I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6253 

To establish an advisory commission to examine licensing and certification 

challenges confronting members of the Armed Forces and their spouses 

upon post-service entry into the civilian workforce and to make recommendations to Congress for the development of a new class of uniform 

veteran’s certifications for selected occupations that can be accepted 

by States and United States territories. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 

Mr. HECK of Washington introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee 

on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To establish an advisory commission to examine licensing 

and certification challenges confronting members of the 

Armed Forces and their spouses upon post-service entry 

into the civilian workforce and to make recommendations 

to Congress for the development of a new class of uniform veteran’s certifications for selected occupations that 

can be accepted by States and United States territories. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS. 

2 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

3 ‘‘Collaborating for Economic Reintegration of Troops 

4 Act’’ or the ‘‘CERT Act’’. 

5 (b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) One of the greatest challenges facing 

7 transitioning members of the Armed Forces and 

8 their spouses is finding civilian employment. 

9 (2) Veterans report that employment is the top 

10 challenge upon separation or retirement from the 

11 Armed Forces, with as many as 80 percent of mem12 bers leaving the Armed Forces without civilian em13 ployment in hand and one in four reporting being 

14 underemployed and earning below-poverty wages. 

15 (3) Military training correlates to approximately 

16 962 civilian professions, yet even with their military 

17 education and experience, veterans must duplicate 

18 their training to meet various State specific certifi19 cation guidelines. 

20 (4) Veteran transition can be aided by estab21 lishing a commission to examine licensing and cer22 tification challenges confronting members of the 

23 Armed Forces upon post-service entry into the civil24 ian workforce. 

25 (5) This commission will identify where there 

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1 dentials’ training requirements and can identify op2 portunities for military training to be reformed to 

3 address such gaps and for transition to be improved 

4 by increased recognition of military training as 

5 equivalent through a ‘‘Blue Star certification’’. 

6 (6) The Blue Star certification initiative would 

7 set sufficient standards for entry into certain li8 censed professions. States could adopt Blue Star 

9 certifications as equivalent to entry into certain li10 censed professions. The Armed Forces, in their 

11 training process, would ensure members reach Blue 

12 Star proficiency so that upon leaving service they 

13 could swiftly transition to civilian employment. 

14 (7) Operation Certification would allow for 

15 members of the Armed Forces to directly and imme16 diately apply their training and experience to the 

17 private sector. States that adopt the Blue Star cre18 dential will attract and retain talented and civic 

19 minded veterans. Furthermore, this would modernize 

20 military training within Blue Star occupational spe21 cialties to ensure that members are well trained and 

22 prepared to meet any challenge upon separation. 


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1 SEC. 2. COMMISSION ON VETERAN CERTIFICATION STAND2 ARDS. 

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established an advi4 sory commission to be known as the Commission on Vet5 eran Certification Standards (in this Act referred to as 

6 the ‘‘Commission’’). 

7 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

8 (1) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Com9 mission shall be composed of 16 members appointed 

10 as follows: 

11 (A) The Majority Leader of the Senate 

12 shall appoint one member. 

13 (B) The Minority Leader of the Senate 

14 shall appoint one member. 

15 (C) The Speaker of the House of Rep16 resentatives shall appoint one member. 

17 (D) The Minority Leader of the House of 

18 Representatives shall appoint one member. 

19 (E) The Chairman of the Committee on 

20 Armed Services of the Senate shall appoint one 

21 member. 

22 (F) The Ranking Member of the Com23 mittee on Armed Services of the Senate shall 

24 appoint one member. 


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1 (G) The Chairman of the Committee on 

2 Armed Services of the House of Representatives 

3 shall appoint one member. 

4 (H) The Ranking Member of the Com5 mittee on Armed Services of the House of Rep6 resentatives shall appoint one member. 

7 (I) The Chairman of the Committee on 

8 Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate shall appoint 

9 one member. 

10 (J) The Ranking Member of the Com11 mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate shall 

12 appoint one member. 

13 (K) The Chairman of the Committee on 

14 Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representa15 tives shall appoint one member. 

16 (L) The Ranking Member of the Com17 mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 

18 Representatives shall appoint one member. 

19 (M) The Chairman of the Committee on 

20 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the 

21 Senate shall appoint one member. 

22 (N) The Ranking Member of the Com23 mittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen24 sions of the Senate shall appoint one member. 


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1 (O) The Chairman of the Committee on 

2 Education and the Workforce of the House of 

3 Representatives shall appoint one member. 

4 (P) The Ranking Member of the Com5 mittee on Education and the Workforce of the 

6 House of Representatives shall appoint one 

7 member. 

8 (2) DEADLINE FOR APPOINTMENT.—Members 

9 shall be appointed to the Commission under para10 graph (1) not later than 45 days after the date of 

11 the enactment of this Act. 

12 (c) CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.—The Commission shall 

13 elect a Chair and Vice Chair from among its members. 

14 (d) TERMS.—Members shall be appointed for the life 

15 of the Commission. A vacancy in the Commission shall not 

16 affect its powers, and shall be filled in the same manner 

17 as the original appointment was made. 

18 (e) COMPENSATION FOR MEMBERS OF THE COMMIS19 SION.—Members of the Commission will not receive wages 

20 or compensation on account of their services on the Com21 mission, but will be allowed travel expenses, including per 

22 diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employ23 ees under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United 

24 States Code, while away from their homes or regular 


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1 places of business in the performance of services for the 

2 Commission. 

3 (f) USE OF GOVERNMENT INFORMATION.—The Com4 mission may secure directly from any department or agen5 cy of the Federal Government such information as the 

6 Commission considers necessary to carry out its duties. 

7 Upon such request of the Chair of the Commission, the 

8 head of such department or agency shall furnish such in9 formation to the Commission. 

10 (g) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Commission may use 

11 the United States mails in the same manner and under 

12 the same conditions as departments and agencies of the 

13 United States. 

14 (h) PERSONAL SERVICES.— 

15 (1) AUTHORITY TO PROCURE.—The Commis16 sion may— 

17 (A) procure the services of experts or con18 sultants (or of organizations of experts or con19 sultants) in accordance with the provisions of 

20 section 3109 of title 5, United States Code; and 

21 (B) pay in connection with such services 

22 travel expenses of individuals, including trans23 portation and per diem in lieu of subsistence, 

24 while such individuals are traveling from their 

25 homes or places of business to duty stations. 


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1 (2) MAXIMUM DAILY PAY RATES.—The daily 

2 rate paid an expert or consultant procured pursuant 

3 to paragraph (1) may not exceed the daily rate paid 

4 a person occupying a position at level IV of the Ex5 ecutive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, 

6 United States Code. 

7 SEC. 3. COMMISSION HEARINGS AND MEETINGS. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall conduct 

9 hearings on the recommendations it is taking under con10 sideration. Any such hearing, except a hearing in which 

11 classified information is to be considered, shall be open 

12 to the public. Any hearing open to the public shall be an13 nounced on a Federal website at least 14 days in advance. 

14 For all hearings open to the public, the Commission shall 

15 release an agenda and a listing of materials relevant to 

16 the topics to be discussed. The Commission is authorized 

17 and encouraged to hold hearings and meetings in various 

18 locations throughout the country to provide maximum op19 portunity for public comment and participation in the 

20 Commission’s execution of its duties. 

21 (b) MEETINGS.— 

22 (1) INITIAL MEETING.—The Commission shall 

23 hold its initial meeting not later than 60 days after 

24 the date as of which all members have been ap25 pointed. 


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1 (2) SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS.—After its initial 

2 meeting, the Commission shall meet upon the call of 

3 the Chair or a majority of its members. 

4 (3) PUBLIC MEETINGS.—Each meeting of the 

5 Commission shall be held in public unless any mem6 ber objects or classified information is to be consid7 ered. 

8 (c) QUORUM.—Nine members of the Commission 

9 shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold 

10 hearings or meetings. 

11 (d) PUBLIC COMMENTS.—The Commission shall seek 

12 written comments from the general public and interested 

13 parties on matters of the Commission’s review under this 

14 Act. Comments shall be requested through a solicitation 

15 in the Federal Register and announcement on the Internet 

16 website of the Commission. 

17 (e) SPACE FOR USE OF COMMISSION.—Not later 

18 than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

19 the Administrator of General Services, in consultation 

20 with the Secretary, shall identify and make available suit21 able excess space within the Federal space inventory to 

22 house the operations of the Commission. If the Adminis23 trator is not able to make such suitable excess space avail24 able within such 90-day period, the Commission may lease 

25 space to the extent the funds are available. 


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1 (f) CONTRACTING AUTHORITY.—The Commission 

2 may acquire administrative supplies and equipment for 

3 Commission use to the extent funds are available. 

4 SEC. 4. COMMISSION DUTIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 

5 (a) DUTIES.—The Commission shall perform the fol6 lowing duties: 

7 (1) Examine the unique challenges that con8 front members of the Armed Forces and their 

9 spouses upon post-service entry into the civilian 

10 workforce. 

11 (2) Determine best practices and evaluate ef12 forts that have been undertaken by the States and 

13 the executive branch, including the program required 

14 by section 2015 of title 10, United States Code, to 

15 assist members of the Armed Forces in obtaining 

16 professional credentials, to facilitate the transfer of 

17 skills and certifications from the military to civilian 

18 settings. 

19 (3) Identify industries and jobs that can most 

20 benefit from military experience and training and 

21 identify military specialties that can readily transfer 

22 to high-demand jobs. 

23 (4) Develop recommended Blue Star 

24 credentialing standards for select professions in 

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1 tion efforts for members of the Armed Forces and 

2 their spouses upon post-service entry into the civil3 ian workforce. 

4 (5) Design an evaluation criteria that the Sec5 retary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Af6 fairs can use to evaluate the extent to which States 

7 and territories adopt and utilize the Blue Star 

8 credentialing standards. 

9 (b) DEVELOPMENT OF COMMISSION RECOMMENDA10 TIONS.—The Commission shall develop recommendations 

11 on the matters subject to its review under subsection (a). 

12 (c) COMMISSION REPORT AND RECOMMENDA13 TIONS.— 

14 (1) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the 

15 date on which the Commission is established, the 

16 Commission shall transmit to the President and 

17 Congress a report containing the findings and con18 clusions of the Commission, together with the rec19 ommendations of the Commission regarding the 

20 matters described in subsection (a). The Commission 

21 shall include in the report legislative language and 

22 recommendations for administrative action to imple23 ment the recommendations of the Commission. 

24 (2) REQUIREMENT FOR APPROVAL.—The rec25 ommendations of the Commission must be approved 


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1 by a majority of the members of the Commission be2 fore the recommendations may be transmitted to the 

3 President and Congress under paragraph (1). 

4 (3) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The Commission 

5 shall publish a copy of the report required by para6 graph (1) on an Internet website available to the 

7 public on the same date on which it transmits that 

8 report to the President and Congress under that 

9 paragraph. 

10 SEC. 5. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND STAFF. 

11 (a) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.—The Commission shall 

12 appoint and fix the rate of basic pay for an Executive Di13 rector in accordance with section 3161 of title 5, United 

14 States Code. 

15 (b) STAFF.—The Executive Director, with the ap16 proval of the Commission, may appoint and fix the rate 

17 of basic pay for additional personnel as staff of the Com18 mission in accordance with section 3161 of title 5, United 

19 States Code. 

20 SEC. 6. TERMINATION OF COMMISSION. 

21 The Commission shall terminate 90 days after the 

22 date of the submission of the report under section 4. 

Æ 


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