I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5380 

To direct the Secretary of Labor to establish a competitive grant program 

for community colleges to train veterans for local jobs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 3, 2016 

Mr. ISRAEL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Labor to establish a competitive 

grant program for community colleges to train veterans 

for local jobs. 

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 ‘‘Revamping the Edu5 cation of our Veterans to Align Manufacturing through 

6 Partnerships with Community Colleges Act of 2016’’ or 

7 ‘‘REVAMP with Community Colleges Act of 2016’’. 

8 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

9 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) In October 2014, the unemployment rate 

2 for veterans who had returned from Iraq and Af3 ghanistan was 7.2 percent, a rate above the national 

4 average. Unemployment among returning female vet5 erans was even higher, and also was above the na6 tional average. 

7 (2) Such veterans have benefits to use under 

8 chapter 33 of title 38, United States Code. 

9 (3) Manufacturing companies have approxi10 mately 285,000 vacancies they are struggling to fill. 

11 SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM TO TRAIN VETERANS FOR LOCAL 

12 JOBS. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation 

14 with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall establish a 

15 program to award competitive grants to eligible commu16 nity colleges (as described in subsection (b)) to train cov17 ered veterans for jobs in the local community. 

18 (b) ELIGIBILITY.—In order to be eligible to receive 

19 a grant under this section, a community college shall sub20 mit an application to the Secretary that demonstrates, to 

21 the satisfaction of the Secretary, that the local community 

22 in which the community college is located has— 

23 (1) employment opportunities that require 

24 trained workers; and 


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1 (2) a significant population of covered veterans 

2 that might pursue the employment opportunities de3 scribed in paragraph (1) if given access to necessary 

4 training. 

5 (c) USE OF FUNDS.—A community college receiving 

6 a grant under this section shall use amounts under the 

7 grant to— 

8 (1) conduct an analysis of— 

9 (A) the demand for additional trained em10 ployees among local employers, including local 

11 manufacturers; and 

12 (B) the skills and training possessed by 

13 covered veterans seeking employment with local 

14 employers, including local manufacturers; 

15 (2) carry out an existing, or develop and imple16 ment a new, certificate or degree program at the 

17 community college that provides training to covered 

18 veterans that addresses the demand for additional 

19 trained employees among local employers, including 

20 local manufacturers; and 

21 (3) facilitate the establishment of an advisory 

22 board that consists of representatives from the local 

23 business community and the employee from the De24 partment of Veterans Affairs detailed under section 

25 4— 


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1 (A) to provide assistance regarding the 

2 training described in paragraph (2); and 

3 (B) to assist covered veterans who have 

4 successfully completed the training described in 

5 paragraph (2) in their pursuit of local employ6 ment opportunities. 

7 SEC. 4. DETAIL OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 

8 EMPLOYEE. 

9 The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall detail an em10 ployee of the Department of Veterans Affairs to partici11 pate on the supervisory board established in section 

12 3(c)(3). 

13 SEC. 5. GRANT AMOUNT. 

14 To the maximum extent practicable, the amount of 

15 a grant under section 3 shall not exceed $2,000,000. 

16 SEC. 6. REPORT. 

17 Not later than one year after the date of enactment 

18 of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a re19 port— 

20 (1) evaluating the success of the program estab21 lished under section 3; and 

22 (2) making recommendations as to whether the 

23 program should be continued, and if so, whether the 

24 program should be expanded. 


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1 SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) COMMUNITY COLLEGE.—The term ‘‘commu4 nity college’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘junior 

5 or community college’’ in section 312(f) of the High6 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1058(f)). 

7 (2) COVERED VETERAN.—The term ‘‘covered 

8 veteran’’ means a veteran receiving educational as9 sistance under chapter 33 of title 38, United States 

10 Code. 

11 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

12 the Secretary of Labor. 

13 SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro15 priated to the Secretary $250,000,000 for fiscal year 2017 

16 to carry out this Act. 

17 (b) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts appropriated pursuant 

18 to the authorization of appropriations under subsection (a) 

19 are authorized to remain available until expended. 

Æ 


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