[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2861 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2861

To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide incentives for States 
  to accept professional credentials related to military training and 
 skills that are obtained by members of the Armed Forces while serving 
                          in the Armed Forces.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 8, 2017

 Mr. Russell introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

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                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide incentives for States 
  to accept professional credentials related to military training and 
 skills that are obtained by members of the Armed Forces while serving 
                          in the Armed Forces.

    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 cited as the ``Hire Military Service Members Act''.

SEC. 2. INCENTIVES TO INCREASE STATE PARTICIPATION IN DEPARTMENT OF 
              DEFENSE PROGRAMS TO ASSIST MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES IN 
              OBTAINING PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS WHILE SERVING IN THE 
              ARMED FORCES.

    (a) In General.--Section 2015 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(f) Effect of Failure of States To Accept Professional 
Credentials Obtained Under Program.--(1) If the Secretary concerned 
determines that a State that imposes professional licensing 
requirements fails to accept professional credentials related to 
military training and skills that are obtained by members of the armed 
forces under the program required by this section or under a similar 
program for members accredited by a nationally recognized, third-party 
personnel certification program accreditor, the Secretary concerned 
shall withhold payments for Unemployment Compensation for Ex-
Servicemembers otherwise due to that State for a calendar quarter.
    ``(2) Amounts withheld from a State under paragraph (1), if 
remaining unpaid at the end of a fiscal year because of the continued 
failure of the State to accept member professional credentials 
described in paragraph (1) before the end of that fiscal year, shall be 
available to the Secretary concerned during the next fiscal year to 
carry out the program required by this section. Such amounts are in 
addition to other amounts made available to carry out the program.
    ``(3) Paragraph (1) shall take effect 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this subsection.''.
    (b) Implementation Plan and Progress Report.--
            (1) Implementation plan.--Not later than 180 days after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and 
        the Secretary of Homeland Security, with respect to the Coast 
        Guard, shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the 
        Senate and House of Representatives a plan to implement the 
        amendment made by subsection (a).
            (2) Progress report.--Not later than two years after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and 
        the Secretary of Homeland Security, with respect to the Coast 
        Guard, shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the 
        Senate and House of Representatives a report evaluating the 
        success of the amendment made by subsection (a) in forcing 
        States to accept professional credentials related to military 
        training and skills that are obtained by members of the Armed 
        Forces while serving in the Armed Forces.
            (3) Consultation.--The Secretary of Defense and the 
        Secretary of Homeland Security shall carry out this subsection 
        in consultation with the Secretaries of the military 
        departments and the Secretary of Labor.
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