[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4058 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4058

  To amend title 10, United States Code, to establish the Veterans to 
 Work program providing for the employment of individuals, especially 
  veterans, who participate in apprenticeship programs on designated 
        military construction projects, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 6, 2009

   Mr. Smith of Washington introduced the following bill; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 10, United States Code, to establish the Veterans to 
 Work program providing for the employment of individuals, especially 
  veterans, who participate in apprenticeship programs on designated 
        military construction projects, 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 ``Veterans to Work Pilot Program Act 
of 2009''.

SEC. 2. VETERANS TO WORK PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Veterans to Work Program.--Subchapter III of chapter 169 of 
title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 
2856 the following new section:
``Sec. 2857. Veterans to Work Pilot Program
    ``(a) Pilot Program; Purposes.--The Secretary of Defense shall 
establish the Veterans to Work pilot program to determine--
            ``(1) the maximum feasible extent to which apprentices may 
        be employed to work on military construction projects 
        designated under subsection (b);
            ``(2) the maximum feasible extent to which the apprentices 
        so employed are veterans; and
            ``(3) the feasibility of expanding the employment of 
        apprentices to military construction projects in addition to 
        those projects designated under subsection (b).
    ``(b) Designation of Military Construction Projects for Pilot 
Program.--(1) For each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015, the Secretary 
of Defense shall designate for inclusion in the pilot program not less 
than 20 military construction projects (including unspecified minor 
military construction projects under section 2805(a) of this title) 
that will be conducted in that fiscal year.
    ``(2) In designating military construction projects under this 
subsection, the Secretary of Defense shall--
            ``(A) to the greatest extent possible, designate military 
        construction projects that are located where there are veterans 
        enrolled in qualified apprenticeship programs or veterans who 
        could be enrolled in qualified apprenticeship programs in a 
        cost-effective, timely, and feasible manner;
            ``(B) ensure geographic diversity among the military 
        construction projects designated; and
            ``(C) select projects to be carried out in the continental 
        United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern 
        Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands.
    ``(3) Unspecified minor military construction projects may not 
exceed 40 percent of the military construction projects designated 
under this subsection for a fiscal year.
    ``(c) Contract Provisions.--Any agreement that the Secretary of 
Defense enters into for a military construction project that is 
designated for inclusion in the pilot program shall ensure that, to the 
maximum extent feasible, apprentices shall be employed on that military 
construction project and that, to the maximum extent feasible, such 
apprentices shall be veterans.
    ``(d) Qualified Apprenticeship and Other Training Programs.--
            ``(1) Participation by each contractor required.--Each 
        contractor and subcontractor that seeks to provide construction 
        services on projects designated by the Secretary pursuant to 
        subsection (b) shall submit adequate assurances with its bid or 
        proposal that it participates in a qualified apprenticeship or 
        other training program for each craft or trade classification 
        of worker that it intends to employ to perform work on the 
        project.
            ``(2) Definition of qualified apprenticeship or other 
        training programs.--
                    ``(A) In general.--For purposes of this section, 
                the term `qualified apprenticeship or other training 
                program' means an apprenticeship or other training 
                program that qualifies as an employee welfare benefit 
                plan, as defined in section 3(1) of the Employee 
                Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 
                1002(1)).
                    ``(B) Certification of other programs in certain 
                localities.--In the event that the Secretary of Labor 
                certifies that a qualified apprenticeship or other 
                training program (as defined in subparagraph (A)) for a 
                craft or trade classification of workers that a 
                prospective contractor or subcontractor intends to 
                employ, is not operated in the locality where the 
                project will be performed, an apprenticeship or other 
                training program that is not an employee welfare 
                benefit plan (as defined in such section) may be 
                certified by the Secretary as a qualified 
                apprenticeship or other training program provided it is 
                registered with the Office of Apprenticeship of the 
                Department of Labor, or a State apprenticeship agency 
                recognized by the Office of Apprenticeship for Federal 
                purposes.
    ``(e) Report.--(1) Not later than 150 days after the end of each 
fiscal year during which the pilot program is active, the Secretary of 
Defense shall submit to Congress a report that includes the following:
            ``(A) The progress of designated military construction 
        projects and the role of apprentices in achieving that 
        progress.
            ``(B) Any challenges, difficulties, or problems encountered 
        in recruiting apprentices or in recruiting veterans to become 
        apprentices.
            ``(C) Cost differentials in the designated military 
        construction projects compared to similar projects completed 
        contemporaneously, but not designated for the pilot program.
            ``(D) Evaluation of benefits derived from employing 
        apprentices, including the following:
                    ``(i) Workforce sustainability.
                    ``(ii) Workforce skills enhancement.
                    ``(iii) Increased short- and long-term cost-
                effectiveness.
                    ``(iv) Improved veteran employment in sustainable 
                wage fields.
            ``(E) Any additional benefits derived from employing 
        apprentices and veteran apprentices.
            ``(F) Recommendations on how to more effectively employ 
        apprentices in subsequent fiscal years.
            ``(G) Any other information the Secretary of Defense 
        determines appropriate.
    ``(2) Not later than March 1, 2016, the Secretary of Defense shall 
submit to Congress a report that--
            ``(A) analyzes the pilot program in terms of its effect on 
        the sustainability of a workforce to meet the military 
        construction needs of the Armed Forces;
            ``(B) studies overall improvements in veteran employment in 
        sustainable wage fields or professions; and
            ``(C) makes recommendations on the continuation, 
        modification, or expansion of the pilot program on the basis of 
        such factors as the Secretary of Defense determines 
        appropriate, including the following:
                    ``(i) Workforce sustainability.
                    ``(ii) Cost-effectiveness.
                    ``(iii) Community development.
    ``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `apprentice' means an individual who is 
        employed pursuant to, and individually registered in, a 
        `qualified apprenticeship or other training program,' as 
        defined in subsection (d)(2)(A) or other apprenticeship or 
        training programs recognized in accordance with subsection 
        (d)(2)(B).
            ``(2) The term `pilot program' means the Veterans to Work 
        pilot program established under subsection (a).
            ``(3) The term `State' means any of the States, the 
        District of Columbia, or territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, the 
        Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands.
            ``(4) The term `veteran' has the meaning given such term 
        under section 101(2) of title 38.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such subchapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 2856 the following new item:

``2857. Veterans to Work Pilot Program.''.
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