[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 84 (Thursday, May 26, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3316-S3317]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4284. Mr. REID (for Mr. Blumenthal) submitted an amendment 
intended to be proposed by Mr. Reid 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 H of title V, add the following:

     SEC. 597. ENHANCEMENT OF USE OF VETERANS' SERVICE 
                   ORGANIZATIONS TO CARRY OUT THE TRANSITION 
                   ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 
                   DEFENSE.

       (a) In General.--Section 1144 of title 10, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (1) in subsection (d)(4), by inserting ``subject to 
     subsection (e),'' before ``use representatives'';
       (2) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as subsections 
     (f) and (g), respectively; and
       (3) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new 
     subsection (e):
       ``(e) Use of Veterans' Service Organizations.--The 
     Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and 
     appropriate veterans' service organizations shall jointly 
     enter into a memorandum of understanding regarding the manner 
     in which representatives of veterans' service organizations 
     are used for purposes of the program established under this 
     section, including the nature and

[[Page S3317]]

     scope of access of such representatives to military 
     installations for that purpose. The memorandum of 
     understanding shall apply to any veterans' service 
     organization whose representatives are used for purposes of 
     the program, regardless of whether or not the organization is 
     expressly a party to the memorandum of understanding.''.
       (b) Veterans' Service Organization Defined.--Such section 
     is further amended by adding at the end the following new 
     subsection:
       ``(h) Veterans' Service Organization Defined.--In this 
     section, the term `veterans' service organization' means any 
     organization recognized by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     for the representation of veterans under section 5902 of 
     title 38.''.
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