To establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Certification, Credentialing, and Licensure.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``The Veterans Certification and 
Licensure Act of 2006''.

SEC. 2. VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON CERTIFICATION, CREDENTIALING, 
              AND LICENSURE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established within the Department of 
Labor a committee to be known as the Veterans Advisory Committee on 
Certification, Credentialing, and Licensure (hereinafter in this 
section referred to as the ``Committee'').
    (b) Duties.--The Committee shall establish and carry out a national 
program to do the following:
            (1) To facilitate the seamless transition of members of the 
        Armed Forces from serving on active duty to employment in the 
        private sector through credentialing.
            (2) To collect and disseminate data on certification, 
        licensing, and credentialing programs of the Department of 
        Defense, the Department of Labor, the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs, and of States.
            (3) To advise the Secretary of Labor on all matters 
        relating to certification, licensing, and credentialing issues 
        related to converting the skills acquired by veterans while 
        serving in the Armed Forces to skills relevant to civilian 
        occupations.
    (c) Membership.--
            (1) The Committee shall be composed of nine members, as 
        follows:
                    (A) The Secretary of Defense.
                    (B) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
                    (C) The Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans' 
                Employment and Training.
                    (D) Six members appointed by the Secretary of Labor 
                of whom one shall be appointed from among 
                representatives nominated by each of the following 
                organizations:
                            (i) Veterans' service organizations that 
                        have a national employment program.
                            (ii) The Coalition for Professional 
                        Certification.
                            (iii) A nationally-recognized organization 
                        in the area of human resources management.
                            (iv) Nationally-recognized labor unions and 
                        organizations.
                            (v) A nationally-recognized organization 
                        that advocates on behalf of United States 
                        businesses and industry.
                            (vi) The American National Standards 
                        Institute.
            (2) A vacancy on the Committee shall be filled in the same 
        manner in which the original appointment was made.
    (d) Administrative Matters.--
            (1) Meetings.--The Committee shall meet not less frequently 
        than once each fiscal year quarter.
            (2) Chair.--The Secretary of Labor shall appoint the chair 
        of the Committee.
            (3) Compensation.--
                    (A) No compensation.--Members of the Committee 
                shall serve without additional compensation by reason 
                of their service on the Committee.
                    (B) Travel expenses.--Members of the Committee 
                shall be allowed reasonable and necessary travel 
                expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at 
                rates authorized for persons serving intermittently in 
                the Government service in accordance with the 
                provisions of subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5 
                while away from their homes or regular places of 
                business in the performance of the responsibilities of 
                the Committee.
            (4) Staff.--The Secretary of Labor shall provide staff and 
        administrative support to the Committee to assist it in 
        carrying out its duties under this section. The Secretary shall 
        assure positions on the staff of the Committee include 
        positions that are filled by individuals that are not now, or 
        have ever been, employed as one of the following:
                    (A) Staff of the Assistant Secretary of Labor for 
                Veterans' Employment and Training under section 4102A 
                of title 38, United States Code, as in effect on the 
                date of the enactment of this Act.
                    (B) Directors for Veterans' Employment and Training 
                under section 4103 of such title as in effect on such 
                date.
                    (C) Assistant Director for Veterans' Employment and 
                Training under such section as in effect on such date.
            (5) Detail of personnel.--Upon request of the Committee, 
        the head of any Federal department or agency may detail, on a 
        nonreimbursable basis, any of the personnel of that department 
        or agency to the Committee to assist it in carrying out its 
        duties.
            (6) Contract with private sector entity.--The Committee may 
        enter into a contract with a private sector entity that has a 
        demonstrated level of achievement with respect to issues 
        pertaining to certification, if the Committee determines that 
        entering into such a contract is necessary to carry out the 
        duties of the Committee under subsection (b).
    (e) Reports.--
            (1) Quarterly reports to congress.--Not later than 30 days 
        after the last day of a fiscal year quarter, the Secretary of 
        Labor shall submit to Congress a report on the activities of 
        the Committee under this section during that quarter.
            (2) Committee report.--Not later than one year after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Committee shall submit 
        to the Secretary of Labor a report containing the following:
                    (A) A description of any area of employment in 
                which a credentialing or certification system for 
                veterans exists, an evaluation of the effectiveness of 
                each such system, and information on the number of 
                eligible individuals who took advantage of each such 
                system.
                    (B) An identification of any area of employment in 
                which a credentialing or certification system for 
                veterans could be established or improved during the 
                18-month period beginning on the date on which the 
                report under this paragraph is submitted.
                    (C) A description of the areas of employment the 
                Committee determines are the most difficult such areas 
                for which to establish a credentialing or certification 
                system for veterans and the recommendations of the 
                Committee with respect to methods of establishing such 
                a system for each such area.
    (f) Termination.--The Committee shall terminate on the date that is 
60 days after the date on which it submits the report for the last 
fiscal quarter of fiscal year 2011.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Labor from the employment security 
administration account (established in section 901 of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1101)) in the Unemployment Trust Fund 
$1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011 to carry out this 
section.

Summary: Veterans Certification and Licensure Act of 2006 - Establishes within the Department of Labor the Veterans Advisory Committee on Certification, Credentialing, and Licensure to carry out a national program to: (1) facilitate the transition of members of the Armed Forces from active-duty service to employment in the private sector through credentialing. (2) collect and disseminate data on certification, licensing, and credentialing programs of the states and of the Departments of Defense, Labor, and Veterans Affairs. And (3) advise the Secretary of Labor on certification, licensing, and credentialing issues related to converting the skills acquired by veterans while serving in the Armed Forces to skills relevant to civilian occupations.