Veterans Readiness and Employment Program Integrity Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3579) to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to the Veterans Readiness and Employment program of Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 3579

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Readiness and Employment Program Integrity Act''. SEC. 2. APPLICATION REQUIREMENT UNDER VETERANS READINESS AND EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

Section 3106(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--

(1) by striking ``necessary (1) to determine'' and inserting ``necessary to determine'';

(2) by striking ``and (2) in the case'' and inserting ``and, in the case'';

(3) by inserting ``(1)'' before ``The Secretary''; and

(4) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

``(2) The Secretary may not provide an initial evaluation of a veteran under paragraph (1) before the veteran submits to the Secretary an application containing the substantive work record and educational transcripts of the veteran that the Secretary determines appropriate.''. SEC. 3. MAXIMUM DURATION OF EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE UNDER VETERANS READINESS AND EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

Section 3117(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

``(3)(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), a veteran may not receive assistance under this subsection for more than 365 days.

``(B) A veteran may receive an additional 180 days of such assistance if an individual who provides counseling under this chapter to such veteran certifies that the veteran is actively seeking employment.''. SEC. 4. REPORTING AND DATA COLLECTION REQUIREMENTS UNDER VETERANS READINESS AND EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

(a) In General.--Chapter 31 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section: ``Sec. 3123. Requirements for data collection and reporting

``(a) Data Collection.--The Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report regarding the employment of veterans who participate in a vocational rehabilitation program under this chapter. Such information shall include, for each such veteran--

``(1) the regional office responsible for the provision of the program; and

``(2) the annual wages of the veteran before and after the completion of the program.

``(b) Publication of Wait Times.--On an annual basis, the Secretary shall make publicly available, on an appropriate website of the Department, the average time between the date on which a veteran requests a vocational rehabilitation program under this chapter and the date on which the veteran first meets with a counselor as part of the veteran's program.''.

(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item: ``3123. Requirements for data collection and reporting.''.

(c) Independent Review of Program.--

(1) Review required.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall seek to enter into a contract, with a non- Department entity that has expertise in vocational rehabilitation, pursuant to which the entity shall conduct a review of rehabilitation programs (as such term is defined in section 3101 of such title) under such chapter.

(2) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of such a contract, the entity shall submit to the Secretary a report containing recommendations regarding how to improve and modernize such rehabilitation programs.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. BOST. 3579, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3579 offered by my friend and colleague, Representative Ciscomani of Arizona. This bill would make needed modernizations to the VA's Veterans Readiness and Employment program, the VR&E program.

Over the last 2 years, our committee has uncovered disastrous wait times, fraud, waste, and abuse in the VA's VR&E program. This bill would steer the ship in the right direction by establishing more oversight of the program.

It is the duty of Congress to make sure that veterans who complete this workforce program are earning more and are in a better spot than they were before entering the program. VR&E currently does not track those results.

At a recent hearing, VA told the committee that 45 percent of veterans who successfully complete the program reenter it later. This does not show that the program is working for veterans. In fact, Mr. Speaker, it shows that the VR&E needs an overhaul. It is time to reform VR&E so that veterans can receive the training they need to find a meaningful career field that is fit for them.

This bill would also implement better practices for transparency on wait times to allow veterans to better plan for their future.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Representative Ciscomani, for sponsoring this bill to improve job training access for veterans. My committee will continue to seek ways to level the playing field for veterans seeking employment so that every veteran has access to the opportunity they want all the while protecting the taxpayers' investment in these programs.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I, once again, encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source