[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3833 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3833

    To authorize support for the Armed Forces Support Foundation in 
assisting members of the National Guard and Reserve and former members 
 of the Armed Forces in securing employment in the private sector, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 3, 2006

   Mr. Kerry introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To authorize support for the Armed Forces Support Foundation in 
assisting members of the National Guard and Reserve and former members 
 of the Armed Forces in securing employment in the private sector, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the``Armed Forces Employment Support 
Act''.

SEC. 2. SUPPORT OF ARMED FORCES SUPPORT FOUNDATION IN ASSISTING CERTAIN 
              MEMBERS AND FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES IN 
              SECURING PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYMENT.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Helmets to Hardhats, a federally subsidized non-profit 
        organization that helps military recruitment efforts and is 
        dedicated to helping current and former military personnel find 
        employment, has helped more than 150,000 military personnel 
        find employment in the construction industry and has referred 
        40,000 military personnel into apprenticeship programs.
            (2) The Armed Forces Support Foundation, a non-profit 
        organization having similar purposes, will expand the model 
        employed by Helmets to Hardhats by helping current and former 
        military personnel find employment in other sectors of the 
        economy that are applicable to the skills and experience of 
        such personnel in the military.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
Federal Government should support private sector employment initiatives 
for military personnel in order to help ensure that those who serve or 
have served in the Armed Forces have access to gainful employment.
    (c) In General.--The Chief of the National Guard Bureau may, 
utilizing amounts authorized to be appropriated by subsection (e), make 
grants to the Armed Forces Support Foundation, a non-profit 
organization, in order to support activities of the Foundation in 
assisting members of the National Guard and Reserve and former members 
of the Armed Forces in securing employment in the private sector.
    (d) Utilization of Grant Amounts.--
            (1) In general.--The Armed Forces Support Foundation shall 
        utilize amounts granted to the Foundation under subsection (c) 
        to enter into agreements with various private sector entities 
        and associations in order to encourage and facilitate 
        employment of members of the National Guard and Reserve and 
        former members of the Armed Forces in the private sector.
            (2) Employment in particular areas of economy.--It is the 
        sense of Congress that, in entering into agreements described 
        in paragraph (1), the Foundation should enter into agreements 
        with entities and associations involved in energy, 
        transportation, aerospace, domestic security, and other areas 
        of the economy in which the employment of individuals having 
        past military service would be of particular utility.
    (e) Funding.--There is authorized to be appropriated for each of 
fiscal years 2007 through 2011 for the Department of Defense for 
operation and maintenance for the Army National Guard, $10,000,000 for 
purposes of grants under subsection (c).
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