II 

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. 

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 of 2015’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ACTION PLAN 

2 TO IMPROVE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION 

3 AND EDUCATION. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 270 days after the 

5 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet6 erans Affairs shall develop and publish an action plan for 

7 improving the services and assistance provided under 

8 chapter 31 of title 38, United States Code. 

9 (b) ELEMENTS.—The plan required by subsection (a) 

10 shall include each of the following: 

11 (1) A comprehensive analysis of, and rec12 ommendations and a proposed implementation plan 

13 for remedying workload management challenges at 

14 regional offices of the Department of Veterans Af15 fairs, including steps to reduce counselor caseloads 

16 of veterans participating in a rehabilitation program 

17 under such chapter, particularly for counselors who 

18 are assisting veterans with traumatic brain injury 

19 and post-traumatic stress disorder and counselors 

20 with educational and vocational counseling work21 loads. 

22 (2) A comprehensive analysis of the reasons for 

23 the disproportionately low percentage of veterans 

24 with service-connected disabilities who served in the 

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

26 participate in a rehabilitation program under such 


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1 chapter relative to the percentage of such veterans 

2 who use their entitlement to educational assistance 

3 under chapter 33 of title 38, United States Code, in4 cluding an analysis of barriers to timely enrollment 

5 in rehabilitation programs under chapter 31 of such 

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

7 program of that veteran’s choice. 

8 (3) Recommendations and a proposed imple9 mentation plan for encouraging more veterans with 

10 service-connected disabilities who served in the 

11 Armed Forces after September 11, 2001, to partici12 pate in rehabilitation programs under chapter 31 of 

13 such title. 

14 (4) A national staff training program for voca15 tional rehabilitation counselors of the Department 

16 that includes the provision of— 

17 (A) training to assist counselors in under18 standing the very profound disorientation expe19 rienced by veterans with service-connected dis20 abilities whose lives and life-plans have been up21 ended and out of their control because of such 

22 disabilities; 

23 (B) training to assist counselors in work24 ing in partnership with veterans on individual 

25 rehabilitation plans; and 


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1 (C) training on post-traumatic stress dis2 order and other mental health conditions and 

3 on moderate to severe traumatic brain injury 

4 that is designed to improve the ability of such 

5 counselors to assist veterans with these condi6 tions, including by providing information on the 

7 broad spectrum of such conditions and the ef8 fect of such conditions on an individual’s abili9 ties and functional limitations. 

Æ 


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