1.This Act may be cited as
the Veterans Conservation Corps
Authorization Act
.
2.In this Act:
(1)The
term corps
means the veterans conservation corps established
under section 3(a).
(2)The term eligible veteran
means a veteran
(as the term is defined in section 101 of title 38, United States Code) that,
as of the date on which the application for the corps is submitted—
(A)is
unemployed;
(B)is not enrolled
in any other Federal training program; and
(C)meets any other
criteria that the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
(3)The
term Secretary
means the Secretary of the Interior.
3.Veterans
conservation corps
(a)The
Secretary, in cooperation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the
Secretary of Commerce, shall establish a veterans conservation corps—
(1)to provide
training and employment to eligible veterans;
(2)to assist
eligible veterans in the transition from service in the Armed Forces to
civilian life; and
(3)to assist the
Federal Government in maintaining Federal land and water.
(b)Employment of
eligible veterans
(1)
(A)The Secretary shall employ in the corps eligible veterans
for a 1-year period to carry out work projects assigned under subsection
(c).
(B)The Secretary may, on a case-by-case basis and as the
Secretary considers appropriate, extend the employment of an eligible veteran
under subparagraph (A) for an additional 1-year period.
(2)Temporary
Employment for Student Veterans
(A)The Secretary may establish a program in the corps for
the short-term employment of eligible veterans that are attending institutions
of higher education.
(B)The
employment of an eligible veteran under subparagraph (A) shall not exceed 16
weeks in total.
(3)An
eligible veteran employed by the corps under paragraph (1) or (2) shall receive
a stipend and living allowance in an amount to be determined by the Secretary,
in consultation with Secretary of Veteran Affairs.
(c)
(1)Each
eligible veteran employed under subsection (b)(1) shall be assigned to a work
project that—
(A)furthers the
purposes described in subsection (a); and
(B)falls within 1 or
more of the following categories:
(i)Transportation
improvements, such as improving wilderness trails.
(ii)Erosion
control.
(iii)Landscape and
recreation.
(iv)Habitat
protection and restoration, including removal of invasive species.
(v)Data
collection.
(vi)Any other
specific project category identified under paragraph (2).
(2)Specification
of additional project categoriesNot later than 180 days after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary and the Secretary of Commerce
shall identify additional project categories that the Secretary and the
Secretary of Commerce consider appropriate to further the purposes described in
subsection (a).
(3)Leveraging of
military skillsTo the maximum extent practicable, an eligible
veteran in the corps shall be assigned to a work project under paragraph (1)
that enables the eligible veteran to use the skills that the eligible veteran
developed as a member of the Armed Forces.
(4)Development and
supervision of work projectsThe Secretary and the Secretary of
Commerce shall develop and supervise the work projects under the corps that
relate to the respective jurisdiction of the Secretary and the
Secretary.
(d)
(1)The Secretary, in cooperation with the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Commerce, shall establish a program as
part of the corps to provide to eligible veterans employed under the corps any
education or training that is necessary to enable the eligible veterans to
carry out the work projects assigned under subsection (c)(1).
(2)Use of existing
facilitiesTo the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary, the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the Secretary of Commerce shall use existing
facilities of the Federal Government to provide the education and training
required under paragraph (1).