I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 356 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and publish an action 

plan for improving the vocational rehabilitation services and assistance 

provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 14, 2015 

Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York (for himself, Mr. TAKANO, and 

Mr. MULLIN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and 

publish an action plan for improving the vocational rehabilitation services and assistance provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

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 ‘‘Wounded Warrior Em5 ployment Improvement Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 356 IH

1 (1) Despite an improving economy, a recent 

2 study indicates that among veterans with service3 connected disabilities who served in the Armed 

4 Forces after September 11, 2001 (hereinafter re5 ferred to as ‘‘wounded warriors’’) the unemployment 

6 rate is nearly 17.8 percent. 

7 (2) Wounded warriors should receive the tools, 

8 skills, education, resources, and support needed to 

9 find work and thrive economically. 

10 (3) Designed to provide the expert counseling 

11 and other services and supports vital to achieving 

12 economic empowerment, the vocational rehabilitation 

13 and employment program of the Department of Vet14 erans Affairs should be the premier program assist15 ing wounded warriors to realize their economic goals. 

16 (4) Only 20 percent of wounded warriors pur17 suing an education in 2013 chose to pursue voca18 tional rehabilitation, while 54 percent chose to use 

19 their entitlement to educational assistance under the 

20 Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the 

21 Department of Veterans Affairs, thereby foregoing 

22 counseling and other supports. 

23 (5) Wounded warriors who elect to pursue an 

24 education through the Post-9/11 Educational Assist25 ance Program rather than vocational rehabilitation 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 356 IH

1 and education report choosing the such program be2 cause of its relatively easier, more expeditious appli3 cation process, and the far greater freedom it af4 fords the veteran to pursue his or her career or edu5 cational goals. 

6 (6) The Department of Veterans Affairs con7 tinues to face challenges with the program’s work8 load management, particularly with staff and re9 source allocation models, decentralized program ad10 ministration, and staff training, resulting in some 

11 regional offices struggling with average caseloads as 

12 high as 175 per counselor, all of which are affecting 

13 the delivery and quality of services to veterans, ac14 cording to the Government Accountability Office. 

15 SEC. 3. VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EDUCATION 

16 ACTION PLAN. 

17 Not later than 270 days after the date of the enact18 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 

19 develop and publish an action plan for improving the serv20 ices and assistance provided under chapter 31 of title 38, 

21 United States Code. Such plan shall include each of the 

22 following: 

23 (1) A comprehensive analysis of, and rec24 ommendations and a proposed implementation plan 

25 for remedying workload management challenges at 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 356 IH

1 regional offices of the Department of Veterans Af2 fairs, including steps to reduce counselor caseloads 

3 of veterans participating in a rehabilitation program 

4 under such chapter, particularly for counselors who 

5 are assisting veterans with traumatic brain injury 

6 and post-traumatic stress disorder and counselors 

7 with educational and vocational counseling work8 loads. 

9 (2) A comprehensive analysis of the reasons for 

10 the disproportionately low percentage of veterans 

11 with service-connected disabilities who served in the 

12 Armed Forces after September 11, 2001, who opt to 

13 participate in a rehabilitation program under such 

14 chapter relative to the percentage of such veterans 

15 who use their entitlement to educational assistance 

16 under chapter 33 of title 38, United States Code, in17 cluding an analysis of barriers to timely enrollment 

18 in rehabilitation programs under chapter 31 of such 

19 title and of any barriers to a veteran enrolling in the 

20 program of that veteran’s choice. 

21 (3) Recommendations and a proposed imple22 mentation plan for encouraging more veterans with 

23 service-connected disabilities who served in the 

24 Armed Forces after September 11, 2001, to particiVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:40 Jan 24, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H356.IH H356

SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 356 IH

1 pate in rehabilitation programs under chapter 31 of 

2 such title. 

3 (4) A national staff training program for voca4 tional rehabilitation counselors of the Department 

5 that includes the provision of— 

6 (A) training to assist counselors in under7 standing the very profound disorientation expe8 rienced by warriors whose lives and life-plans 

9 have been upended and out of their control be10 cause of their injury; 

11 (B) training to assist counselors in work12 ing in partnership with veterans on individual 

13 rehabilitation plans; and 

14 (C) training on post-traumatic stress dis15 order and other mental health conditions and 

16 on moderate to severe traumatic brain injury 

17 that is designed to improve the ability of such 

18 counselors to assist veterans with these condi19 tions, including by providing information on the 

20 broad spectrum of such conditions and the ef21 fect of such conditions on an individual’s abili22 ties and functional limitations. 

Æ 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS