I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2587 

To improve the ability of veterans with medical training to assist the United 

States in response to national emergencies, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 15, 2021 

Mr. LAMB (for himself and Miss GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To improve the ability of veterans with medical training 

to assist the United States in response to national emergencies, 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 ‘‘Supporting Education 

5 Recognition for Veterans during Emergencies Act’’ or the 

6 ‘‘SERVE Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. UPDATE OF WEB PORTAL TO IDENTIFY VETERANS 

2 WHO HAD MEDICAL OCCUPATIONS AS MEM3 BERS OF THE ARMED FORCES. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall update exist5 ing web portals of the Department to allow the identifica6 tion of veterans who had a medical occupation as a mem7 ber of the Armed Forces. 

8 (b) INFORMATION IN PORTAL.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—An update to a portal under 

10 subsection (a) shall allow a veteran to elect to pro11 vide the following information: 

12 (A) Contact information for the veteran. 

13 (B) A history of the medical experience 

14 and trained competencies of the veteran. 

15 (2) INCLUSIONS IN HISTORY.—To the extent 

16 practicable, histories provided under paragraph 

17 (1)(B) shall include individual critical task lists spe18 cific to military occupational specialties that align 

19 with existing standard occupational codes main20 tained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

21 SEC. 3. PROGRAM ON PROVISION TO STATES OF INFORMA22 TION ON VETERANS WITH MEDICAL SKILLS 

23 OBTAINED DURING SERVICE IN THE ARMED 

24 FORCES. 

25 For purposes of facilitating civilian medical creden26 tialing and hiring opportunities for veterans seeking to reVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:13 Jun 03, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2587.IH H2587

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1 spond to a national emergency, including a public health 

2 emergency declared by the Secretary of Health and 

3 Human Services under section 319 of the Public Health 

4 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d), the Secretary, in coordina5 tion with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 

6 Labor, shall establish a program to share information 

7 specified in section 3(b) with the following: 

8 (1) State departments of veterans affairs. 

9 (2) Veterans service organizations. 

10 (3) State credentialing bodies. 

11 (4) State homes. 

12 (5) Other stakeholders involved in State-level 

13 credentialing, as determined appropriate by the Sec14 retary. 

15 SEC. 4. PROGRAM ON TRAINING OF INTERMEDIATE CARE 

16 TECHNICIANS OF DEPARTMENT OF VET17 ERANS AFFAIRS. 

18 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall imple19 ment a program to train and certify covered veterans to 

20 work as intermediate care technicians of the Department. 

21 (b) LOCATIONS.—The Secretary may place an inter22 mediate care technician trained and certified under the 

23 program under subsection (a) at any medical center of the 

24 Department, giving priority to a location with a significant 

25 staffing shortage. 


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1 (c) INCLUSION OF INFORMATION IN TRANSITION AS2 SISTANCE PROGRAM.—As part of the Transition Assist3 ance Program under sections 1142 and 1144 of title 10, 

4 United States Code, the Secretary shall prepare a commu5 nications campaign to convey opportunities for training, 

6 certification, and employment under the program under 

7 subsection (a) to appropriate members of the Armed 

8 Forces separating from active duty. 

9 (d) REPORT ON EXPANSION OF PROGRAM.—Not 

10 later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 

11 this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report 

12 on whether the program under this section could be rep13 licated for other medical positions within the Department. 

14 (e) COVERED VETERAN DEFINED.—In this section, 

15 the term ‘‘covered veteran’’ means a veteran whom the 

16 Secretary determines served as a basic health care techni17 cian while serving in the Armed Forces. 

18 SEC. 5. NOTIFICATION OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERANS. 

19 The Secretary shall notify veterans service organiza20 tions and, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, 

21 members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces 

22 of opportunities for veterans under this Act. 

23 SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 

24 In this Act: 


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1 (1) DEPARTMENT; SECRETARY; VETERAN.—The 

2 terms ‘‘Department’’, ‘‘Secretary’’, ‘‘State home’’, 

3 and ‘‘veteran’’ have the meanings given those terms 

4 in section 101 of title 38, United States Code. 

5 (2) VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATION.—The 

6 term ‘‘veterans service organization’’ means an orga7 nization that provides services to veterans, including 

8 organizations recognized by the Secretary of Vet9 erans Affairs under section 5902 of title 38, United 

10 States Code. 

Æ 


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