To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and publish an action plan for improving the vocational rehabilitation services and assistance provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

SA 2801. Mr. TESTER (for Mr. Brown (for himself and Mr. Tillis))
proposed an amendment to amendment SA 2763 proposed by Mr. Kirk (for
himself, Mr. Tester, and Ms. Mikulski) to the bill H.R. 2029, making
appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans
Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30,
2016, and for other purposes; as follows:

At the end of title II, add the following:

SEC. 247. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ACTION PLAN TO
IMPROVE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND
EDUCATION.

(a) In General.--Not later than 270 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall develop and publish an action plan for improving the
services and assistance provided under chapter 31 of title
38, United States Code.
(b) Elements.--The plan required by subsection (a) shall
include each of the following:

[[Page S7933]]

(1) A comprehensive analysis of, and recommendations and a
proposed implementation plan for remedying workload
management challenges at regional offices of the Department
of Veterans Affairs, including steps to reduce counselor
caseloads of veterans participating in a rehabilitation
program under such chapter, particularly for counselors who
are assisting veterans with traumatic brain injury and post-
traumatic stress disorder and counselors with educational and
vocational counseling workloads.
(2) A comprehensive analysis of the reasons for the
disproportionately low percentage of veterans with service-
connected disabilities who served in the Armed Forces after
September 11, 2001, who opt to participate in a
rehabilitation program under such chapter relative to the
percentage of such veterans who use their entitlement to
educational assistance under chapter 33 of title 38, United
States Code, including an analysis of barriers to timely
enrollment in rehabilitation programs under chapter 31 of
such title and of any barriers to a veteran enrolling in the
program of that veteran's choice.
(3) Recommendations and a proposed implementation plan for
encouraging more veterans with service-connected disabilities
who served in the Armed Forces after September 11, 2001, to
participate in rehabilitation programs under chapter 31 of
such title.
(4) A national staff training program for vocational
rehabilitation counselors of the Department that includes the
provision of--
(A) training to assist counselors in understanding the very
profound disorientation experienced by veterans with service-
connected disabilities whose lives and life-plans have been
upended and out of their control because of such
disabilities;
(B) training to assist counselors in working in partnership
with veterans on individual rehabilitation plans; and
(C) training on post-traumatic stress disorder and other
mental health conditions and on moderate to severe traumatic
brain injury that is designed to improve the ability of such
counselors to assist veterans with these conditions,
including by providing information on the broad spectrum of
such conditions and the effect of such conditions on an
individual's abilities and functional limitations.
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