WASHINGTON — Veterans coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan may have more luck finding out about the maze of benefits available to them, if a bill introduced in Congress on Tuesday becomes law.

The legislation by Rep. Kirsten E. Gillibrand, D-Hudson, requires the federal government to individually notify war veterans about various programs by mail, e-mail, phone or other means using public or private records.

Soldiers would have to be notified upon separation from the military, as they are making the transition from the Defense Department to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Mrs. Gillibrand's office said the proposal would "switch the system from passive to active."

The process would become easier for service members as well, her office said, because the two departments are working toward a shared electronic record that indicates a returning soldier's diagnosis. The VA could offer benefits based on that diagnosis.

Service members would still have to apply for benefits in order to receive them, but the congresswoman's office said fewer returning soldiers would be unaware of what is available.

In some cases, benefits are available on an infrequent or recurring basis, in which case the VA would have to notify veterans at each period of eligibility.

A spokesman for Amvets, a group representing veterans, said that the organization was unfamiliar with the proposal but that the VA has improved its outreach in the past few years.

Other lawmakers have made similar efforts. A bill by Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Calif., requires the Defense Department to give each departing service member a compact disc explaining the benefits for which he may apply. That bill passed a House subcommittee in June.