I 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5220 

To establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Certification, Credentialing, 

and Licensure. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 27, 2006 

Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on 

Certification, Credentialing, and Licensure. 

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 ‘‘The Veterans Certifi5 cation and Licensure Act of 2006’’. 

6 SEC. 2. VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON CERTIFI7 CATION, CREDENTIALING, AND LICENSURE. 

8 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established within 

9 the Department of Labor a committee to be known as the 

10 Veterans Advisory Committee on Certification, 


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1 Credentialing, and Licensure (hereinafter in this section 

2 referred to as the ‘‘Committee’’). 

3 (b) DUTIES.—The Committee shall establish and 

4 carry out a national program to do the following: 

5 (1) To facilitate the seamless transition of 

6 members of the Armed Forces from serving on ac7 tive duty to employment in the private sector 

8 through credentialing. 

9 (2) To collect and disseminate data on certifi10 cation, licensing, and credentialing programs of the 

11 Department of Defense, the Department of Labor, 

12 the Department of Veterans Affairs, and of States. 

13 (3) To advise the Secretary of Labor on all 

14 matters relating to certification, licensing, and 

15 credentialing issues related to converting the skills 

16 acquired by veterans while serving in the Armed 

17 Forces to skills relevant to civilian occupations. 

18 (c) MEMBERSHIP.— 

19 (1) The Committee shall be composed of nine 

20 members, as follows: 

21 (A) The Secretary of Defense. 

22 (B) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 

23 (C) The Assistant Secretary of Labor for 

24 Veterans’ Employment and Training. 


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1 (D) Six members appointed by the Sec2 retary of Labor of whom one shall be appointed 

3 from among representatives nominated by each 

4 of the following organizations: 

5 (i) Veterans’ service organizations 

6 that have a national employment program. 

7 (ii) The Coalition for Professional 

8 Certification. 

9 (iii) A nationally-recognized organiza10 tion in the area of human resources man11 agement. 

12 (iv) Nationally-recognized labor 

13 unions and organizations. 

14 (v) A nationally-recognized organiza15 tion that advocates on behalf of United 

16 States businesses and industry. 

17 (vi) The American National Stand18 ards Institute. 

19 (2) A vacancy on the Committee shall be filled 

20 in the same manner in which the original appoint21 ment was made. 

22 (d) ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS.— 

23 (1) MEETINGS.—The Committee shall meet not 

24 less frequently than once each fiscal year quarter. 


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1 (2) CHAIR.—The Secretary of Labor shall ap2 point the chair of the Committee. 

3 (3) COMPENSATION.— 

4 (A) NO COMPENSATION.—Members of the 

5 Committee shall serve without additional com6 pensation by reason of their service on the 

7 Committee. 

8 (B) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Members of the 

9 Committee shall be allowed reasonable and nec10 essary travel expenses, including per diem in 

11 lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for per12 sons serving intermittently in the Government 

13 service in accordance with the provisions of sub14 chapter I of chapter 57 of title 5 while away 

15 from their homes or regular places of business 

16 in the performance of the responsibilities of the 

17 Committee. 

18 (4) STAFF.—The Secretary of Labor shall pro19 vide staff and administrative support to the Com20 mittee to assist it in carrying out its duties under 

21 this section. The Secretary shall assure positions on 

22 the staff of the Committee include positions that are 

23 filled by individuals that are not now, or have ever 

24 been, employed as one of the following: 


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1 (A) Staff of the Assistant Secretary of 

2 Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training 

3 under section 4102A of title 38, United States 

4 Code, as in effect on the date of the enactment 

5 of this Act. 

6 (B) Directors for Veterans’ Employment 

7 and Training under section 4103 of such title 

8 as in effect on such date. 

9 (C) Assistant Director for Veterans’ Em10 ployment and Training under such section as in 

11 effect on such date. 

12 (5) DETAIL OF PERSONNEL.—Upon request of 

13 the Committee, the head of any Federal department 

14 or agency may detail, on a nonreimbursable basis, 

15 any of the personnel of that department or agency 

16 to the Committee to assist it in carrying out its du17 ties. 

18 (6) CONTRACT WITH PRIVATE SECTOR ENTI19 TY.—The Committee may enter into a contract with 

20 a private sector entity that has a demonstrated level 

21 of achievement with respect to issues pertaining to 

22 certification, if the Committee determines that enter23 ing into such a contract is necessary to carry out the 

24 duties of the Committee under subsection (b). 

25 (e) REPORTS.— 


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1 (1) QUARTERLY REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not 

2 later than 30 days after the last day of a fiscal year 

3 quarter, the Secretary of Labor shall submit to Con4 gress a report on the activities of the Committee 

5 under this section during that quarter. 

6 (2) COMMITTEE REPORT.—Not later than one 

7 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

8 Committee shall submit to the Secretary of Labor a 

9 report containing the following: 

10 (A) A description of any area of employ11 ment in which a credentialing or certification 

12 system for veterans exists, an evaluation of the 

13 effectiveness of each such system, and informa14 tion on the number of eligible individuals who 

15 took advantage of each such system. 

16 (B) An identification of any area of em17 ployment in which a credentialing or certifi18 cation system for veterans could be established 

19 or improved during the 18-month period begin20 ning on the date on which the report under this 

21 paragraph is submitted. 

22 (C) A description of the areas of employ23 ment the Committee determines are the most 

24 difficult such areas for which to establish a 

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1 erans and the recommendations of the Com2 mittee with respect to methods of establishing 

3 such a system for each such area. 

4 (f) TERMINATION.—The Committee shall terminate 

5 on the date that is 60 days after the date on which it 

6 submits the report for the last fiscal quarter of fiscal year 

7 2011. 

8 (g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

9 are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 

10 Labor from the employment security administration ac11 count (established in section 901 of the Social Security 

12 Act (42 U.S.C. 1101)) in the Unemployment Trust Fund 

13 $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011 

14 to carry out this section. 

Æ 


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