[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 81 (Monday, May 23, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H2916-H2918]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           IMPROVING TRANSITION PROGRAMS FOR ALL VETERANS ACT

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 5229) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
to carry out a study to evaluate the effectiveness of programs, 
especially in regards to women veterans and minority veterans, in 
transitioning to civilian life, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5229

       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 ``Improving Transition 
     Programs for All Veterans Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) The rate of unemployment for women veterans is higher 
     than the rate for male veterans. In 2015, the unemployment 
     rate for women veterans remained relatively unchanged at 5.4 
     percent, while the rate for male veterans declined to 4.5 
     percent.
       (2) Women veterans, on average, earn less than male 
     veterans. In 2013, the median income for women veterans was 
     $35,264, while the median income for male veterans was 
     $41,310.
       (3) Women veterans and veterans with disabilities are more 
     likely to become homeless.
       (4) Service-connected disabled veterans with relatively 
     high disability ratings have a higher unemployment rate than 
     those with relatively low disability ratings. In 2015, the 
     unemployment rate for veterans with a service-connected 
     disability rating of 60 percent or higher was 9.6 percent, 
     much higher than the 4.0 percent rate for veterans with a 
     service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or lower.
       (5) In 2013, American Indian and Alaska Native veterans had 
     the lowest median personal incomes of any group of minority 
     veterans.
       (6) In 2013, American Indian and Alaska Native veterans 
     were less likely to have finished an advanced degree than 
     other veterans.
       (7) American Indian and Alaska Native veterans were more 
     likely to have a service-connected disability rating compared 
     to all other veterans. In 2013, the rate of American Indian 
     and Alaska Native veterans with a service-connected 
     disability rating was about 26 percent compared to 18.2 
     percent for all other veterans.
       (8) There is a lack of data on, and an understanding of, 
     the challenges and needs of veterans who are residents of a 
     territory of the United States and veterans who are part of 
     the indigenous population of a territory of the United 
     States.

     SEC. 3. STUDY ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VETERANS TRANSITION 
                   EFFORTS.

       (a) Study.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in 
     coordination with the Secretaries of Labor and Defense, shall 
     carry out a study to evaluate programs to assist veterans of 
     the Armed Forces in their transition to civilian life. Such 
     study shall be designed to determine the effectiveness of 
     current programs,

[[Page H2917]]

     especially in regards to the unique challenges faced by women 
     veterans, veterans with disabilities, Native American 
     veterans, veterans who are residents of a territory of the 
     United States, veterans who are part of the indigenous 
     population of a territory of the United States, and other 
     groups of minority veterans identified by the Secretaries, 
     including whether such programs--
       (1) effectively address the challenges veterans face in 
     pursuing higher education, especially the challenges faced by 
     women veterans, veterans with disabilities, Native American 
     veterans, veterans who are residents of a territory of the 
     United States, veterans who are part of the indigenous 
     population of a territory of the United States, and other 
     groups of minority veterans identified by the Secretaries;
       (2) effectively address the challenges such veterans face 
     entering the civilian workforce and in translating experience 
     and skills from military service to the job market; and
       (3) effectively address the challenges faced by the 
     families of such veterans transitioning to civilian life.
       (b) Report.--Eighteen months after the enactment of this 
     Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit a report 
     to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and 
     House of Representatives regarding the findings and 
     recommendations of the study required under subsection (a) of 
     this section.

     SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       No additional funds are authorized to carry out the 
     requirements of this Act. Such requirements shall be carried 
     out using amounts otherwise authorized.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Miller) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Brown) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5229, as amended, the 
Improving Transition Programs for All Veterans Act.
  The transition from military life to civilian life is not always a 
smooth one. The Transition Assistance Program that is run by the 
Departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, and Labor does a pretty good 
job alleviating some of the stress that can occur before a 
servicemember leaves the military, and it is a good opportunity to 
inform outgoing servicemembers of what benefits they may be entitled to 
from Veterans Affairs and how to prepare for civilian life.
  Although TAP continues to improve, it still is a struggle to fully 
prepare servicemembers for this short 5-day period, let alone address 
the specific needs each individual has in each program.
  The bill before us today would be a first step in examining how TAP 
can further be improved to address the specific needs of minority 
veterans, women veterans, disabled veterans, Native American veterans, 
and veterans from U.S. territories.
  It is important that, as a Nation, we prepare our men and women of 
all backgrounds for life after uniform, and the study required by this 
bill will give the VA, DOD, and Department of Labor the ability to 
review TAP and to better understand how it can be improved to ensure 
that we properly transition all servicemembers and address their 
specific needs as they prepare for life after the military.
  I want to thank my colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Takano), and the gentlewoman from American Samoa (Ms. Radewagen) for 
their work on this legislation. It does have my full support. I would 
urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 5229, as amended.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in support of Mr. Takano's bill, H.R. 5229, as amended, the 
bipartisan Improving Transition Programs for All Veterans Act.
  Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that veteran 
unemployment is at a 7-year low. As of April 2016, veterans faced an 
overall unemployment rate of 3.9 percent, which is better than the 
Nation's unemployment rate of 4.5 percent. This is excellent news.
  I am proud that the numbers have improved under the leadership of our 
committee, the administration, and the Secretary of the VA; yet the 
overall unemployment rate for all veterans does not tell the whole 
story. Some subgroups of veterans are still struggling to find 
fulfilling careers that pay them well and provide an opportunity for 
growth.
  According to the Advisory Committee on Veterans' Employment, 
Training, and Employer Outreach at the Department of Labor, certain 
veteran populations face challenges and aspire to career paths that 
differ from the broader population of transitioning servicemembers.
  To ensure that we as policymakers are ahead of developing trends 
regarding the unique needs of these subgroups of transitioning 
veterans, this bill will determine the degree to which their needs are 
different and look for innovative approaches toward meeting their 
unique challenges.
  H.R. 5229 requires the VA to initiate a research program, in 
collaboration with DOL and DOD, to better understand if and how current 
veterans transition programs address what may be differentiated needs, 
challenges, and post-service aspirations of women veterans, veterans 
with disabilities, Native American veterans who are veterans from the 
U.S. territories, and other subgroups that the Secretary identifies.
  When we, as a Nation, sent individual members of the Armed Forces to 
war, Congress promised to support all servicemembers when they made the 
transition back into civilian life.
  The makeup of our modern military forces is changing, and in a few 
short years there will be a substantially greater percentage of female 
veterans than there are now.
  Thanks to modern-day medicine, more veterans survive injuries to 
return to productive life, even with service-connected disabilities.
  But women veterans face a higher unemployment rate than their male 
counterparts, and veterans with high disability rates have an 
unemployment rate much higher than those of veterans with low 
disability ratings.
  What is more, Native American veterans earn the lowest median 
personal income and are less likely to have finished an advanced degree 
than other veterans. There is much more we don't know about how these 
trends impact veterans from the U.S. territories.
  As policymakers, we must first understand the different needs of 
these groups of veterans and then be ready to adapt VA policies and 
programs to help all veterans access the resources they need to be 
successful. This bill will enable us to do that.
  I want to thank the leadership on this important issue and my 
colleague from across the aisle for being an original cosponsor of this 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I don't have any speakers on 
this. So I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman has 16\1/2\ minutes 
remaining. minutes remaining.

  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Takano).
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for 
yielding.
  I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 5212, as amended.
  Mr. Speaker, the initial transition from military to civilian life is 
often the most difficult time for returning veterans. The Federal 
Transition Assistance Program, otherwise known as TAP, is designed to 
ease that shift by teaching veterans about their benefits and preparing 
them to enter the workforce, attend school, or both.
  As the ranking member noted, the program has largely been successful. 
Veteran unemployment is at a 7-year low.
  However, supporting transitioning veterans requires more than a one-
size-fits-all program. There are more than 135,000 former 
servicemembers in my district, and just one approach cannot meet the 
needs of every individual.

[[Page H2918]]

Certain veteran communities are still being left behind.
  Women veterans, Native American veterans, veterans from the U.S. 
territories, and veterans with disabilities face challenges and aspire 
to jobs that differ from the broader population of returning 
servicemembers. We cannot be satisfied with a program that allows large 
groups of veterans to slip through the cracks.
  The Improving Transition Programs for All Veterans Act is a 
bipartisan bill that requires the VA to launch a research program 
examining if and how the current program meets the needs of minority 
veterans groups.
  In collaboration with the Departments of Labor and Defense, the bill 
would require the VA to recommend changes to TAP that would address 
barriers and better serve these veterans in their pursuit of meaningful 
employment following their military service.
  More than ever before, our military reflects America's diverse mix of 
people and cultures. Each of these transitioning servicemembers, 
regardless of gender, race, or disability, has made the same commitment 
to defending this Nation.

                              {time}  1700

  All of them deserve our full support when they return home.
  I am proud to have introduced this bill with the gentlewoman from 
American Samoa (Mrs. Radewagen).
  I want to thank Mr. Wenstrup, chair of the Economic Opportunity 
Subcommittee, and Chairman Miller for their support in moving this 
forward.
  Mr. Speaker, I call on my colleagues to promptly pass this 
legislation.
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Kuster).
  Ms. KUSTER. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to discuss bipartisan efforts 
to improve the work our Nation does to care for our veterans.
  Next week we will be honoring those who gave their lives for this 
country on Memorial Day. We will commemorate the lives and the 
sacrifices of those who died while wearing the uniform of the United 
States of America. We will rightly recognize their courage and 
commitment, but we must also ensure we continue to recognize the same 
courage and dedication found in our veterans and Active-Duty personnel 
and the challenges that many of them face as they transition into 
civilian life.
  The Improving Transition Programs for All Veterans Act will allow 
Congress, the VA, and the Departments of Labor and Defense to better 
understand these challenges. The study created by this bill will allow 
us to understand what is working, what is not working, and how veterans 
can best be placed in a position to succeed once they transition to 
civilian life.
  It will allow us to better understand the challenges, the unique 
challenges, faced by the growing number of female veterans in our 
population, a group that generally has a higher unemployment rate and 
lower post-military salaries than their male counterparts.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill so that we can 
more effectively allocate resources dedicated to assisting veterans in 
their transition out of uniform and support several other great 
veterans bills on the floor today that would assist veteran caregivers 
and ensure that the VA develops plans to hire permanent medical center 
directors.
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, again, I want to thank the 
bipartisan committee for coming up with this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support 
this legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Duncan of Tennessee). The question is on 
the motion offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller) that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5229), as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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