[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 99 (Thursday, June 13, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3533-S3534]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 529. Ms. HARRIS submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
her to the bill S. 1790, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2020 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. 594. DIRECT EMPLOYMENT PILOT PROGRAM FOR MEMBERS OF THE 
                   NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE, VETERANS, THEIR 
                   SPOUSES AND DEPENDENTS, SPOUSES AND DEPENDENTS 
                   OF REGULAR MEMBERS, AND MEMBERS OF GOLD STAR 
                   FAMILIES.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense shall carry out a 
     pilot program to enhance the efforts of the Department of 
     Defense to provide job placement assistance and related 
     employment services directly to the following:
       (1) Members of the National Guard and Reserves in reserve 
     active status.
       (2) Veterans of the Armed Forces.
       (3) Spouses and other dependents of individuals referred to 
     in paragraphs (1) and (2).
       (4) Spouses and other dependents of regular members of the 
     Armed Forces.
       (5) Members of Gold Star Families.
       (b) Administration.--The pilot program shall be offered to, 
     and administered by, the adjutants general appointed under 
     section 314 of title 32, United States Code, or other 
     officials in the States concerned designated by the Secretary 
     for purposes of the pilot program.
       (c) Funding.--
       (1) Cost-sharing requirement.--As a condition on the 
     provision of funds under this section to a State to support 
     the operation of the pilot program in the State, the State 
     must agree to contribute an amount, derived from non-Federal 
     sources, equal to at least 50 percent of the funds provided 
     by the Secretary to the State under this section.
       (2) Federal funds.--Amounts for funds provided for the 
     pilot program by the Secretary shall be derived from the 
     Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Program administered by the 
     Department of Defense.
       (d) Direct Employment Program Model.--The pilot program 
     should follow a job placement program model that focuses

[[Page S3534]]

     on working one-on-one with individuals specified in 
     subsection (a) to cost-effectively provide job placement 
     services, including services such as identifying unemployed 
     and underemployed individuals, job matching services, resume 
     editing, interview preparation, and post-employment follow 
     up. Development of the pilot program should be informed by 
     existing State direct employment programs for members of the 
     reserve components and veterans.
       (e) Training.--The pilot program should draw on the 
     resources provided to transitioning members of the Armed 
     Forces with civilian training opportunities through the 
     SkillBridge transition training program administered by the 
     Department of Defense.
       (f) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall develop outcome 
     measurements to evaluate the success of the pilot program.
       (g) Reporting Requirements.--
       (1) Report required.--Not later than March 1, 2021, the 
     Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional 
     defense committees a report describing the results of the 
     pilot program. The Secretary shall prepare the report in 
     coordination with the Secretary of Labor and the Chief of the 
     National Guard Bureau.
       (2) Elements of report.--A report under paragraph (1) shall 
     include the following:
       (A) A description and assessment of the effectiveness and 
     achievements of the pilot program, including the number of 
     members of the reserve components and veterans of the Armed 
     Forces hired and the cost-per-placement of participating 
     members and veterans.
       (B) An assessment of the impact of the pilot program and 
     increased reserve component employment levels on the 
     readiness of members of the reserve components and on the 
     retention of members of the Armed Forces.
       (C) A comparison of the pilot program to other programs 
     conducted by the Department of Defense and Department of 
     Veterans Affairs to provide unemployment and underemployment 
     support to members of the reserve components and veterans of 
     the Armed Forces, including the best practices developed 
     through and used in such programs.
       (D) Any other matters considered appropriate by the 
     Secretary of Defense.
       (h) Duration of Authority.--The authority to carry out the 
     pilot program expires on September 30, 2023, except that the 
     Secretary may, at the Secretary's discretion, extend the 
     pilot program for not more than two additional fiscal years.
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