1.This Act may be cited as the
Troops’ Soft Landing, Employment, and
Rural Transportation Act
.
2.Retention on
active duty after demobilization of reserves following extended deployments in
contingency operations or homeland defense missions
(a)Chapter 1209 of title 10, United States Code, is amended
by adding at the end the following new section:
12323.Reserves:
retention on active duty after demobilization following extended deployments in
contingency operations or homeland defense missions
(a)A member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces
described in subsection (b) shall be retained on active duty in the Armed
Forces for a period of 90 days following the conclusion of the member’s
demobilization from a deployment as described in that subsection, and shall be
authorized the use of any accrued leave.
(b)A member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces
described in this subsection is any member of a reserve component of the Armed
Forces who was deployed for more than 179 days under the following:
(1)A contingency
operation.
(2)A homeland defense
mission (as specified by the Secretary of Defense for purposes of this
section).
(c)Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a member
on active duty under subsection (a) shall be paid pay and allowances as
follows:
(1)For the first 30
days during which the member is so retained on active duty—
(A)the basic pay
payable to a member of the Armed Forces under section 204 of title 37 in the
same pay grade as the member;
(B)the basic
allowance for subsistence payable under section 402 of title 37; and
(C)the basic
allowance for housing payable under section 403 of title 37 for a member in the
same pay grade, geographic location, and number of dependents as the
member.
(2)For the second 30
days during which the member is so retained on active duty, basic pay, basic
allowance for subsistence, and basic allowance for housing as described in
paragraph (1) but at rates equal to 75 percent of the rates otherwise payable
as described in that paragraph.
(3)For the third 30
days during which the member is so retained on active duty, basic pay, basic
allowance for subsistence, and basic allowance for housing as described in
paragraph (1) but at rates equal to 50 percent of the rates otherwise payable
as described in that paragraph.
(d)(1) A member retained on active duty under subsection
(a) may be released from active duty at the request of the member at any time
following the end of the 15-day period commencing on the date the member is
retained on active duty under subsection (a).
(2)The request of a member for release
from active duty under this subsection shall be subject to the approval of the
officer in the chain of command of the member in grade O–5.
(e)Reintegration
Counseling and Services(1)The Secretary of the
military department concerned shall provide each member retained on active duty
under subsection (a), while the member is so retained on active duty,
counseling and services to assist the member in reintegrating into civilian
life.
(2)The counseling and services provided
members under this subsection shall include the following:
(A)Physical and mental health
evaluations.
(B)Employment counseling and
assistance.
(C)Marriage and family counseling and
assistance.
(D)Financial management
counseling.
(E)Education counseling.
(F)Counseling and assistance on benefits
available to the member through the Department of Defense and the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
(3)The Secretary of the military
department concerned shall provide, to the extent practicable, for the
participation of appropriate family members of members retained on active duty
under subsection (a) in the counseling and services provided such members under
this subsection.
(4)The counseling and services provided
to members under this subsection shall, to the extent practicable, be provided
at National Guard armories and similar facilities close the residences of such
members.
(5)Counseling and services provided a
member under this subsection shall, to the extent practicable, be provided in
coordination with the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program of the State
concerned under section 582 of the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2008 (10 U.S.C. 10101
note)
.
(b)The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 1209
of such title is amended by adding at the end the following new item:
12323. Reserves: retention on active duty
after demobilization following extended deployments in contingency operations
or homeland defense
missions.
.
3.Work Opportunity
Tax Credit
(a)Subsection (d) of
section 51 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end
the following new paragraph:
(15)Special rule
for veterans residing in high unemployment counties
(A)In the case of an
unemployed veteran who is treated as a member of a targeted group under
subparagraph (B) and who has performed at least 800 hours of service for the
employer—
(i)subsection (a)
shall be applied by substituting 50 percent
for 40
percent
, and
(ii)subsection (b)(3)
shall be applied by substituting $10,000
for
$6,000
.
(B)Treatment as
member of targeted groupAn unemployed veteran who is certified
by the designated local agency as having his principal place of abode within a
county that, at any time during the 6-month period ending on the hiring date,
is a high unemployment county shall be treated as a member of a targeted group
for purposes of this subpart.
(C)For purposes of this paragraph, the term unemployed
veteran has the meaning given such term by paragraph (14)(B)(i) without
regard to subclause (II) thereof.
(D)The term high unemployment
county means a county for which the unemployment rate for the preceding
month equals or exceeds the national unemployment threshold for such
month.
(E)National
unemployment threshold
(i)The national unemployment threshold is 12 percent.
(ii)For any month beginning after the month in which this
subparagraph is enacted, the national unemployment threshold in subclause (I)
shall be the percentage in clause (i) (determined without regard to the
application of this clause) multiplied by the ratio which the national
unemployment rate for such month bears to 9.5 percent.
(F)The national
unemployment rate and the unemployment rate for a county for any month shall be
the unadjusted rates for such month determined by the Current Population Survey
conducted by the Bureau of Census for the Bureau of Labor
Statistics.
.
(b)The amendment made by
subsection (a) shall apply to individuals who begin work for the employer after
the date of the enactment of this Act.
4.Grants for
eligible entities providing transportation to Department of Veterans Affairs
medical facilities for veterans living in rural areas
(a)
(1)The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish a grant
program to award grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities for the
purpose of providing transportation options to veterans residing in rural
areas.
(2)For purposes of the grant program under this section, an
eligible entity is a government entity and non-profit service provider,
including a State veterans’ service agency, a veterans service organization, a
local governmental authority, and a private non-profit organization.
(3)The recipient of a grant under this section shall use the
grant to assist veterans in rural areas to travel to Department of Veterans
Affairs medical facilities.
(4)The amount of a grant under this section may not exceed
$100,000 for any fiscal year.
(5)The recipient of a grant under this section shall not
be required to provide matching funds as a condition for receiving such
grant.
(b)The
Secretary shall prescribe regulations for—
(1)evaluating grant
applications under this section;
(2)directing
Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities to coordinate with recipients
of such grants to ensure maximum use of transportation service at the least
cost; and
(3)coordinating transportation services
provided under this section with existing local transportation services.
(c)Definitions and
special ruleIn this section:
(1)The term
veterans service organization means any organization recognized by
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the representation of veterans under
section 5902 of title 38, United States Code.
(2)The term
local governmental authority means a local governmental authority
as defined in 5302(a)(6) of title 49, United States Code, that provides public
transportation as defined in 5302(a)(10) of title 49, United States
Code.
(3)A veteran is residing in a rural area if
the veteran—
(A)resides in a
location that is—
(i)more
than 30 miles driving distance from the nearest Department health care facility
providing primary care services, if the veteran is seeking such
services;
(ii)more than 60
miles driving distance from the nearest Department health care facility
providing acute hospital care, if the veteran is seeking such care; or
(iii)more than 100
miles driving distance from the nearest Department health care facility
providing tertiary care, if the veteran is seeking such care; or
(B)in the case of a
veteran who resides in a location less than the distance specified in clause
(i), (ii), or (iii) of subparagraph (A), as applicable, experiences such
hardship or other difficulties in travel to the nearest appropriate Department
health care facility that such travel is not in the best interest of the
veteran, as determined by the Secretary pursuant to regulations prescribed for
purposes of this subsection.
(d)Authorization of
AppropriationsThere is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2013 to carry out this section.