Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Get Rewarding Outdoor Work for our Veterans Act” or the “GROW Act”.
Get Rewarding Outdoor Work for our Veterans Act
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a report on the Warrior Training Advancement Course, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to administer a pilot program to employ veterans in positions that relate to conservation and resource management activities of the Department of the Interior, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Reporting on the Warrior Training Advancement Course of the Veterans Benefit Administration
Reports required—
Initial report— Not later than six months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on WARTAC.
Annual report— One year after the submission under paragraph (1) and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to such Committees a report that contains the elements under paragraphs (1) and (3) of subsection (b) with regards to the preceding year.
Elements— Subject to subsection (a)(2), the reports under this section shall include the following elements:
Best practices— With regards to best practices of WARTAC—
how many covered members have applied to participate in WARTAC;
how many covered members have participated in WARTAC;
how the Secretary provides training to covered members during TAP;
how many covered members have completed WARTAC; and
any other information the Secretary determines appropriate.
Cost savings— With regards to cost savings of WARTAC—
how much money the Secretary determines WARTAC saves the United States each fiscal year;
how much money the Secretary determines WARTAC has saved the United States since its establishment; and
the determination of the Secretary whether other Federal agencies may save money by establishing a program similar to WARTAC.
Hiring— With regards to hiring covered members who complete WARTAC—
how the Secretary identifies positions in the Department of Veterans Affairs for which such covered members may qualify;
the grades of such positions on the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5, United States Code; and
how many such covered members the Secretary has hired to such positions.
Distribution— Not later than 30 days after submitting the report under subsection (a)(1), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall transmit a copy of the report under this section to each head of a Federal agency.
Definitions— In this section:
The term “covered member” means members of the Armed Forces participating in TAP.
The term “TAP” means the Transition Assistance Program of the Department of Defense under sections 1142 and 1144 of title 10, United States Code.
The term “WARTAC” means the Warrior Training Advancement Course of the Veterans Benefit Administration, in which the Secretary provides training to covered members so such covered members may qualify for certain employment in the Veterans Benefit Administration.
Sec. 3 Pilot program to employ veterans in positions relating to conservation and resource management activities
Best practices for other departments— The Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall establish guidelines containing best practices for departments and agencies of the Federal Government that carry out programs to employ veterans who are transitioning from service in the Armed Forces. Such guidelines shall include the findings of the report required under section 2.
Pilot program—
Establishment— The Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall establish a pilot program under which veterans are employed by the Federal Government in positions that relate to the conservation and resource management activities of the Department of the Interior.
Positions— The Secretary of the Interior shall—
identify vacant positions in the Department of the Interior that are appropriate to fill using the pilot program; and
to the extent practicable, fill such positions using the pilot program.
Application of civil service laws— A veteran employed under the pilot program shall be treated as an employee as defined by section 2105 of title 5, United States Code.
Briefings and report—
Initial briefing— Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior and the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training shall jointly provide to the appropriate congressional committees a briefing on the pilot program under this subsection, which shall include—
a description of how the pilot program will be carried out in a manner to reduce the unemployment of veterans; and
any recommendations for legislative actions to improve the pilot program.
Implementation briefing— Not later than one year after the date on which the pilot program under subsection (a) commences, the Secretary of the Interior and the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training shall jointly provide to the appropriate congressional committees a briefing on the implementation of the pilot program.
Final report— Not later than 30 days after the date on which the pilot program under subsection (a) is completed, the Secretary of the Interior and the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training shall jointly submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the pilot program that includes the following:
The number of veterans who applied to participate in the pilot program.
The number of such veterans employed under the pilot program.
The number of veterans identified in clause (ii) who transitioned to full-time positions with the Federal Government after participating in the pilot program.
Any other information the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary determine appropriate with respect to measuring the effectiveness of the pilot program.
Duration— The authority to carry out the pilot program under this subsection shall terminate on the date that is two years after the date on which the pilot program commences.
Appropriate congressional committees defined— In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means—
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; and
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate.