116 HR 4824 IH: Putting Our Veterans Back to Work Act of 2019
U.S. House of Representatives
2019-10-23
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.Short title; table of contents
(a)This Act may be cited as the Putting Our Veterans Back to Work Act of 2019
. (b)The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Title I—Renewing our vow to hire heroes
Sec. 101. Reauthorization of veterans retraining assistance program.
Sec. 102. Extension of additional rehabilitation programs for persons who have exhausted rights to
unemployment benefits under State law.
Sec. 103. Reauthorization of collaborative veterans' training, mentoring, and placement program.
Title II—Building on our vow to hire heroes
Sec. 201. Unified employment portal for veterans.
Sec. 202. Grants to hire veterans as first responders.
Sec. 203. Contracting preference for offerors employing veterans.
<enum>I</enum><header>Renewing our vow to hire heroes</header>
<section id="H9A1C10E42F4F43E7BCFADAC114668B5C"><enum>101.</enum><header>Reauthorization of veterans retraining assistance program</header>
<subsection id="H3C2FB990560C4F85B70883DB8D43E0D9"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Extension</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subsection (k) of section 211 of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/112/56">Public Law 112–56</external-xref>; <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/38/4100">38 U.S.C. 4100</external-xref> note) is amended by striking <quote>March 31, 2014</quote> and inserting <quote>December 31, 2021</quote>.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H0E265EAE747248C69E8B0891434C1DC3"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Number of eligible veterans</header><text>Subsection (a)(2) of such section is amended—</text> <paragraph id="HD285CCD951BF466F8D62ADAC644DBDEF"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in subparagraph (A), by striking <quote>and</quote> at the end;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H1BD97DB30C174B2E984D85E6E176F44A"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="HFB238EBC1B1640BE9D030DED2DA8AD1E"><enum>(3)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H34C712A340D34AE7BA0014E7D53B3890" style="OLC">
<subparagraph id="HE2BD228BC17645CD9944B62A152EE040"><enum>(C)</enum><text>50,000 during fiscal year 2020;</text> </subparagraph><subparagraph id="H0CE61CCCB99A4BF18550BFA19FB1604B"><enum>(D)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">50,000 during fiscal year 2021;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HAFF44D33DDC74EDCB2999DBF2519265B"><enum>(E)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">50,000 during fiscal year 2022; and</text> </subparagraph><subparagraph id="H1D0EF831CA6B4E9FB4B23C1A3D2744AD"><enum>(F)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">50,000 during the period beginning October 1, 2022, and ending December 31, 2023.</text></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H336DBED4FA3A4D92A54073F9D147A8A9"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Clarification of limitation on aggregate amount of assistance</header><text>Subsection (b) of such section is amended by striking <quote>up to 12 months of retraining assistance provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs</quote> and inserting <quote>an aggregate of not more than 12 months of retraining assistance provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under this section</quote>.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="HA74314EF3EBE4B7FA946AD6ECA81B387"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Updated report</header><text>Subsection (i) of such section is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H1DF5511410A44914B621F45F0D76F5ED" style="OLC"> <paragraph id="H50B216DDD43E4186852CC6ACD5F9DDBB"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Update</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than December 31, 2022, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with the Secretary of Labor, shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress an update to the report described in paragraph (1).</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection id="HE1160F14EA6447E5B5F30680AD0DEEC4"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Conforming amendment</header><text>Subsection (e)(1)(G) of such section is amended by striking <quote>by not later than October 1, 2013,</quote>.</text> </subsection></section><section id="HBC97CA78B97744E4A61E3D7809D187A5"><enum>102.</enum><header>Extension of additional rehabilitation programs for persons who have exhausted rights to unemployment benefits under State law</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 3102(b)(4) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking <quote>March 31, 2014</quote> and inserting <quote>March 31, 2022</quote>.</text>
</section><section id="H5569F8617A8F4823A188A4608A6F1BA2"><enum>103.</enum><header>Reauthorization of collaborative veterans' training, mentoring, and placement program</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Subsection (e) of section 4104A of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H10F4C78225CE4CA79B1D2E2A606CB6AB" style="OLC"> <subsection id="HE57ADC6E6AD14FBB9722E329583D1F93"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><text>There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section amounts as follows:</text>
<paragraph id="H666A2F2509E442FABA484CC5736BD7B3"><enum>(1)</enum><text>$4,500,000 for the period consisting of fiscal years 2020 and 2021.</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="HFE8B63558E40453D8CA49C6BDECB0A5E"><enum>(2)</enum><text>$4,500,000 for the period consisting of fiscal years 2022 and 2023.</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</section><enum>II</enum><header>Building on our vow to hire heroes</header>
<section id="HB410895BE58E44C58A4F82091BA047E6"><enum>201.</enum><header>Unified employment portal for veterans</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 4105 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H837848B5BF26436F9FC1181848ABE05A" style="OLC"> <subsection id="HD6B8C2DDD8EC45F6B3E7CBC126978BEC"><enum>(c)</enum> <paragraph commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="HEF94E5761F5F4C2C9233FB098AF4D99C"><enum>(1)</enum><text>The Secretary shall develop a single, unified Federal web-based employment portal, for use by veterans, containing information regarding all Federal programs and activities concerning employment, unemployment, and training to the extent the programs and activities affect veterans.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H378C1A971FCE4BF2A4732FD45CC188AE" indent="up1"><enum>(2)</enum><text>The Secretary shall work with representatives from the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Small Business Administration, and other Federal agencies and organizations concerned with veterans' issues, to determine an appropriate platform and implementing agency for the portal. The Secretary shall enter into an agreement with the other Federal agencies for the implementation of the portal.</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</section><section id="H8E9F8A34B9FD42CF9F7C8508F95181A3"><enum>202.</enum><header>Grants to hire veterans as first responders</header>
<subsection id="H966800E35BFF4EA3B3C71C6207BA6C97"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Grants for firefighters</header><text>The Secretary of Homeland Security shall award grants under section 34 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/15/2229a">15 U.S.C. 2229a</external-xref>) to hire veterans as firefighters.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H35399C3CAFD041E397E11F9140962F35"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Grants for law enforcement officers</header><text>The Attorney General shall award grants under part Q of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/34/10381">34 U.S.C. 10381</external-xref> et seq.) to hire veterans as law enforcement officers.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H1725AB6AA73C47328A9E1CAD7CBA169B"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Priority</header><text>In awarding grants under this section to hire veterans, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General shall give priority to the hiring of veterans who served on active duty in the Armed Forces on or after September 11, 2001.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="HF5C28E1CED424AA5BF9A38BBD23A76A2"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><text>There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $250,000,000.</text> </subsection></section><section commented="no" id="H778BD91603ED438B9E7EACBDFC7C6068"><enum>203.</enum><header>Contracting preference for offerors employing veterans</header> <subsection commented="no" id="H149EDC624D4C40E2AD04E9A92FDDC42A"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Civilian contracts</header> <paragraph commented="no" id="H9671F7D8A55849F1BE8D4056398FA28C"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text><external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/41/33">Chapter 33</external-xref> of title 41, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:</text>
<quoted-block act-name="" id="HB1A9F864E2D0487EA73BF90973E0093F" style="USC">
<section commented="no" id="HEE5708EB419747FA934A138C8FA4030F"><enum>3313.</enum><header>Contracting preference for offerors employing veterans</header>
<subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HD4DFC54EE2754169A4F4B3F38DC9BAB9"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Preference</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">With respect to the procurement of goods and services using competitive procedures by executive agencies, where such procurement is valued at $25,000,000 or higher, the Administrator shall establish a preference, and criteria for applying such preference, for a covered offeror.</text>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" id="HA52CF49BE27C4412A96CDC34E59BD0B3"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Congressional report</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Prior to establishing the preference described in subsection (a), the Administrator shall provide a report to Congress that includes—</text>
<paragraph commented="no" id="HF78B40971910489A9F7C5820BB4EC1E7"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">a plan for implementing such preference, including penalties for an offeror that willfully and intentionally misrepresents the veteran status of the employees of the offeror in a bid submitted under subsection (a); and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="H78B70B56184243B49E074A42AFFB3388"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the process for assessing and verifying offeror compliance with regulations relating to equal opportunity for veterans requirements.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" id="H515D029392194E8CAFCFFFC41D92EBAD"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Covered offeror defined</header><text>In this section, the term <term>covered offeror</term> means an offeror for which 5 percent of the full-time employees of such offeror are veterans.</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block> </paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="HACDF2AB5AF9D4B379F05933F6D207A08"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Clerical amendment</header><text>The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding after the item relating to section 3312 the following new item:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HB37CFE3F865B4086A5447C2DC9B4638D" style="OLC">
<toc>
<toc-entry level="section">3313. Contracting preference for offerors employing veterans.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" id="HF0037C19C3F047A8AEFA138208D7501D"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Defense contracts</header>
<paragraph commented="no" id="HC3D726D200484D0487E07537613DDDAD"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text><external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/10/137">Chapter 137</external-xref> of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:</text>
<quoted-block act-name="" id="H37183285449242DBB8679A4246C7D718" style="USC">
<section commented="no" id="H2EEECFE9F115447096887EF86308B9E6"><enum>2339b.</enum><header>Contracting preference for offerors employing veterans</header>
<subsection commented="no" id="H6DFBF2FC35C74E46B3EFEE404FC809CB"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Preference</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">With respect to the procurement of goods and services using competitive procedures by executive agencies, where such procurement is valued at $25,000,000 or higher, the Administrator shall establish a preference, and criteria for applying such preference, for a covered offeror.</text>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" id="H512E7333A73244BB9A201230E5B6CB5E"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Congressional report</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Prior to establishing the preference described in subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall provide a report to Congress that includes—</text>
<paragraph commented="no" id="H11BD072F1D56478F856CC6B822882218"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">a plan for implementing such preference, including penalties for an offeror that willfully and intentionally misrepresents the veteran status of the employees of the offeror in a bid submitted under subsection (a); and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="HF07EF7E261154AB9999AFC7F0164628E"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the process for assessing and verifying offeror compliance with regulations relating to equal opportunity for veterans requirements.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HBE1168B273AD4D0FAB0B42DD49200027"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Covered offeror defined</header><text>In this section, the term <term>covered offeror</term> means an offeror for which 5 percent of the full-time employees of such offeror are veterans.</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block> </paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="HCC4391355B404AFEA0EA770E124CB4C0"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Clerical amendment</header><text>The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding after the item relating to section 2339a the following new item:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H965ABD5D5E7F4DF3AF07071D0474B06A" style="OLC">
<toc>
<toc-entry level="section">2339b. Contracting preference for offerors employing veterans.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HDCC21E65F66E4BDE96D40DE0CF865C1E"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Applicability</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) shall apply to contracts entered into 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.</text>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" id="HA19BB3284E1E49B1B8CC3D4AB86FB125"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Regulations</header><text>Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Acquisition Regulation shall be amended to carry out the requirements of section 3313 of title 41, United States Code, and section 2339b of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsections (a) and (b), respectively.</text>
</subsection></section>