[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3579 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3579


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 16, 2025

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
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.

    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.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 15, 2025.

            Attest:

                                             KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,

                                                                 Clerk.