# Plain Language Summary: Historically Underserved Veterans Inclusion Act of 2023

This bill expands the Department of Veterans Affairs' efforts to help veterans who have been left behind by the current system. Right now, the VA has a Center for Minority Veterans that focuses mainly on racial and ethnic minorities. This bill renames it the Center for Minority and Historically Underserved Veterans and broadens its mission to include other groups of veterans who struggle to access the benefits they've earned. These additional groups include LGBTQ+ veterans, veterans with limited English proficiency, non-citizen veterans, veterans of different faiths, and any other groups the VA identifies as having difficulty getting their entitled benefits.

The bill also expands an advisory committee that gives the VA recommendations on how to better serve these veterans. It adds representatives from the Departments of Housing and Education, the Attorney General's office, the Small Business Administration, and the Office of National Drug Control Policy to the committee. This brings in expertise from other government agencies that deal with issues affecting underserved veterans, like housing, education, legal matters, and substance abuse. The committee will now advise the VA on everything from improving outreach and engagement to addressing homelessness, suicide prevention, and health care gaps for these veterans.

Additionally, the bill requires the VA to conduct a review every two years to identify which groups of veterans aren't getting the benefits they deserve and to report back to Congress with recommendations. This creates an ongoing process to catch problems and fix them. The practical effect is that veterans who previously fell through the cracks—whether because of their sexual orientation, immigration status, language barriers, or other factors—should have better access to VA services, health care, burial benefits, and other support they've earned through their military service.