[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 119 (Monday, June 29, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3737-S3738]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 2297. Mr. BLUMENTHAL submitted an amendment intended to be
proposed by him to the bill S. 4049, to authorize appropriations for
fiscal year 2021 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 title X, add the following:
Subtitle __--Transition Assistance Matters
SEC. _01. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``Navy SEAL Chief Petty
Officer William `Bill' Mulder (Ret.) Transition Improvement
Act of 2020''.
SEC. _02. TAP DEFINED.
In this subtitle, the term ``TAP'' means the Transition
Assistance Program under sections 1142 and 1144 of title 10,
United States Code.
SEC. _03. ACCESS FOR THE SECRETARIES OF LABOR AND VETERANS
AFFAIRS TO THE FEDERAL DIRECTORY OF NEW HIRES.
Section 453A(h) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
653a(h)) is amended by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
``(4) Veteran employment.--The Secretaries of Labor and of
Veterans Affairs shall have access to information reported by
employers pursuant to subsection (b) of this section for
purposes of tracking employment of veterans.''.
SEC. _04. PILOT PROGRAM FOR OFF-BASE TRANSITION TRAINING FOR
VETERANS AND SPOUSES.
(a) Extension of Pilot Program.--Subsection (a) of section
301 of the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans' Benefits
Improvement Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-260; 10 U.S.C. 1144
note) is amended--
(1) by striking ``During the two-year period beginning on
the date of the enactment of this Act'' and inserting
``During the five-year period beginning on the date of the
enactment of the Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer William `Bill'
Mulder (Ret.) Transition Improvement Act of 2020''; and
(2) by striking ``to assess the feasibility and
advisability of providing such program to eligible
individuals at locations other than military installations''.
(b) Locations.--Subsection (c) of such section is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)--
(A) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``States'' and
inserting ``locations''; and
(B) by striking ``not less than three and not more than
five States'' and inserting ``not fewer than 50 locations in
States (as defined in section 101 of title 38, United States
Code)''; and
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``at least two'' and
inserting ``at least 20''.
(c) Conforming Repeal.--Subsection (f) of such section is
repealed.
SEC. _05. GRANTS FOR PROVISION OF TRANSITION ASSISTANCE TO
MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AFTER SEPARATION,
RETIREMENT, OR DISCHARGE.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
make grants to eligible organizations for the provision of
transition assistance to members of the Armed Forces who are
separated, retired, or discharged from the Armed Forces, and
spouses of such members.
(b) Use of Funds.--The recipient of a grant under this
section shall use the grant to provide to members of the
Armed Forces and spouses described in subsection (a) resume
assistance, interview training, job recruitment training, and
related services leading directly to successful transition,
as determined by the Secretary.
(c) Eligible Organizations.--To be eligible for a grant
under this section, an organization shall submit to the
Secretary an application containing such information and
assurances as the Secretary, in consultation with the
Secretary of Labor, may require.
(d) Priority for Hubs of Services.--In making grants under
this section, the Secretary shall give priority to an
organization that provides multiple forms of services
described in subsection (b).
(e) Amount of Grant.--A grant under this section shall be
in an amount that does not exceed 50 percent of the amount
required by the organization to provide the services
described in subsection (b).
(f) Deadline.--The Secretary shall carry out this section
not later than six months after the date of the enactment of
this Act.
(g) Termination.--The authority to provide a grant under
this section shall terminate on the date that is five years
after the date on which the Secretary implements the grant
program under this section.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated $10,000,000 to carry out this section.
SEC. _06. ONE-YEAR INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT OF THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF TAP.
(a) Independent Assessment.--Not later than 90 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the covered officials,
shall enter into an agreement with an appropriate entity with
experience in adult education to carry out a one-year
independent assessment of TAP, including--
(1) the effectiveness of TAP for members of each military
department during the entire military life cycle;
(2) the appropriateness of the TAP career readiness
standards;
(3) a review of information that is provided to the
Department of Veterans Affairs under TAP, including mental
health data;
(4) whether TAP effectively addresses the challenges
veterans face entering the civilian workforce and in
translating experience and skills from military service to
the job market;
(5) whether TAP effectively addresses the challenges faced
by the families of veterans making the transition to civilian
life;
(6) appropriate metrics regarding TAP outcomes for members
of the Armed Forces one year after separation, retirement, or
discharge from the Armed Forces;
(7) what the Secretary, in consultation with the covered
officials and veterans service organizations determine to be
successful outcomes for TAP;
(8) whether members of the Armed Forces achieve successful
outcomes for TAP, as determined under paragraph (7);
(9) how the Secretary and the covered officials provide
feedback to each other regarding such outcomes;
(10) recommendations for the Secretaries of the military
departments regarding how to improve outcomes for members of
the Armed Forces after separation, retirement, and discharge;
and
(11) other topics the Secretary and the covered officials
determine would aid members of the Armed Forces as they
transition to civilian life.
(b) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the completion of
the independent assessment under subsection (a), the
Secretary and the covered officials shall submit to the
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of
Representatives and the Committees on Armed Services of the
Senate and House of Representatives--
[[Page S3738]]
(1) the findings and recommendations (including recommended
legislation) of the independent assessment prepared by the
entity described in subsection (a); and
(2) responses of the Secretary and the covered officials to
the findings and recommendations described in paragraph (1).
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``covered officials'' is comprised of--
(A) the Secretary of Defense;
(B) the Secretary of Labor;
(C) the Administrator of the Small Business Administration;
and
(D) the Secretaries of the military departments.
(2) The term ``military department'' has the meaning given
that term in section 101 of title 10, United States Code.
SEC. _07. LONGITUDINAL STUDY ON CHANGES TO TAP.
(a) Study.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in
consultation with the Secretaries of Defense and Labor and
the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, shall
conduct a five-year longitudinal study regarding TAP on three
separate cohorts of members of the Armed Forces who have
separated from the Armed Forces, including--
(1) a cohort that has attended TAP counseling as
implemented on the date of the enactment of this Act;
(2) a cohort that attends TAP counseling after the
Secretaries of Defense and Labor implement changes
recommended in the report under section _06(b) of this Act;
and
(3) a cohort that has not attended TAP counseling.
(b) Progress Reports.--Not later than 90 days after the day
that is one year after the date of the initiation of the
study under subsection (a) and annually thereafter for the
three subsequent years, the Secretaries of Veterans Affairs,
Defense, and Labor, and the Administrator of the Small
Business Administration, shall submit to the Committees on
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives
and the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House
of Representatives a progress report of activities under the
study during the immediately preceding year.
(c) Final Report.--Not later than 180 days after the
completion of the study under subsection (a), the Secretaries
of Veterans Affairs, Defense, and Labor, and the
Administrator of the Small Business Administration, shall
submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate
and House of Representatives and the Committees on Armed
Services of the Senate and House of Representatives a report
of final findings and recommendations based on the study.
(d) Elements.--The final report under subsection (c) shall
include information regarding the following:
(1) The percentage of each cohort that received
unemployment benefits during the study.
(2) The numbers of months members of each cohort were
employed during the study.
(3) Annual starting and ending salaries of members of each
cohort who were employed during the study.
(4) How many members of each cohort enrolled in an
institution of higher learning, as that term is defined in
section 3452(f) of title 38, United States Code.
(5) The academic credit hours, degrees, and certificates
obtained by members of each cohort during the study.
(6) The annual income of members of each cohort.
(7) The total household income of members of each cohort.
(8) How many members of each cohort own their principal
residences.
(9) How many dependents that members of each cohort have.
(10) The percentage of each cohort that achieves a
successful outcome for TAP, as determined under section
_06(a)(7) of this Act.
(11) Other criteria the Secretaries and the Administrator
of the Small Business Administration determine appropriate.
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