[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3114 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

<DOC>
114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3114


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 18, 2015

 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 
                              Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
 To provide funds to the Army Corps of Engineers to hire veterans and 
   members of the Armed Forces to assist the Corps with curation and 
       historic preservation activities, 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. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Corps of Engineers and other Federal agencies are 
        required to preserve and catalogue artifacts and other items of 
        national historical significance that are uncovered during the 
        course of their work (notably under part 79 of title 36, Code 
        of Federal Regulations).
            (2) Uncatalogued artifacts within the care of Federal 
        agencies are stored in hundreds of repositories and museums 
        across the Nation.
            (3) In October 2009, the Corps of Engineers, Center of 
        Expertise for the Curation and Management of Archaeological 
        Collections, initiated the Veterans' Curation Program to employ 
        and train Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in archaeological 
        processing.
            (4) The Veterans' Curation Program employs veterans and 
        members of the Armed Forces in the sorting, cleaning, and 
        cataloguing of artifacts managed by the Corps of Engineers.
            (5) Employees of the Veterans' Curation Program gain 
        valuable work skills, including computer database management, 
        records management, photographic and scanning techniques, 
        computer software proficiency, vocabulary and writing skills, 
        and interpersonal communication skills, as well as knowledge 
        and training in archaeology and history.
            (6) Since 2009, a total of 241 veterans have participated 
        in the Veterans' Curation Program, including the current class 
        of 38 participants. Of the 203 graduates of the program, 87 
        percent have received permanent employment in a field related 
        to training received under the program or chosen to continue 
        their education.
            (7) Experience in archaeological curation gained through 
        the Veterans' Curation Program is valuable training and 
        experience for the museum, forensics, administrative, records 
        management, and other fields.
            (8) Veterans' Curation Program participants may assist the 
        Corps of Engineers in developing a more efficient and 
        comprehensive collections management program and also may 
        provide the workforce to meet the records management needs at 
        other agencies and departments, including the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs.

SEC. 2. TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT FOR VETERANS AND MEMBERS OF ARMED 
              FORCES IN CURATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION.

    Using available funds, the Secretary of the Army, acting through 
the Chief of Engineers, shall carry out a Veterans' Curation Program to 
hire veterans and members of the Armed Forces to assist the Secretary 
in carrying out curation and historic preservation activities.

            Passed the House of Representatives November 17, 2015.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.