[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 137 (Monday, October 5, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S11497]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             VETERANS EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ACT OF 1998

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                       SPECTER AMENDMENT NO. 3738

  Mr. GRAMS (for Mr. Specter) proposed an amendment to the bill (S. 
1021) to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide that 
consideration may not be denied to preference eligibles applying for 
certain positions in the competitive service, and for other purposes; 
as follows:

       On page 31, between lines 3 and 4, insert the following:

     SEC. 2. ACCESS FOR VETERANS.

       Section 3304 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by 
     adding at the end the following:
       ``(f)(1) Preference eligibles or veterans who have been 
     separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions 
     after 3 years or more of active service may not be denied the 
     opportunity to compete for vacant positions for which the 
     agency making the announcement will accept applications from 
     individuals outside its own workforce under merit promotion 
     procedures.
       ``(2) This subsection shall not be construed to confer an 
     entitlement to veterans' preference that is not otherwise 
     required by law.
       ``(3) The area of consideration for all merit promotion 
     announcements which include consideration of individuals of 
     the Federal workforce shall indicate that preference 
     eligibles and veterans who have been separated from the armed 
     forces under honorable conditions after 3 years or more of 
     active service are eligible to apply. The announcements shall 
     be publicized in accordance with section 3327.
       ``(4) The Office of Personnel and Management shall 
     establish an appointing authority to appoint such preference 
     eligibles and veterans.''.
       On page 31, line 4, strike out ``SEC. 2.'' and insert in 
     lieu thereof ``SEC. 3.''.
       On page 36, line 14, strike out ``SEC. 3.'' and insert in 
     lieu thereof ``SEC. 4.''.
       On page 43, line 4, strike out ``SEC. 4.'' and insert in 
     lieu thereof ``SEC. 5.''.
       On page 43, line 17, strike out ``SEC. 5.'' and insert in 
     lieu thereof ``SEC. 6.''.
       On page 46, line 18, strike out ``SEC. 6.'' and insert in 
     lieu thereof ``SEC. 7.''.
       On page 46, strike out line 23 and all that follows through 
     page 47, line 20, and insert in lieu thereof the following:
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) by striking out ``$10,000'' and inserting in lieu 
     thereof ``$25,000''; and
       (B) by striking out ``special disabled veterans and 
     veterans of the Vietnam era'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
     ``special disabled veterans, veterans of the Vietnam era, and 
     any other veterans who served on active duty during a war or 
     in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has 
     been authorized'';
       (2) in subsection (b), by striking out ``special disabled 
     veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era'' and inserting in lieu 
     thereof ``veteran covered by the first sentence of subsection 
     (a)''; and
       (3) in subsection (d)(1), by striking out ``veterans of the 
     Vietnam era or special disabled veterans'' both places it 
     appears and inserting in lieu thereof ``special disabled 
     veterans, veterans of the Vietnam era, or other veterans who 
     served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or 
     expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized''.
       On page 48, strike out lines 15 through 17 and insert in 
     lieu thereof the following:
       ``(b) The Secretary of Labor shall make available in a 
     database a list of the contractors that have complied with 
     the provisions of such section 4212(d).''.
       On page 49, line 1, strike out ``SEC. 7.'' and insert in 
     lieu thereof ``SEC. 8.''.
       On page 49, line 5, strike out ``6(a)(3)'' and insert in 
     lieu thereof ``section 7(a)(3) of this Act''.

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