earned through their service.

(b) There shall be established the women veterans' network in the department of veterans’ services. The women veterans' network shall: (i) conduct outreach to women veterans living in the commonwealth and make them aware of eligible benefits available to them; (ii) register women veterans for the women veterans' network and collect current information on women veterans in the commonwealth; (iii) create a database to store women veteran’s registered information that shall include, but not be limited to, the following information: the name, residential address, telephone numbers and email address of each woman veteran in the commonwealth; (iv) expand awareness of the needs of women veterans in the commonwealth and identify available health and human resources to meet their needs; (v) create a women veterans' network newsletter containing information on benefits, programs, resources and events for women veterans; and (vi) host a conference with keynote speakers, workshops, networking opportunities and a panel on topics that are relevant to women veterans in the commonwealth.

(c) The women veterans' network shall appoint a director to manage the organization. The director’s duties and responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to: (i) meeting with women veterans in the commonwealth in order to assist them with services and available benefits; (ii) reporting directly to the secretary of veterans' services on the women veterans' network activities; (iii) holding events to promote and expand the membership of the women veterans' network including, but not limited to: informational fairs, workshops and public events; (iv) overseeing, maintaining and updating yearly the database of women veterans’ registered information in the commonwealth; (v) collaborating with the department of veteran services for outreach to other state and federal agencies and non-profits that serve women veterans to identify resources, improvements to programs and services to women veterans, particularly in terms of healthcare, counseling, employment, education and housing; (vi) collaborating with directors of veterans' services in cities and towns departments of veterans' services, established in section 10, for outreach to women veterans to promote programs and services, particularly in terms of healthcare, counseling, employment, education and housing; (vii) preparing reports as required and requested by the secretary of veterans’ services and the joint committee on veterans and

federal affairs; (viii) maintaining a speaker’s bureau of Massachusetts women veterans to enhance awareness of women veterans’ contributions to the commonwealth; (ix) overseeing the women veterans' network’s website, newsletter and social media; and (x) maintaining continuing education and awareness programs of current and emerging issues that impact women veterans in the commonwealth.

(d)(1) Subject to appropriation, the secretary shall provide grants to the women veterans' network for implementing programs to improve outreach and assistance to women veterans and their families in cities and towns in commonwealth. The programs shall ensure that women veterans are fully informed about available veterans’ benefits and programs.

(2) The grants to the women veterans' network shall: (i) implement or enhance outreach activities for women veterans; (ii) expand, implement or otherwise enhance existing programs and services in the preparation, presentation and prosecution of claims for women veterans benefits by directors of veterans' services in cities and towns departments of veterans' services established in section 10; and (iii) prioritize programs that are in areas with: (A) a large population of women veterans; (B) a critical shortage of veterans’ service officers; (C) high rates of suicide among veterans; and (D) high rates of referrals to the veterans’ crisis line.

(e) The secretary shall establish policies and procedures, including a monitoring component, for the women veterans' network. The policies and procedures shall include the women veterans’ network’s: (1) operations; (2) database; and (3) outreach and engagement activities to ensure that all required women veterans' network activities in this section are properly conducted and documented.