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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2106 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2106

To require 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, and for 
                            other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 30, 2015

 Mr. Brown (for himself and Mr. Tillis) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To require 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, and for 
                            other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Wounded Warrior Employment 
Improvement Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ACTION PLAN TO IMPROVE 
              VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EDUCATION.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall develop 
and publish an action plan for improving the services and assistance 
provided under chapter 31 of title 38, United States Code.
    (b) Elements.--The plan required by subsection (a) shall include 
each of the following:
            (1) A comprehensive analysis of, and recommendations and a 
        proposed implementation plan for remedying workload management 
        challenges at regional offices of the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs, including steps to reduce counselor caseloads of 
        veterans participating in a rehabilitation program under such 
        chapter, particularly for counselors who are assisting veterans 
        with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder 
        and counselors with educational and vocational counseling 
        workloads.
            (2) A comprehensive analysis of the reasons for the 
        disproportionately low percentage of veterans with service-
        connected disabilities who served in the Armed Forces after 
        September 11, 2001, who opt to participate in a rehabilitation 
        program under such chapter relative to the percentage of such 
        veterans who use their entitlement to educational assistance 
        under chapter 33 of title 38, United States Code, including an 
        analysis of barriers to timely enrollment in rehabilitation 
        programs under chapter 31 of such title and of any barriers to 
        a veteran enrolling in the program of that veteran's choice.
            (3) Recommendations and a proposed implementation plan for 
        encouraging more veterans with service-connected disabilities 
        who served in the Armed Forces after September 11, 2001, to 
        participate in rehabilitation programs under chapter 31 of such 
        title.
            (4) A national staff training program for vocational 
        rehabilitation counselors of the Department that includes the 
        provision of--
                    (A) training to assist counselors in understanding 
                the very profound disorientation experienced by 
                veterans with service-connected disabilities whose 
                lives and life-plans have been upended and out of their 
                control because of such disabilities;
                    (B) training to assist counselors in working in 
                partnership with veterans on individual rehabilitation 
                plans; and
                    (C) training on post-traumatic stress disorder and 
                other mental health conditions and on moderate to 
                severe traumatic brain injury that is designed to 
                improve the ability of such counselors to assist 
                veterans with these conditions, including by providing 
                information on the broad spectrum of such conditions 
                and the effect of such conditions on an individual's 
                abilities and functional limitations.
                                 <all>
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