S.Amdt. 479

SA 479. Ms. HEITKAMP (for herself and Mr. Sullivan) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill H.R. 2810, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2018 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 appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. EMPOWERING FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT FOR VETERANS.

(a) Establishment of Veterans Employment Programs in
Federal Agencies.--
(1) Definitions.--In this subsection--
(A) the term ``covered agency'' means--
(i) the Department of State;
(ii) the Department of the Treasury;
(iii) the Department of Defense;
(iv) the Department of Justice;
(v) the Department of the Interior;
(vi) the Department of Agriculture;
(vii) the Department of Commerce;
(viii) the Department of Labor;
(ix) the Department of Health and Human Services;
(x) the Department of Housing and Urban Development;
(xi) the Department of Transportation;
(xii) the Department of Energy;
(xiii) the Department of Education;
(xiv) the Department of Veterans Affairs;
(xv) the Department of Homeland Security;
(xvi) the Environmental Protection Agency;
(xvii) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
(xviii) the Agency for International Development;
(xix) the General Services Administration;
(xx) the National Science Foundation;
(xxi) the Nuclear Regulatory Commission;
(xxii) the Office of Personnel Management;
(xxiii) the Small Business Administration;
(xxiv) the Social Security Administration; and
(xxv) any other Executive agency (as defined in section 105
of title 5, United States Code) that the President may
designate;
(B) the term ``transitioning member of the Armed Forces''
means a member of the Armed Forces who is expected to be
discharged or released from active duty in the Armed Forces
within 180 days; and
(C) the term ``veterans employment official'' means--
(i) the head of a Veterans Employment Program Office
established under paragraph (2)(A)(i); and
(ii) an employee designated to carry out a Veterans
Employment Program for a covered agency under paragraph
(2)(A)(ii).
(2) Veterans employment programs.--The head of a covered
agency shall--
(A)(i) establish or maintain a Veterans Employment Program
Office within the covered agency; or
(ii) designate an employee of the covered agency who shall
have full-time responsibility for carrying out a Veterans
Employment Program for the covered agency; and
(B) ensure the public availability of contact information
for veterans employment officials to ensure engagement with
prospective applicants.
(3) Responsibilities.--A veterans employment official of a
covered agency shall--
(A) enhance employment opportunities for veterans within
the agency, consistent with law and merit system principles,
including by developing and implementing--
(i) the agency's plan for promoting employment
opportunities for veterans;
(ii) veterans recruitment programs; and
(iii) training programs for veterans with disabilities;
(B) coordinate and provide employment counseling and
training programs to prospective applicants to help match the
skills and career aspirations of veterans to the needs of the
agency, targeting high-demand Federal occupations that are
projected to have heavy recruitment needs;
(C) participate in skills-based, cross-governmental, and
individual agency career development programs to leverage
those programs in matching veterans' career aspirations with
high-growth occupations; and
(D) provide mandatory annual training to human resources
employees and hiring managers of the agency concerning
veterans' employment, including training on veterans'
preferences and special authorities for the hiring of
veterans.
(4) Coordination by office of personnel management.--
(A) In general.--The Director of the Office of Personnel
Management shall facilitate coordination among veterans
employment officials, including appropriate sharing of
resources and information to help match the skills and career
aspirations of veterans to the needs of the agencies.
(B) Responsibilities.--The Director of the Office of
Personnel Management shall--
(i) establish a Veterans Program Office to provide
Government-wide leadership in recruitment and employment of
veterans in the executive branch of the Federal Government;
(ii) regularly convene veterans employment officials for
working-level meetings to share information on best
practices, prospective applicants, and strategies for
matching veterans with appropriate employment;
(iii) develop mandatory annual training for human resources
employees and hiring managers of covered agencies concerning
veterans' employment, including training on veterans'
preferences and special authorities for the hiring of
veterans;
(iv) develop a skills-based, cross-governmental career
development program for covered agencies to leverage in
matching veterans' career aspirations with high-growth
occupations;
(v) promote the Federal Government as an employer of choice
to transitioning members of the Armed Forces and veterans;
(vi) market the talent, experience, and dedication of
transitioning members of the Armed Forces and veterans to
Federal agencies; and
(vii) disseminate Federal employment information to
veterans and hiring officials.
(C) Accountability.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of
Personnel Management shall submit to Congress a report on--
(i) progress made toward the sharing of resources among
veterans employment officials;
(ii) progress made toward the sharing of information among
veterans employment officials, including steps to promote
face-to-face interaction and the use of Federal information
gateways;
(iii) the development and implementation of training
programs for human resources employees and hiring managers of
Federal agencies;
(iv) career development programs for veterans seeking
employment; and
(v) efforts to promote the Federal Government as an
employer of choice to transitioning members of the Armed
Forces and veterans.
(b) Interagency Council on Veterans Employment.--
(1) Establishment.--
(A) In general.--There is established an interagency
council on matters relating to the employment of veterans.
(B) Designation.--The council established under
subparagraph (A) shall be known as the ``Interagency Council
on Veterans Employment'' (in this subsection referred to as
the ``Council'').
(2) Membership.--
(A) Composition.--The Council shall consist of the heads
of--
(i) each covered agency (as defined in subsection (a)(1));
and
(ii) any other Executive agency (as defined in section 105
of title 5, United States Code) that the President may
designate.
(B) Co-chairs.--The Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall serve as Co-Chairs of the Council.
(C) Vice-chair.--The Director of the Office of Personnel
Management shall serve as the Vice Chair of the Council.
(3) Duties.--The duties of the Council shall include each
of the following:
(A) To advise and assist the President and the Director of
the Office of Personnel Management on matters relating to
maintaining a coordinated Government-wide effort to increase
the number of veterans employed by the Federal Government in
positions that match the skills and career aspirations of
veterans, by enhancing recruiting, hiring, retention,
training and skills development, and job satisfaction.
(B) To serve as a national forum for promoting employment
opportunities for veterans in the executive branch of the
Federal Government.
(C) To establish performance measures to assess the
effectiveness of efforts to promote recruiting, hiring,
retention, training and skills development, and job
satisfaction of veterans by the Federal Government.
(D) Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act and not less frequently than once each year
thereafter, to submit to the President and Congress a report
on the effectiveness of those efforts.
(4) Administration.--
(A) Duties of co-chairs.--The Co-Chairs shall convene
regular meetings of the Council, determine its agenda, and
direct its work.

[[Page S4473]]

(B) Steering committee.--At the direction of the Co-Chairs,
the Council may establish--
(i) a Steering Committee to provide leadership,
accountability, and strategic direction to the Council; and
(ii) subgroups to promote coordination among veterans
employment officials (as defined in subsection (a)(1)).
(C) Executive director.--The Vice Chair shall designate an
Executive Director for the Council to support the Vice Chair
in managing the Council's activities.
(D) OPM.--The Office of Personnel Management shall provide
administrative support for the Council to the extent
permitted by law and within existing appropriations (as of
the date of the provision).
(c) Expansion of SkillBridge Initiative to Include
Participation by Federal Agencies.--
(1) Modification of initiative by secretary of defense.--
The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Director
of the Office of Personnel Management, shall make such
modifications to the SkillBridge initiative of the Department
of Defense as the Secretary considers appropriate to enable
Federal agencies to participate in the initiative as
employers and trainers, including the provision of training
by Federal agencies under the initiative to transitioning
members of the Armed Forces.
(2) Participation by federal agencies.--The Director, in
consultation with the Secretary, shall take such actions as
may be necessary to ensure that each Federal agency
participates in the SkillBridge initiative of the Department
of Defense as described in paragraph (1).
(3) Transitioning members of the armed forces defined.--In
this subsection, the term ``transitioning member of the Armed
Forces'' means a member of the Armed Forces who is expected
to be discharged or released from active duty in the Armed
Forces not more than 180 days after the member commences
training under the SkillBridge initiative.
______