I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2327 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department 

of Veterans Affairs a Veterans Economic Opportunity Administration, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 12, 2013 

Mr. MILLER of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the 

Department of Veterans Affairs a Veterans Economic 

Opportunity Administration, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Economic 

5 Opportunity Administration Act of 2013’’. 

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1 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF VETERANS ECONOMIC OPPOR2 TUNITY ADMINISTRATION OF DEPARTMENT 

3 OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

4 (a) ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ADMINISTRATION.— 

5 Part V of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 

6 adding at the end the following new chapter: 

7 ‘‘CHAPTER 80—VETERANS ECONOMIC 

8 OPPORTUNITY ADMINISTRATION 

‘‘8001. Organization of Administration. 

‘‘8002. Functions of Administration. 

9 ‘‘§ 8001. Organization of Administration 

10 ‘‘(a) VETERANS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ADMINIS11 TRATION.—There is in the Department of Veterans Af12 fairs a Veterans Economic Opportunity Administration. 

13 The primary function of the Veterans Economic Oppor14 tunity Administration is the administration of the pro15 grams of the Department which provide assistance related 

16 to economic opportunity to veterans and their dependents 

17 and survivors. 

18 ‘‘(b) UNDER SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC OPPOR19 TUNITY.—The Veterans Economic Opportunity Adminis20 tration is under the Under Secretary for Veterans Eco21 nomic Opportunity, who is directly responsible to the Sec22 retary for the operations of the Administration. 

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1 ‘‘§ 8002. Functions of Administration 

2 ‘‘The Veterans Economic Opportunity Administra3 tion is responsible for the administration of the following 

4 programs of the Department: 

5 ‘‘(1) Vocational rehabilitation and employment 

6 programs. 

7 ‘‘(2) Educational assistance programs. 

8 ‘‘(3) Veterans’ housing loan and related pro9 grams. 

10 ‘‘(4) Veterans small business programs, includ11 ing the program under section 8127 of this title.’’. 

12 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—The tables of chap13 ters at the beginning of title 38, and of part V of title 

14 38, are each amended by inserting after the item relating 

15 to chapter 79 the following new item: 

‘‘80. Veterans Economic Opportunity Administration ........ 8001’’. 

16 SEC. 3. UNDER SECRETARY FOR VETERANS ECONOMIC OP17 PORTUNITY. 

18 (a) UNDER SECRETARY.—Chapter 3 of title 38, 

19 United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 

20 306 the following new section: 

21 ‘‘§ 306A. Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Op22 portunity 

23 ‘‘(a) UNDER SECRETARY.—There is in the Depart24 ment an Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Oppor25 tunity, who is appointed by the President, by and with 

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1 the advice and consent of the Senate. The Under Sec2 retary for Veterans Economic Opportunity shall be ap3 pointed without regard to political affiliation or activity 

4 and solely on the basis of demonstrated ability in— 

5 ‘‘(1) information technology; and 

6 ‘‘(2) the administration of programs within the 

7 Veterans Economic Opportunity Administration or 

8 programs of similar content and scope. 

9 ‘‘(b) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Under Secretary for 

10 Veterans Economic Opportunity is the head of, and is di11 rectly responsible to the Secretary for the operations of, 

12 the Veterans Economic Opportunity Administration. 

13 ‘‘(c) VACANCIES.—(1) Whenever a vacancy in the po14 sition of Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Oppor15 tunity occurs or is anticipated, the Secretary shall estab16 lish a commission to recommend individuals to the Presi17 dent for appointment to the position. 

18 ‘‘(2) A commission established under this subsection 

19 shall be composed of the following members appointed by 

20 the Secretary: 

21 ‘‘(A) Three persons representing education and 

22 training, vocational rehabilitation, employment, real 

23 estate, mortgage finance and related industries, and 

24 survivor benefits activities affected by the Veterans 

25 Economic Opportunity Administration. 

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1 ‘‘(B) Two persons representing veterans served 

2 by the Veterans Economic Opportunity Administra3 tion. 

4 ‘‘(C) Two persons who have experience in the 

5 management of private sector benefits programs of 

6 similar content and scope to the economic oppor7 tunity programs of the Department. 

8 ‘‘(D) The Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 

9 ‘‘(E) The chairman of the Veterans’ Advisory 

10 Committee on Education formed under section 3692 

11 of this title. 

12 ‘‘(F) One person who has held the position of 

13 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Oppor14 tunity, if the Secretary determines that it is desir15 able for such person to be a member of the commis16 sion. 

17 ‘‘(3) A commission established under this subsection 

18 shall recommend at least three individuals for appoint19 ment to the position of Under Secretary for Veterans Eco20 nomic Opportunity. The commission shall submit all rec21 ommendations to the Secretary. The Secretary shall for22 ward the recommendations to the President and the Com23 mittees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of 

24 Representatives with any comments the Secretary con25 siders appropriate. Thereafter, the President may request 

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1 the commission to recommend additional individuals for 

2 appointment. 

3 ‘‘(4) The Assistant Secretary or Deputy Assistant 

4 Secretary of Veterans Affairs who performs personnel 

5 management and labor relations functions shall serve as 

6 the executive secretary of a commission established under 

7 this subsection. 

8 ‘‘(d) QUALIFICATIONS OF RECOMMENDED INDIVID9 UALS.—Each individual recommended to the President by 

10 the commission for appointment to the position of Under 

11 Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity shall be an 

12 individual who has held a senior level position in the pri13 vate sector with responsibilities relating to at least one of 

14 the following: 

15 ‘‘(1) Education policy. 

16 ‘‘(2) Vocational rehabilitation. 

17 ‘‘(3) Employment. 

18 ‘‘(4) Home loan finance. 

19 ‘‘(5) Small business development.’’. 

20 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

21 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 

22 after the item relating to section 306 the following new 

23 item: 

‘‘306A. Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity.’’. 

24 (c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Such title is fur25 ther amended— 

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1 (1) in section 7701(a), by inserting after ‘‘as2 sistance’’ the following: ‘‘, other than assistance re3 lated to economic opportunity,’’; 

4 (2) in section 7703, by striking paragraphs (2) 

5 and (3) and redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as 

6 paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively; 

7 (3) in section 306(c)(2), by striking subpara8 graphs (A) and (E) and redesignating subpara9 graphs (B), (C), (D), and (F), as subparagraphs (A) 

10 through (D), respectively; 

11 (4) in section 317(d), by inserting after ‘‘Under 

12 Secretary for Benefits’’ the following: ‘‘, the Under 

13 Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity,’’; 

14 (5) in section 318(d)(2), by inserting after 

15 ‘‘Under Secretary for Benefits’’ the following: ‘‘, the 

16 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Oppor17 tunity,’’; 

18 (6) in section 516(e)(2)(C), by striking ‘‘Health 

19 and the Under Secretary for Benefits’’ and inserting 

20 ‘‘Health, the Under Secretary for Benefits, and the 

21 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Oppor22 tunity’’; 

23 (7) in section 541(a)(2)(B), by striking ‘‘Health 

24 and the Under Secretary for Benefits’’ and inserting 

25 ‘‘Health, the Under Secretary for Benefits, and the 

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1 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Oppor2 tunity’’; 

3 (8) in section 542(a)(2)(A)(iii), by striking 

4 ‘‘Health and the Under Secretary for Benefits’’ and 

5 inserting ‘‘Health, the Under Secretary for Benefits, 

6 and the Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Op7 portunity’’; 

8 (9) in section 544(a)(2)(B)(vi), by striking 

9 ‘‘Health and the Under Secretary for Benefits’’ and 

10 inserting ‘‘Health, the Under Secretary for Benefits, 

11 and the Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Op12 portunity’’; and 

13 (10) in section 709(c)(2)(A), by inserting after 

14 ‘‘Under Secretary for Benefits’’ the following: ‘‘, the 

15 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Oppor16 tunity,’’. 

17 (d) FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.—For fiscal year 2014, 

18 the aggregate number of full-time equivalent employees 

19 authorized for the Veterans Benefit Administration and 

20 the Veterans Economic Opportunity Administration, as es21 tablished under chapter 80 of title 38, United States Code, 

22 as added by section 2, may not exceed 20,851. 

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