[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 83 (Wednesday, May 25, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3225-S3226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4233. Mr. HELLER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 2943, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2017 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle E of title V, add the following:

[[Page S3226]]

  


     SEC. 565. REPORT AND GUIDANCE ON JOB TRAINING, EMPLOYMENT 
                   SKILLS TRAINING, APPRENTICESHIPS, AND 
                   INTERNSHIPS AND SKILLBRIDGE INITIATIVES FOR 
                   MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES WHO ARE BEING 
                   SEPARATED.

       (a) Report Required.--Not later than 90 days after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense 
     for Personnel and Readiness shall submit to the Committees on 
     Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives, and make available to the public, a report 
     evaluating the success of the Job Training, Employment Skills 
     Training, Apprenticeships, and Internships (known as JTEST-
     AI) and SkillBridge initiatives, under which civilian 
     businesses and companies make available to members of the 
     Armed Forces who are being separated from the Armed Forces 
     training or internship opportunities that offer a high 
     probability of employment for the members after their 
     separation.
       (b) Elements.--In preparing the report required by 
     subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall use the 
     effectiveness metrics described in Enclosure 5 of Department 
     of Defense Instruction No. 1322.29. The report shall include 
     the following:
       (1) An assessment of the successes of the Job Training, 
     Employment Skills Training, Apprenticeships, and Internships 
     and SkillBridge initiatives.
       (2) Recommendations by the Under Secretary on ways in which 
     the administration of the initiatives could be improved.
       (3) Recommendations by civilian companies participating in 
     the initiatives on ways in which the administration of the 
     initiatives could be improved.
       (4) Testimony from a sample of members of the Armed Forces 
     who are participating in each of the initiatives regarding 
     the effectiveness of such initiatives and the members' 
     support for such initiatives.
       (5) Testimony from a sample of recently separated members 
     of the Armed Forces who participated in each of the 
     initiatives regarding the effectiveness of such initiatives 
     and the members' support for such initiatives.
       (c) Issuance of Guidance.--Not later than 180 days after 
     the submittal of the report required by subsection (a), the 
     Under Secretary shall issue guidance to commanders of units 
     of the Armed Forces for the purpose of encouraging 
     commanders, consistent with unit readiness, to permit members 
     of the Armed Forces under their command who are being 
     separated from the Armed Forces to participate in the Job 
     Training, Employment Skills Training, Apprenticeships, and 
     Internships or SkillBridge initiative.
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