118 HR 5014 IH: Employing Veterans to Feed America Act
U.S. House of Representatives
2023-07-27
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I
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5014
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 27, 2023
Mr. Landsman (for himself, Mr. Miller of Ohio, and Mr. Levin) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a report on the Warrior Training Advancement Course, to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to administer a pilot program to employ veterans in positions that relate to agriculture, conservation, and nutrition activities of the Department of Agriculture, and for other purposes.
1.

Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Employing Veterans to Feed America Act”.
2.

Reporting on the Warrior Training Advancement Course of the Veterans Benefit Administration
(a)

Reports required
(1)

Initial report
Not later than six months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on WARTAC.
(2)

Annual report
One year after the submission under paragraph (1) and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to such Committees a report that contains the elements under paragraphs (1) and (3) of subsection (b) with regards to the preceding year.
(b)

Elements
Subject to subsection (a)(2), the reports under this section shall include the following elements:
(1)

Best practices
With regards to best practices of WARTAC—
(A)
how many covered members have applied to participate in WARTAC;
(B)
how many covered members have participated in WARTAC;
(C)
how the Secretary provides training to covered members during TAP;
(D)
how many covered members have completed WARTAC; and
(E)
any other information the Secretary determines appropriate.
(2)

Cost savings
With regards to cost savings of WARTAC—
(A)
how much money the Secretary determines WARTAC saves the United States each fiscal year;
(B)
how much money the Secretary determines WARTAC has saved the United States since its establishment; and
(C)
the determination of the Secretary whether other Federal agencies may save money by establishing a program similar to WARTAC.
(3)

Hiring
With regards to hiring covered members who complete WARTAC—
(A)
how the Secretary identifies positions in the Department of Veterans Affairs for which such covered members may qualify;
(B)
the grades of such positions on the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5, United States Code; and
(C)
how many such covered members the Secretary has hired to such positions.
(c)

Distribution
Not later than 30 days after submitting the report under subsection (a)(1), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall transmit a copy of the report under this section to each head of a Federal agency.
(d)

Definitions
In this section:
(1)
The term “covered member” means members of the Armed Forces participating in TAP.
(2)
The term “TAP” means the Transition Assistance Program of the Department of Defense under sections 1142 and 1144 of title 10, United States Code.
(3)
The term “WARTAC” means the Warrior Training Advancement Course of the Veterans Benefit Administration, in which the Secretary provides training to covered members so such covered members may qualify for certain employment in the Veterans Benefit Administration.
3.

Pilot program to employ veterans in positions relating to agriculture, conservation, and nutrition activities
(a)

Best practices for other departments
The Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall establish guidelines containing best practices for departments and agencies of the Federal Government that carry out programs to employ veterans who are transitioning from service in the Armed Forces. Such guidelines shall include the findings of the report required under section 2.
(b)

Pilot program
(1)

In general
The Secretary of the Agriculture, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall establish a pilot program under which veterans are employed by the Federal Government in positions that relate to the agriculture, conservation, and nutrition activities of the Department of Agriculture.
(2)

Positions
The Secretary of Agriculture shall—
(A)
identify vacant positions in the Department of Agriculture that are appropriate to fill using the pilot program established under paragraph (1); and
(B)
to the extent practicable, fill such positions using the pilot program.
(3)

Application of civil service laws
A veteran employed under the pilot program established under paragraph (1) shall be treated as an employee as defined by section 2105 of title 5, United States Code.
(4)

Briefings and reports
(A)

Initial briefing
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture and the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training shall jointly provide to the appropriate congressional committees a briefing on the pilot program established under paragraph (1), including—
(i)
a description of how the pilot program will be carried out in a manner to reduce the unemployment of veterans; and
(ii)
any recommendations for legislative actions to improve the pilot program.
(B)

Implementation briefing
Not later than one year after the date on which the pilot program established under paragraph (1) commences, the Secretary of Agriculture and the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training shall jointly provide to the appropriate congressional committees a briefing on the implementation of the pilot program.
(C)

Final report
Not later than 30 days after the date on which the pilot program established under paragraph (1) is completed, the Secretary of Agriculture and the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training shall jointly submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the pilot program that includes the following:
(i)
The number of veterans who applied to participate in the pilot program.
(ii)
The number of such veterans employed under the pilot program.
(iii)
The number of veterans identified in clause (ii) who transitioned to full-time positions with the Federal Government after participating in the pilot program.
(iv)
Any other information the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary determine appropriate with respect to measuring the effectiveness of the pilot program.
(5)

Duration
The authority to carry out a pilot program under this subsection shall terminate on the date that is two years after the date on which the pilot program commences.
(c)

Appropriate congressional committees defined
In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means—
(1)
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives; and
(2)
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate.