[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4592 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4592


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 24, 2010

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
 To provide for the establishment of a pilot program to encourage the 
          employment of veterans in energy-related positions.

    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 referred to as the ``Energy Jobs for Veterans 
Act''.

SEC. 2. VETERANS ENERGY-RELATED EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment of Pilot Program.--To encourage the employment of 
eligible veterans in the energy industry, the Secretary of Labor, as 
part of the Veteran's Workforce Investment Program, shall carry out a 
pilot program to be known as the ``Veterans Energy-Related Employment 
Program''. Under the pilot program, the Secretary shall award 
competitive grants to three States for the establishment and 
administration of a State program to make grants to energy employers 
and labor-management organizations that provide covered training, on-
job training, apprenticeships, and certification classes to eligible 
veterans. Such a program shall be known as a ``State Energy-Related 
Employment Program''.
    (b) Eligibility for Grants.--To be eligible to receive a grant 
under the pilot program, a State shall submit to the Secretary an 
application that includes each of the following:
            (1) A proposal for the expenditure of grant funds to 
        establish and administer a public-private partnership program 
        designed to provide covered training, on-job training, 
        apprenticeships, and certification classes to a significant 
        number of eligible veterans and ensure lasting and sustainable 
        employment in well-paying jobs in the energy industry.
            (2) Evidence that the State has--
                    (A) a population of eligible veterans of an 
                appropriate size to carry out the State program;
                    (B) a robust and diverse energy industry; and
                    (C) the ability to carry out the State program 
                described in the proposal under paragraph (1).
            (3) Such other information and assurances as the Secretary 
        may require.
    (c) Use of Funds.--A State that is the recipient of a grant under 
this section shall use the grant for the following purposes:
            (1) Making grants to energy employers and labor-management 
        organizations to reimburse such employers and organizations for 
        the cost of providing covered training, on-job training, 
        apprenticeships, and certification classes to eligible 
        veterans.
            (2) Conducting outreach to inform energy employers, labor-
        management organizations, and veterans, including veterans in 
        rural areas, of their eligibility or potential eligibility for 
        participation in the State program.
    (d) Conditions.--Under the pilot program, each grant to a State 
shall be subject to the following conditions:
            (1) The State shall repay to the Secretary, on such date as 
        shall be determined by the Secretary, any amount received under 
        the pilot program that is not used for the purposes described 
        in subsection (c).
            (2) The State shall submit to the Secretary, at such times 
        and containing such information as the Secretary shall require, 
        reports on the use of grant funds.
    (e) Employer Requirements.--In order to receive a grant made by a 
State under the pilot program, an energy employer shall--
            (1) submit to the administrator of the State Energy-Related 
        Employment Program an application that includes--
                    (A) the rate of pay for each eligible veteran 
                proposed to be trained using grant funds;
                    (B) the average rate of pay for an individual 
                employed by the energy employer in a similar position 
                who is not an eligible veteran; and
                    (C) such other information and assurances as the 
                administrator may require; and
            (2) agree to submit to the administrator, for each quarter, 
        a report containing such information as the Secretary may 
        specify.
    (f) Limitation.--None of the funds made available to an energy 
employer through a grant under the pilot program may be used to provide 
training of any kind to a person who is not an eligible veteran.
    (g) Report to Congress.--Together with the report required to be 
submitted annually under section 4107(c) of title 38, United States 
Code, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the pilot 
program for the year covered by such report. The report on the pilot 
program shall include a detailed description of activities carried out 
under this section and an evaluation of the program.
    (h) Administrative and Reporting Costs.--Of the amounts 
appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations under 
subsection (j), 2 percent shall be made available to the Secretary for 
administrative costs associated with implementing and evaluating the 
pilot program under this section and for preparing and submitting the 
report required under subsection (f). The Secretary shall determine the 
appropriate maximum amount of each grant awarded under this section 
that may be used by the recipient for administrative and reporting 
costs.
    (i) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) The term ``covered training, on-job training, 
        apprenticeships, and certification classes'' means training, 
        on-job training, apprenticeships, and certification classes 
        that are--
                    (A) designed to provide the veteran with skills 
                that are particular to an energy industry and not 
                directly transferable to employment in another 
                industry; and
                    (B) approved as provided in paragraph (1) or (2), 
                as appropriate, of subsection (a) of section 3687 of 
                title 38, United States Code.
            (2) The term ``eligible veteran'' means a veteran, as that 
        term is defined in section 101(3) of title 38, United States 
        Code, who is employed by an energy employer and enrolled or 
        participating in a covered training, on-job training, 
        apprenticeship, or certification class.
            (3) The term ``energy employer'' means an entity that 
        employs individuals in a trade or business in an energy 
        industry.
            (4) The term ``energy industry'' means any of the following 
        industries:
                    (A) The energy-efficient building, construction, or 
                retrofits industry.
                    (B) The renewable electric power industry, 
                including the wind and solar energy industries.
                    (C) The biofuels industry.
                    (D) The energy efficiency assessment industry that 
                serves the residential, commercial, or industrial 
                sectors.
                    (E) The oil and natural gas industry.
                    (F) The nuclear industry.
    (j) Appropriations.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the 
Secretary $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015, for 
the purpose of carrying out the pilot program.

            Passed the House of Representatives March 23, 2010.

            Attest:

                                            LORRAINE C. MILLER,

                                                                 Clerk.