[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 158 (Thursday, September 29, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S5716]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 6189. Ms. MURKOWSKI submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
to amendment SA 5499 submitted by Mr. Reed (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) 
and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 7900, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2023 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 G of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1077. PILOT PROGRAM ON HIRING VETERANS.

       (a) Establishment of Pilot Program.--Not later than 180 
     days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
     Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs (in this section referred to as the 
     ``Secretaries''), shall establish a pilot program that--
       (1) facilitates the transition of members of the Armed 
     Forces from service in the Armed Forces to workforce 
     development programs that lead to employment; and
       (2) aims to decrease the rate of suicide among veterans.
       (b) Authorized Workforce Development Programs.--In 
     implementing the pilot program, the Secretaries shall utilize 
     the SkillBridge program of the Department of Defense, the 
     Army Career Skills program, registered apprenticeship 
     programs, industry-recognized apprenticeship programs, 
     internships, and any other type of workforce development 
     program that the Secretaries consider appropriate.
       (c) Location.--The Secretaries shall conduct the pilot 
     program in two different States, including the State with the 
     highest number of veterans per capita.
       (d) Partnership.--If, in the States in which the pilot 
     program is being conducted, there exist veteran-run 
     organizations that assist members of the Armed Forces 
     transitioning from service in the Armed Forces, the 
     Secretaries shall partner with those organizations in 
     carrying out the pilot program.
       (e) Duration.--The pilot program shall be carried out for a 
     three-year period.
       (f) Report.--
       (1) Annual reports.--Not later than one year after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for the 
     duration of the pilot program, the Secretaries shall jointly 
     submit to the congressional defense committees a report that 
     details--
       (A) the number of veterans who have been placed into full-
     time, permanent employment as a result of the pilot program;
       (B) the number of veterans who started, but did not finish, 
     a workforce development program under the pilot program;
       (C) the types of workforce development programs utilized in 
     the pilot program;
       (D) the success of the pilot program;
       (E) the costs of implementing the pilot program; and
       (F) the partner organizations that were utilized in 
     carrying out the pilot program.
       (2) Final report.--
       (A) Recommendation.--In the final report submitted under 
     paragraph (1), the Secretaries shall make a recommendation on 
     whether or not to extend the pilot program into a permanent 
     program.
       (B) Costs.--The Secretaries shall include in the final 
     report submitted under paragraph (1) the costs of and 
     resources needed to extend the pilot program into a permanent 
     program.
       (g) Authorization.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
     to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal 
     years 2023 through 2025.
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