[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3429 Placed on Calendar Senate (PCS)]
Calendar No. 473
112th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3429
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a veterans
jobs corps, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 24, 2012
Mr. Nelson of Florida (for himself, Mrs. Murray, and Mr. Schumer)
introduced the following bill; which was read the first time
July 25, 2012
Read the second time and placed on the calendar
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a veterans
jobs corps, and for other purposes.
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 Jobs Corps Act of 2012''.
SEC. 2. VETERANS JOBS CORPS.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, in
cooperation with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Agriculture,
the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the
Secretary of the Interior, and the Commanding General of the United
States Army Corps of Engineers, establish a veterans jobs corps to
employ veterans--
(1) in conservation, resource management, and historic
preservation projects on public lands and maintenance and
improvement projects for cemeteries under the jurisdiction of
the National Cemetery Administration; and
(2) as firefighters and law enforcement officers.
(b) Conservation, Resource Management, Historic Preservation, and
Cemetery Maintenance and Improvement Projects.--
(1) In general.--As part of the veterans jobs corps, the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Agriculture,
the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of the Interior, and
the Commanding General of the United States Army Corps of
Engineers shall--
(A) employ veterans to carry out projects described
in subsection (a)(1); or
(B) award grants to, or enter into contracts with,
State governments, local governments, or
nongovernmental entities to employ veterans to carry
out projects described in subsection (a)(1).
(2) Priority.--In employing or awarding grants or contracts
to employ veterans under this subsection, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary
of Commerce, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Commanding
General of the United States Army Corps of Engineers shall give
priority towards the employment of veterans who served on
active duty in the Armed Forces on or after September 11, 2001.
(3) Coordination.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
coordinate the activities of the Attorney General, the
Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, the
Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of the Interior,
and the Commanding General of the United States Army Corps of
Engineers to employ veterans as part of the veterans job corps.
(4) Oversight of projects.--The secretaries referred to in
paragraph (1) and the Commanding General of the United States
Army Corps of Engineers shall each provide oversight of the
projects for which they employ veterans under subparagraph (A)
of such paragraph or award grants or enter into contracts under
subparagraph (B) of such paragraph.
(c) First Responders.--
(1) Firefighters.--As part of the veterans jobs corps, the
Secretary of Homeland Security shall award grants under section
34 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15
U.S.C. 2229a) to hire veterans as firefighters.
(2) Law enforcement officers.--As part of the veterans jobs
corps, the Attorney General shall award grants under part Q of
title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of
1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd et seq.) to hire veterans as law
enforcement officers.
(3) Priority.--In awarding grants under this subsection to
hire veterans, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the
Attorney General shall give priority to the hiring of veterans
who served on active duty in the Armed Forces on or after
September 11, 2001.
(d) Assistance.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may
provide assistance to the secretaries described in subsection
(a), the Attorney General, and the Commanding General of the
United States Army Corps of Engineers to carry out the veterans
jobs corps. Such assistance may take the form of a transfer
under paragraph (2).
(2) Transfers.--Except as otherwise provided in this
subsection, of amounts appropriated or otherwise made available
to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out this section,
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may transfer such amounts as
the Secretary considers appropriate to carry out the veterans
jobs corps to the following:
(A) The Attorney General.
(B) The Secretary of Agriculture.
(C) The Secretary of Commerce.
(D) The Secretary of Homeland Security.
(E) The Secretary of the Interior.
(F) The Commanding General of the United States
Army Corps of Engineers.
(3) Assistance for conservation, resource management,
historic preservation, and cemetery maintenance and improvement
projects.--
(A) Application.--If a secretary referred to in
subsection (b)(1) or the Commanding General of the
United States Army Corps of Engineers seeks assistance
under paragraph (1) to employ a veteran to carry out a
project under subparagraph (A) of subsection (b)(1) or
to award a grant or contract to carry out a project
under subparagraph (B) of such subsection, such
secretary or the Commanding General shall submit to the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs an application therefor
at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may
require.
(B) Selection.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall, in consultation with the steering committee
established under subparagraph (C), award assistance
under this paragraph in accordance with such criteria
as the steering committee establishes.
(C) Steering committee.--
(i) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall establish a steering committee--
(I) to establish selection criteria
for the awarding of assistance under
paragraph (1) to employ a veteran to
carry out a project under subparagraph
(A) of subsection (b)(1) or to award a
grant or contract to carry out a
project under subparagraph (B) of such
subsection; and
(II) to provide the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs with advice on
awarding assistance under this
subsection with respect to projects
described in subsection (a)(1) and
carrying out the veterans jobs corps
under subsection (b).
(ii) Composition.--The steering committee
shall be composed of the following:
(I) The Secretary of Veterans
Affairs.
(II) The Secretary of Agriculture.
(III) The Secretary of Commerce.
(IV) The Secretary of the Interior.
(V) The Commanding General of the
United States Army Corps of Engineers.
(iii) Chairperson.--The chairperson of the
steering committee shall be the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs.
(iv) Advisory input.--The Secretary of
Defense and the Secretary of Labor may provide
advice to the steering committee.
(4) Assistance for first responders.--Not more than 10
percent of amounts appropriated or otherwise made available to
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out this section may
be transferred to the Attorney General and the Secretary of
Homeland Security to employ veterans under subsection (c).
(e) Reporting Framework.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
establish a reporting framework to regularly monitor and evaluate the
veterans jobs corps to ensure proper oversight and accountability of
the veterans jobs corps.
(f) Outreach.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that
veterans employed under the veterans jobs corps are aware of benefits
and assistance available to them under laws administered by the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There is available without further
appropriation to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out
this section, $1,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years
2012 through 2017.
(2) Limitation.--Of amounts made appropriated or otherwise
made available to carry out this section, not more than five
percent may be spent to administer the veterans jobs corps.
(h) Veteran Defined.--In this section, the term ``veteran'' has the
meaning given the term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM ON PROVIDING VETERANS WITH ACCESS AT ONE-STOP
CENTERS TO INTERNET WEBSITES TO FACILITATE ONLINE JOB
SEARCHES.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall commence a pilot
program to assess the feasibility and advisability of providing
veterans seeking employment with access to computing facilities to
facilitate the access of such veterans to Internet websites that--
(1) match such veterans with available jobs based on the
skills the veterans acquired as members of the Armed Forces;
and
(2) allow employers to post information about available
jobs.
(b) Duration.--The pilot program required by subsection (a) shall
be carried out during the one-year period beginning on the date on
which the Secretary commences the pilot program.
(c) Locations.--The pilot program shall be carried out at such one-
stop centers and such other locations as the Secretary of Labor
considers appropriate for purposes of the pilot program.
(d) Assistance With Use of Internet Websites.--
(1) In general.--Under the pilot program, the Secretary of
Labor shall provide each veteran using computing facilities
made available under the pilot program with assistance in using
such facilities to find employment via Internet websites
described in subsection (a).
(2) Disabled veterans' outreach program specialists and
local veterans' employment representatives.--Each State that
employs a disabled veterans' outreach program specialist under
section 4103A of title 38, United States Code, or a local
veterans' employment representative under section 4104 of such
title shall make such employees available to the Secretary of
Labor for purposes of providing assistance under paragraph (1).
(e) Report.--Not later than 455 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall submit to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on Heath, Education,
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs and the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House
of Representatives a report on the pilot program that includes the
findings of the Secretary with respect to the feasibility and
advisability of providing computing facilities as described in
subsection (a) with assistance as described in subsection (d) at all
one-stop centers.
(f) Funding.--Amounts made available to the Secretary of Labor to
make grants or contracts under section 4102A(b)(5) of title 38, United
States Code, shall be available to the Secretary to carry out the pilot
program required by subsection (a).
(g) One-Stop Center Defined.--In this section, the term ``one-stop
center'' means a center described in section 134(c) of the Workforce
Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2864(c)).
SEC. 4. STATE CONSIDERATION OF MILITARY TRAINING IN GRANTING CERTAIN
STATE CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSES AS A CONDITION ON THE
RECEIPT OF FUNDS FOR VETERANS EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING.
(a) In General.--Section 4102A(c) of title 38, United States Code,
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(9)(A) As a condition of a grant or contract under which funds
are made available to a State in order to carry out section 4103A or
4104 of this title for any program year, the Secretary shall require
the State--
``(i) to demonstrate that when the State approves or denies
a certification or license described in subparagraph (B) for a
veteran the State takes into consideration any training
received or experience gained by the veteran while serving on
active duty in the Armed Forces; and
``(ii) to disclose to the Secretary in writing the
following:
``(I) Criteria applicants must satisfy to receive a
certification or license described in subparagraph (B)
by the State.
``(II) A description of the standard practices of
the State for evaluating training received by veterans
while serving on active duty in the Armed Forces and
evaluating the documented work experience of such
veterans during such service for purposes of approving
or denying a certification or license described in
subparagraph (B).
``(III) Identification of areas in which training
and experience described in subclause (II) fails to
meet criteria described in subclause (I).''
``(B) A certification or license described in this subparagraph is
any of the following:
``(i) A license to be a State tested nursing assistant or a
certified nursing assistant.
``(ii) A commercial driver's license.
``(iii) An emergency medical technician license EMT-B or
EMT-I.
``(iv) An emergency medical technician-paramedic license.
``(C) The Secretary shall share the information the Secretary
receives under subparagraph (A)(ii) with the Secretary of Defense to
help the Secretary of Defense improve training for military
occupational specialties so that individuals who receive such training
are able to receive a certification or license described in
subparagraph (B) from a State.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall
apply with respect to a program year beginning on or after the date of
the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 5. MINIMUM FUNDING LEVELS FOR DISABLED VETERANS' OUTREACH PROGRAM
SPECIALISTS AND LOCAL VETERANS' EMPLOYMENT
REPRESENTATIVES.
(a) In General.--Clause (iii) of section 4102A(c)(2)(B) of title
38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
``(i)(I) In carrying out this paragraph, the Secretary shall
establish minimum funding levels and may establish hold-harmless
criteria for States.
``(II) Except as provided in subclause (III), at a minimum, the
minimum funding levels establish under subclause (I) shall ensure that
each State receives sufficient funding to support at least one disabled
veterans' outreach program specialist appointed under section
4103A(a)(1) of this title and one local veterans' employment
representative assigned under section 4104(b) of this title per 5,000
square miles of service delivery area within the State.
``(III) In determining minimum funding levels under subclause (II),
the Secretary may exclude consideration of counties with a population
density of less than one person per square mile.''.
(b) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall submit
to Congress a report on the effect of the amendment made by
subsection (a) on veterans who reside in highly rural areas.
(2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
(A) A description of the effect of the amendment
made by subsection (a) on veterans who reside in highly
rural areas.
(B) Such recommendations for legislative or
administrative action as the Secretary considers
appropriate to improve the provision of contracts and
grants under section 4102A(b)(5) of such title to meet
the needs of veterans who reside in highly rural areas
and are eligible for services furnished under chapter
41 of such title.
(3) Highly rural defined.--In this subsection, the term
``highly rural'', in the case of an area, means that the area
consists of a county or counties having a population of less
than seven persons per square mile.
SEC. 6. OFF-BASE TRANSITION TRAINING.
(a) Provision of Off-Base Transition Training.--During the three-
year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of Labor shall provide the Transition Assistance Program
under section 1144 of title 10, United States Code, to eligible
individuals at locations other than military installations to assess
the feasibility and advisability of providing such program to eligible
individuals at locations other than military installations.
(b) Eligible Individuals.--For purposes of this section, an
eligible individual is a veteran or the spouse of a veteran.
(c) Locations.--
(1) Number of states.--The Secretary shall carry out the
training under subsection (a) in not less than three and not
more than five States selected by the Secretary for purposes of
this section.
(2) Selection of states with high unemployment.--Of the
States selected by the Secretary under paragraph (1), at least
two shall be States with high rates of unemployment among
veterans.
(3) Number of locations in each state.--The Secretary shall
provide training under subsection (a) to eligible individuals
at a sufficient number of locations within each State selected
under this subsection to meet the needs of eligible individuals
in such State.
(4) Selection of locations.--The Secretary shall select
locations for the provision of training under subsection (a) to
facilitate access by participants and may not select any
location on a military installation other than a National Guard
or reserve facility that is not located on an active duty
military installation.
(d) Inclusion of Information About Veterans Benefits.--The
Secretary shall ensure that the training provided under subsection (a)
generally follows the content of the Transition Assistance Program
under section 1144 of title 10, United States Code.
(e) Annual Report.--Not later than March 1 of any year during which
the Secretary provides training under subsection (a), the Secretary
shall submit to Congress a report on the provision of such training.
(f) Comptroller General Report.--Not later than 180 days after the
termination of the three-year period described in subsection (a), the
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a
report on the training provided under such subsection. The report shall
include the evaluation of the Comptroller General regarding the
feasibility and advisability of carrying out off-base transition
training at locations nationwide.
SEC. 7. 100 PERCENT CONTINUOUS LEVY ON PAYMENT TO MEDICARE PROVIDERS
AND SUPPLIERS.
Paragraph (3) of section 6331(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 is amended by striking the period at the end and inserting ``, or,
with respect to payments made during the 5-year period beginning on the
date of the enactment of the Veterans Jobs Corps Act of 2012, to a
Medicare provider or supplier under title XVIII of the Social Security
Act.''.
SEC. 8. REVOCATION OR DENIAL OF PASSPORT IN CASE OF CERTAIN UNPAID
TAXES.
(a) In General.--Subchapter D of chapter 75 of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``SEC. 7345. REVOCATION OR DENIAL OF PASSPORT IN CASE OF CERTAIN TAX
DELINQUENCIES.
``(a) In General.--If the Secretary receives certification by the
Commissioner of Internal Revenue that any individual has a seriously
delinquent tax debt in an amount in excess of $50,000, the Secretary
shall transmit such certification to the Secretary of State for action
with respect to denial, revocation, or limitation of a passport
pursuant to section 40304(d) of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the
21st Century Act.
``(b) Seriously Delinquent Tax Debt.--For purposes of this section,
the term `seriously delinquent tax debt' means an outstanding debt
under this title for which a notice of lien has been filed in public
records pursuant to section 6323 or a notice of levy has been filed
pursuant to section 6331, except that such term does not include--
``(1) a debt that is being paid in a timely manner pursuant
to an agreement under section 6159 or 7122, and
``(2) a debt with respect to which collection is suspended
because a collection due process hearing under section 6330, or
relief under subsection (b), (c), or (f) of section 6015, is
requested or pending.
``(c) Adjustment for Inflation.--In the case of a calendar year
beginning after 2012, the dollar amount in subsection (a) shall be
increased by an amount equal to--
``(1) such dollar amount, multiplied by
``(2) the cost-of-living adjustment determined under
section 1(f)(3) for the calendar year, determined by
substituting `calendar year 2011' for `calendar year 1992' in
subparagraph (B) thereof.
If any amount as adjusted under the preceding sentence is not a
multiple of $1,000, such amount shall be rounded to the next highest
multiple of $1,000.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for subchapter D of
chapter 75 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at
the end the following new item:
``Sec. 7345. Revocation or denial of passport in case of certain tax
delinquencies.''.
(c) Authority for Information Sharing.--
(1) In general.--Subsection (l) of section 6103 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end
the following new paragraph:
``(23) Disclosure of return information to department of
state for purposes of passport revocation under section 7345.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall, upon
receiving a certification described in section 7345,
disclose to the Secretary of State return information
with respect to a taxpayer who has a seriously
delinquent tax debt described in such section. Such
return information shall be limited to--
``(i) the taxpayer identity information
with respect to such taxpayer, and
``(ii) the amount of such seriously
delinquent tax debt.
``(B) Restriction on disclosure.--Return
information disclosed under subparagraph (A) may be
used by officers and employees of the Department of
State for the purposes of, and to the extent necessary
in, carrying out the requirements of section 40304(d)
of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century
Act.''.
(2) Conforming amendment.--Paragraph (4) of section 6103(p)
of such Code is amended by striking ``or (22)'' each place it
appears in subparagraph (F)(ii) and in the matter preceding
subparagraph (A) and inserting ``(22), or (23)''.
(d) Authority To Deny or Revoke Passport.--
(1) Denial.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided under
subparagraph (B), upon receiving a certification
described in section 7345 of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986 from the Secretary of the Treasury, the
Secretary of State may not issue a passport or passport
card to any individual who has a seriously delinquent
tax debt described in such section.
(B) Emergency and humanitarian situations.--
Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), the Secretary of
State may issue a passport or passport card, in
emergency circumstances or for humanitarian reasons, to
an individual described in subparagraph (A).
(2) Revocation.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary of State may revoke
a passport or passport card previously issued to any
individual described in paragraph (1)(A).
(B) Limitation for return to united states.--If the
Secretary of State decides to revoke a passport or
passport card under subparagraph (A), the Secretary of
State, before revocation, may--
(i) limit a previously issued passport or
passport card only for return travel to the
United States; or
(ii) issue a limited passport or passport
card that only permits return travel to the
United States.
(3) Hold harmless.--The Secretary of the Treasury and the
Secretary of State shall not be liable to an individual for any
action with respect to a certification by the Commissioner of
Internal Revenue under section 7345 of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986
(e) Effective Date.--The provisions of, and amendments made by,
this section shall take effect on January 1, 2013.
Calendar No. 473
112th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3429
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a veterans
jobs corps, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
July 25, 2012
Read the second time and placed on the calendar