1.Enhancement of Transition
Assistance Program
(a)Compulsory
participation in programEffective not later than one year after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall ensure
the following:
(1)That each member
of the Armed Forces who is discharged, released, or otherwise separated from
the Armed Forces participates in the Transition Assistance Program of the
Department of Defense.
(2)That the programs
and services of the Transition Assistance Program are accessible by all members
of the National Guard and the Reserves.
(b)Expansion of
services under programEffective not later than one year after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall ensure that the
services provided by the Transition Assistance Program include the
following:
(1)Employment and
training information targeted specifically at the various military grades and
at the various military occupational specialties.
(2)Expanded emphasis
on education benefits available to former members of the Armed Forces,
including educational assistance under chapter 33 of title 38, United States
Code (commonly referred to as Post-9/11 educational
assistance
).
(3)Enhanced
information on the other benefits available to former members of the Armed
Forces through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(4)Enhanced training
on financial management.
(5)Dedicated
computer training with TurboTap.org, the VetSuccess Internet website, the USA
Jobs Internet website, and any other employment-related Internet websites the
Secretary considers appropriate, including, in particular, employment-related
Internet websites that focus on jobs for veterans.
(6)Dedicated
training targeted specifically at members of the National Guard and the
Reserves, including training on employment protections and other employment
matters under chapter 43 of title 38, United States Code (commonly referred to
as the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights
Act
).
(c)
(1)Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment
of this Act, and every six months thereafter for the following 18 months, the
Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on
the status of the implementation of the requirements in subsections (a) and
(b).
(2)Appropriate
committees of Congress definedIn this subsection, 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 Education and Labor of the House of
Representatives.
2.Report on Transition
Assistance Program
(a)Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall, in consultation with the Secretary
of Labor, submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the
Transition Assistance Program of the Department of Defense.
(b)The
report required by subsection (a) shall include the following:
(1)An analysis of
the rates of employment of individuals post-separation from the Armed Forces
when compared with the rates of employment of the general population annually
since September 11, 2001.
(2)A chronological
summary of the evolution and development of the Transition Assistance Program
since September 11, 2001.
(3)A description of
efforts to transform the Transition Assistance Program from an end-of-service
transition model to a life-cycle model, in which transition is considered
throughout the career of a member of the Armed Forces.
(4)An analysis of
current and future challenges that former members of the Armed Forces face upon
entering the civilian workforce, including a survey of the following to
identify strengths and shortcomings of the Transition Assistance Program in
meeting such challenges:
(A)A
representational population of transitioning or recently separated members of
the Armed Forces.
(B)Employers with a
history of employing retired or separating members of the Armed Forces.
(C)Veterans service
organizations and advocacy groups.
(5)An assessment of
whether the Transition Assistance Program would be more effective if it were
provided to members of the Armed Forces earlier before separation.
(6)A description of
various options for a so-called check-in
mechanism under the
Transition Assistance Program in which former members contact the program three
months after separation to address questions, including through the use of
Internet-based programs.
(7)An assessment of
the quality of trainers under the Transition Assistance Program.
(8)An assessment of
the success of marketing the Transition Assistance Program to members of the
Armed Forces.
(9)Such
recommendations as the Secretary of Defense considers appropriate, including
recommendations for legislative action, to improve the organization, policies,
consistency of quality, and efficacy of the Transition Assistance
Program.
(c)Appropriate
committees of Congress definedIn this section, the term
appropriate committees of Congress means—
(1)the Committee on
Armed Services and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of
the Senate; and
(2)the Committee on
Armed Services and the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of
Representatives.