[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3887 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3887

  To provide for a continuation and expansion of the Wounded Warrior 
         Careers Demonstration program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 29, 2010

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide for a continuation and expansion of the Wounded Warrior 
         Careers Demonstration program, 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. CONTINUATION AND EXPANSION OF WOUNDED WARRIOR CAREERS 
              DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.

    (a) Continuation of Program.--The Secretary of the Army shall 
continue the Wounded Warrior Careers Demonstration program being 
conducted in collaboration with the Army Wounded Warrior program at 
three locations pursuant to the memorandum of understanding on the 
program between the Army and the National Organization on Disability 
dated January 2007.
    (b) Expansion of Program.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of the Army shall expand the 
        Wounded Warrior Careers Demonstration program to nine 
        additional locations in fiscal year 2011. The expansion of the 
        program shall be conducted under the memorandum of 
        understanding referred to in subsection (a), as modified 
        pursuant to subsection (f).
            (2) Additional purpose of expanded program.--The purpose of 
        the expansion of the Wounded Warrior Careers Demonstration 
        program under this subsection shall be to identify and 
        disseminate best practices related to employment counseling and 
        job placement of severely wounded warriors into civilian 
        communities and careers and to otherwise assess the feasibility 
        and advisability of various additional means to support the 
        transition and reintegration of such warriors into such 
        communities and careers.
            (3) Locations.--Any location selected for the expansion of 
        the Wounded Warrior Careers Demonstration program under this 
        subsection shall be a location at which the Army, or one or 
        more of the other Armed Forces, have a large concentration of 
        severely wounded warriors who are ready for career and 
        employment counseling.
    (c) Services To Be Provided Under Program.--The services provided 
under the Wounded Warrior Careers Demonstration program shall include 
career-development services for severely wounded warriors (and their 
spouses, if appropriate) that are consistent with their needs. Such 
services shall be provided by utilizing a proactive, intensive, 
extended case-management model (including individualized counseling) 
pursuant to which such warriors and their families receive assistance 
in the following:
            (1) Exploring career options.
            (2) Obtaining education, skill, aptitude, and interest 
        assessments.
            (3) Preparing resumes and career plans.
            (4) Acquiring additional education and training.
            (5) Engaging with prospective employers.
            (6) Entering into various kinds of occupations (whether 
        full-time, part-time, paid, or volunteer, or self-employment as 
        entrepreneurs or otherwise).
            (7) Advancing in work entered into.
            (8) Resolving obstacles through coordination with the 
        military departments, other departments and agencies of the 
        Federal Government, State and local governments, and other 
        appropriate service and benefits providers.
    (d) Minimum Duration of Program.--The Secretary of the Army shall 
carry out the Wounded Warrior Careers Demonstration program until not 
earlier than the date that is five years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
    (e) Availability of Services Under Program to Other Armed Forces.--
            (1) In general.--The services provided under the Wounded 
        Warrior Careers Demonstration program may be provided to 
        severely wounded warriors of one or more of the other Armed 
        Forces pursuant to a joint agreement between the Secretary of 
        the Army, the Secretary of the military department having 
        jurisdiction over such Armed Force, and the National 
        Organization on Disability.
            (2) Coordination.--The Secretary of Defense shall ensure 
        coordination between the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary 
        of the Navy, and the Secretary of the Air Force regarding the 
        participation of members of other Armed Forces in the Wounded 
        Warrior Careers Demonstration program under this subsection, 
        including actions to encourage and facilitate the participation 
        of such members in the program when appropriate.
    (f) Modifications of Memorandum of Understanding.--
            (1) Requirements applicable to the army.--The Secretary of 
        the Army and the National Organization on Disability shall 
        enter into such modifications of the memorandum of 
        understanding referred to in subsection (a) as the Secretary 
        and the Organization jointly consider appropriate to comply 
        with the requirements of subsections (a) through (d).
            (2) Requirements applicable to other armed forces.--Any 
        provision of services under the Wounded Warrior Careers 
        Demonstration program through a joint agreement described in 
        subsection (e) shall be incorporated into the memorandum of 
        understanding referred to in subsection (a) in such manner as 
        the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the military 
        department having jurisdiction over the Armed Force concerned, 
        and the National Organization on Disability jointly consider 
        appropriate.
    (g) Continuation of Dissemination of Lessons Learned.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of the Army shall continue 
        to provide for the dissemination to other Federal departments 
        and agencies, State and local governments, and appropriate 
        nonprofit organizations of lessons learned and best practices 
        developed under the Wounded Warrior Careers Demonstration 
        program on the provision of benefits, services, and support to 
        severely wounded warriors.
            (2) Dissemination to va.--As part of the dissemination of 
        information under paragraph (1), the Secretary of the Army and 
        the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall undertake such joint 
        programs, activities, and initiatives as the Secretaries 
        consider appropriate to facilitate and further the 
        dissemination to the Department of Veterans Affairs of such 
        lessons and best practices as will be of particular use to the 
        Department in providing benefits, services, and support to 
        veterans who were severely wounded warriors.

SEC. 2. REPORT ON WOUNDED WARRIOR CAREERS DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than six months after the completion of 
the Wounded Warrior Careers Demonstration program, the Secretary of 
Defense shall, in conjunction with the National Organization on 
Disability (NOD), submit to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and to 
the appropriate committees of Congress, a report on the program.
    (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall include 
the following:
            (1) A comprehensive description of the Wounded Warrior 
        Careers Demonstration program, including the following:
                    (A) Information on job placement and retention of 
                wounded warriors who participated in the program.
                    (B) A description and assessment of the career 
                services provided under the program to wounded warriors 
                experiencing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or 
                Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
            (2) An assessment of the financial costs resulting from the 
        failure of wounded warriors to gain employment or achieve self-
        sufficiency after service in the Armed Forces.
            (3) An assessment of the efficacy of the program in 
        preparing wounded warriors to meet the challenges of employment 
        after service in the Armed Forces.
            (4) Such recommendations as the Secretary considers 
        appropriate, including recommendations for the continuation or 
        enhancement of the services provided under the program.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Armed Services and the 
                Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of 
                the Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Armed Services and the 
                Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (2) The term ``National Organization on Disability'' refers 
        to the non-governmental organization assisting the Department 
        of the Army in carrying out the Wounded Warrior Careers 
        Demonstration program in collaboration with the Army Wounded 
        Warrior Program.
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