IIB 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5229 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 24, 2016 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

AN ACT 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 

a study to evaluate the effectiveness of programs, especially in regards to women veterans and minority veterans, in transitioning to civilian life, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving Transition 

3 Programs for All Veterans Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) The rate of unemployment for women vet7 erans is higher than the rate for male veterans. In 

8 2015, the unemployment rate for women veterans 

9 remained relatively unchanged at 5.4 percent, while 

10 the rate for male veterans declined to 4.5 percent. 

11 (2) Women veterans, on average, earn less than 

12 male veterans. In 2013, the median income for 

13 women veterans was $35,264, while the median in14 come for male veterans was $41,310. 

15 (3) Women veterans and veterans with disabil16 ities are more likely to become homeless. 

17 (4) Service-connected disabled veterans with rel18 atively high disability ratings have a higher unem19 ployment rate than those with relatively low dis20 ability ratings. In 2015, the unemployment rate for 

21 veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 

22 60 percent or higher was 9.6 percent, much higher 

23 than the 4.0 percent rate for veterans with a service24 connected disability rating of 30 percent or lower. 


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1 (5) In 2013, American Indian and Alaska Na2 tive veterans had the lowest median personal in3 comes of any group of minority veterans. 

4 (6) In 2013, American Indian and Alaska Na5 tive veterans were less likely to have finished an ad6 vanced degree than other veterans. 

7 (7) American Indian and Alaska Native vet8 erans were more likely to have a service-connected 

9 disability rating compared to all other veterans. In 

10 2013, the rate of American Indian and Alaska Na11 tive veterans with a service-connected disability rat12 ing was about 26 percent compared to 18.2 percent 

13 for all other veterans. 

14 (8) There is a lack of data on, and an under15 standing of, the challenges and needs of veterans 

16 who are residents of a territory of the United States 

17 and veterans who are part of the indigenous popu18 lation of a territory of the United States. 

19 SEC. 3. STUDY ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VETERANS 

20 TRANSITION EFFORTS. 

21 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in 

22 coordination with the Secretaries of Labor and Defense, 

23 shall carry out a study to evaluate programs to assist vet24 erans of the Armed Forces in their transition to civilian 

25 life. Such study shall be designed to determine the effecVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:32 May 25, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5229.RFS H5229

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1 tiveness of current programs, especially in regards to the 

2 unique challenges faced by women veterans, veterans with 

3 disabilities, Native American veterans, veterans who are 

4 residents of a territory of the United States, veterans who 

5 are part of the indigenous population of a territory of the 

6 United States, and other groups of minority veterans iden7 tified by the Secretaries, including whether such pro8 grams— 

9 (1) effectively address the challenges veterans 

10 face in pursuing higher education, especially the 

11 challenges faced by women veterans, veterans with 

12 disabilities, Native American veterans, veterans who 

13 are residents of a territory of the United States, vet14 erans who are part of the indigenous population of 

15 a territory of the United States, and other groups of 

16 minority veterans identified by the Secretaries; 

17 (2) effectively address the challenges such vet18 erans face entering the civilian workforce and in 

19 translating experience and skills from military serv20 ice to the job market; and 

21 (3) effectively address the challenges faced by 

22 the families of such veterans transitioning to civilian 

23 life. 

24 (b) REPORT.—Eighteen months after the enactment 

25 of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit 


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1 a report to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

2 Senate and House of Representatives regarding the find3 ings and recommendations of the study required under 

4 subsection (a) of this section. 

5 SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIA6 TIONS. 

7 No additional funds are authorized to carry out the 

8 requirements of this Act. Such requirements shall be car9 ried out using amounts otherwise authorized. 

Passed the House of Representatives May 23, 2016. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


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