S.Amdt. 786

SA 786. Mr. MENENDEZ submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by him 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 E of title V, add the following:

SEC. 569. PILOT PROGRAM ON ONLINE APPLICATIONS FOR ASSISTANCE
UNDER THE TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Defense, the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs, and the Secretary of Labor shall jointly
carry out a pilot program to establish a one-stop source for
online applications for purposes of assisting members of the
Armed Forces and veterans who are participating in the
Transition Assistance Program (in this section referred to as
``TAP'').
(b) Data Sources.--The online applications shall, in part,
aggregate existing data from government resources and the
private sector under one Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for
the purpose of assisting members of the Armed Forces and
veterans participating in TAP.
(c) Elements for Veterans and Members of the Armed
Forces.--
(1) The online applications shall be available as an
application for mobile devices (including smartphones and
tablets), with responsive design, updated no less than once
per year, and downloadable from the two online application
stores most commonly used in the United States.
(2) The version of the online applications accessible
through a desktop or laptop computer shall be compatible with
the most current versions of popular web browsers identified
by the Secretaries.
(3) The online applications shall by accessible to
individuals with disabilities in accordance with section 508
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d).

[[Page S4101]]

(4) The online applications shall generate, for each
individual who uses the applications, a personalized
transition data dashboard that includes the following
information with regards to the locale in which the
individual resides or intends to reside after separation from
the Armed Forces:
(A) A current list of employment opportunities collected
from employers.
(B) A current list of educational institutions.
(C) A current list of facilities of the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
(D) A current list of local veterans service organizations.
(5) The dashboard under paragraph (4) shall include a list
of benefits for which an individual as a veteran or separated
member of the Armed Forces is eligible under the laws
administered by the Secretaries, including educational
assistance benefits.
(6) The dashboard under paragraph (4) shall keep track of
the time remaining before the expiration of the following:
(A) Any civilian career certification waiver based on the
military occupational specialty of the individual.
(B) Any active security clearance of the individual.
(7) The online applications shall, to the extent
practicable, match all current military occupational
specialties, cross-referenced by grade, to current industries
and jobs.
(8) The online applications shall permit an individual to
search jobs described in paragraph (4)(A) that match jobs
described in paragraph (7).
(9) The online applications shall alert individuals of new
job opportunities relevant to the individual, based on
military occupational specialty, interest, and search
criteria used by the individual under paragraph (8).
(10) The online applications shall permit an individual to
maintain a history of job searches and submitted job
applications.
(11) The online applications shall include a resume
generator that is compliant with industry-standard applicant
tracking systems.
(12) The online applications shall provide for career
training through the use of learning management software,
including training courses with a minimum of 100 soft skills
and business courses.
(13) The online applications shall include a career
mentorship system, allowing individuals to communicate
through text, chat, video calling, and email, with mentors
who can use the online applications to track the jobs mentees
have applied for, the training mentees have undertaken, and
any other appropriate mentorship matters.
(d) Elements for Employers.--
(1) The online applications shall include a mechanism (to
be known as a ``military skills translator'') with which
employers may identify military occupational specialties that
align with jobs offered by the employers.
(2) The online applications shall include a mechanism with
which employers may search for individuals seeking
employment, based criteria including military occupational
specialty, grade, education, civilian career category, and
location.
(3) The online applications shall provide online training
for employers regarding what military occupational
specialties relate to what jobs.
(e) Additional Requirements.--
(1) Cybersecurity.--To ensure the information of
individuals and employers is protected from breaches, the
Secretaries shall implement cybersecurity measures for the
online applications. These measures shall include the
following:
(A) A security certificate produced by the online
applications l that is updated each year of the pilot
program.
(B) The online applications shall be hosted by a provider
the Secretaries determine to be secure and reputable.
(C) Ensuring that the online applications have a live
development team of dedicated engineers to address immediate
concerns. No more than half of such team may be based outside
the United States.
(D) Regular scans of the online applications, host, and
server for vulnerabilities.
(E) The system must not have had a security breach within
the last three years.
(2) System stability.--To ensure system stability and
continuity, all elements of the online applications must pass
testing no less than one year before the online applications
are made available for use by individuals and employers.
(3) Prior providers barred.--No entity that applies to
become the provider of the online applications may have
served as a contractor providing database management for TAP
during the five years preceding such application.
(f) Assessments.--
(1) Interim assessments.--Not later than the dates that are
one and two years after the date of the commencement of the
pilot program, the Secretaries shall jointly assess the pilot
program.
(2) Final assessment.--Not later than the date that is
three years after the date of the commencement of the pilot
program, the Secretaries shall jointly carry out a final
assessment of the pilot program.
(3) Purpose.--The general objective of each assessment
under this subsection shall be to determine if the online
applications under the pilot program assist participants in
TAP accomplish the goals of TAP, accounting for the
individual profiles of participants, including military
experience and geographic location.
(4) Elements.--Each assessment shall include the following:
(A) The aggregate number of profiles created on the online
applications since the commencement of the pilot program.
(B) Demographic information on individuals who use the
online applications.
(C) The average amount time individuals, employers, and
community-based services providers, use the online
applications each month, since the commencement of the pilot
program.
(D) A ranking of most frequently-used features of the
online applications
(E) A satisfaction survey of individuals who use the online
applications during the periods of 30 days and 180 days after
separation from the Armed Forces.
(F) A report regarding the attendance of members of the
Armed Forces at online and in-person TAP classes.
(g) Report.--Not later than six months after completing the
final assessment under subsection (f)(2), the Secretaries
shall submit a report to Congress on its findings regarding
the pilot program, including recommendations for legislation.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
be appropriated for fiscal year 2020 for the Department of
Defense, $4,500,000 to carry out this section.
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