I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2045 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Veterans Economic 

Opportunity and Transition Administration and the Under Secretary 

for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition of the Department 

of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 3, 2019 

Mr. WENSTRUP (for himself, Mr. LEVIN of California, Mr. DAVID P. ROE of 

Tennessee, and Mr. BILIRAKIS) introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the 

Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration and the Under Secretary for Veterans Economic 

Opportunity and Transition of 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 ‘‘Veterans’ Education, 

5 Transition, and Opportunity Prioritization Plan Act of 

6 2019’’ or the ‘‘VET OPP Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF VETERANS ECONOMIC OPPOR2 TUNITY AND TRANSITION ADMINISTRATION. 

3 (a) VETERANS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND TRAN4 SITION ADMINISTRATION.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—Part V of title 38, United 

6 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 

7 following new chapter: 

8 ‘‘CHAPTER 80—VETERANS ECONOMIC OP9 PORTUNITY AND TRANSITION ADMIN10 ISTRATION 

‘‘8001. Organization of Administration. 

‘‘8002. Functions of Administration. 

‘‘8003. Annual report to Congress. 

11 ‘‘§ 8001. Organization of Administration 

12 ‘‘(a) VETERANS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND

13 TRANSITION ADMINISTRATION.—There is in the Depart14 ment of Veterans Affairs a Veterans Economic Oppor15 tunity and Transition Administration. The primary func16 tion of the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transi17 tion Administration is the administration of the programs 

18 of the Department that provide assistance related to eco19 nomic opportunity to veterans and their dependents and 

20 survivors. 

21 ‘‘(b) UNDER SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC OPPOR22 TUNITY AND TRANSITION.—The Veterans Economic Op23 portunity and Transition Administration is under the 

24 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and 


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1 Transition, who is directly responsible to the Secretary for 

2 the operations of the Administration. 

3 ‘‘§ 8002. Functions of Administration 

4 ‘‘The Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition 

5 Administration is responsible for the administration of the 

6 following programs of the Department: 

7 ‘‘(1) Vocational rehabilitation and employment 

8 programs. 

9 ‘‘(2) Educational assistance programs. 

10 ‘‘(3) Veterans’ housing loan and related pro11 grams. 

12 ‘‘(4) The verification of small businesses owned 

13 and controlled by veterans pursuant to subsection (f) 

14 of section 8127 of this title, including the adminis15 tration of the database of veteran-owned businesses 

16 described in such subsection. 

17 ‘‘(5) The Transition Assistance Program under 

18 section 1144 of title 10. 

19 ‘‘(6) Any other program of the Department 

20 that the Secretary determines appropriate. 

21 ‘‘§ 8003. Annual report to Congress 

22 ‘‘The Secretary shall include in the annual report to 

23 the Congress required by section 529 of this title a report 

24 on the programs administered by the Under Secretary for 

25 Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition. Each 


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1 such report shall include the following with respect to each 

2 such program during the fiscal year covered by that re3 port: 

4 ‘‘(1) The number of claims received. 

5 ‘‘(2) The number of claims decided. 

6 ‘‘(3) The average processing time for a claim. 

7 ‘‘(4) The number of successful outcomes (as de8 termined by the Secretary). 

9 ‘‘(5) The number of full-time equivalent em10 ployees. 

11 ‘‘(6) The amounts expended for information 

12 technology.’’. 

13 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—The tables of 

14 chapters at the beginning of title 38, United States 

15 Code, and of part V of title 38, United States Code, 

16 are each amended by inserting after the item relat17 ing to chapter 79 the following new item: 

‘‘80. Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration ............................................................. 8001’’. 

18 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Chapter 80 of title 38, 

19 United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall take 

20 effect on October 1, 2020. 

21 (c) FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.—For fiscal years 2019 

22 and 2020, the total number of full-time equivalent employ23 ees authorized for the Veterans Benefits Administration 

24 and the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition 


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1 Administration, as established under chapter 80 of title 

2 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), may 

3 not exceed 23,899. 

4 SEC. 3. UNDER SECRETARY FOR VETERANS ECONOMIC OP5 PORTUNITY AND TRANSITION. 

6 (a) UNDER SECRETARY.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 3 of title 38, United 

8 States Code, is amended by inserting after section 

9 306 the following new section: 

10 ‘‘§ 306A. Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Op11 portunity and Transition 

12 ‘‘(a) UNDER SECRETARY.—There is in the Depart13 ment an Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Oppor14 tunity and Transition, who is appointed by the President, 

15 by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The 

16 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and 

17 Transition shall be appointed without regard to political 

18 affiliation or activity and solely on the basis of dem19 onstrated ability in— 

20 ‘‘(1) information technology; and 

21 ‘‘(2) the administration of programs within the 

22 Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Ad23 ministration or programs of similar content and 

24 scope. 


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1 ‘‘(b) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Under Secretary for 

2 Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition is the 

3 head of, and is directly responsible to the Secretary for 

4 the operations of, the Veterans Economic Opportunity and 

5 Transition Administration. 

6 ‘‘(c) VACANCIES.—(1) Whenever a vacancy in the po7 sition of Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Oppor8 tunity and Transition occurs or is anticipated, the Sec9 retary shall establish a commission to recommend individ10 uals to the President for appointment to the position. 

11 ‘‘(2) A commission established under this subsection 

12 shall be composed of the following members appointed by 

13 the Secretary: 

14 ‘‘(A) Three persons representing education and 

15 training, vocational rehabilitation, employment, real 

16 estate, mortgage finance and related industries, and 

17 survivor benefits activities affected by the Veterans 

18 Economic Opportunity and Transition Administra19 tion. 

20 ‘‘(B) Two persons representing veterans served 

21 by the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transi22 tion Administration. 

23 ‘‘(C) Two persons who have experience in the 

24 management of private sector benefits programs of 


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1 similar content and scope to the economic oppor2 tunity and transition programs of the Department. 

3 ‘‘(D) The Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 

4 ‘‘(E) The chairman of the Veterans’ Advisory 

5 Committee on Education formed under section 3692 

6 of this title. 

7 ‘‘(F) One person who has held the position of 

8 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity 

9 and Transition, if the Secretary determines that it 

10 is desirable for such person to be a member of the 

11 commission. 

12 ‘‘(3) A commission established under this subsection 

13 shall recommend at least three individuals for appoint14 ment to the position of Under Secretary for Veterans Eco15 nomic Opportunity and Transition. The commission shall 

16 submit all recommendations to the Secretary. The Sec17 retary shall forward the recommendations to the President 

18 and the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate 

19 and House of Representatives with any comments the Sec20 retary considers appropriate. Thereafter, the President 

21 may request the commission to recommend additional in22 dividuals for appointment. 

23 ‘‘(4) The Assistant Secretary or Deputy Assistant 

24 Secretary of Veterans Affairs who performs personnel 

25 management and labor relations functions shall serve as 


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1 the executive secretary of a commission established under 

2 this subsection.’’. 

3 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec4 tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 

5 by inserting after the item relating to section 306 

6 the following new item: 

‘‘306A. Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition.’’. 

7 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Title 38, United 

8 States Code, is further amended— 

9 (1) in section 306(c)(2), by striking subpara10 graphs (A) and (E) and redesignating subpara11 graphs (B), (C), (D), and (F), as subparagraphs (A) 

12 through (D), respectively; 

13 (2) in section 317(d)(2), by inserting after 

14 ‘‘Under Secretary for Benefits,’’ the following: ‘‘the 

15 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity 

16 and Transition,’’; 

17 (3) in section 318(d)(2), by inserting after 

18 ‘‘Under Secretary for Benefits,’’ the following: ‘‘the 

19 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity 

20 and Transition,’’; 

21 (4) in section 516(e)(2)(C), by striking ‘‘Health 

22 and the Under Secretary for Benefits’’ and inserting 

23 ‘‘Health, the Under Secretary for Benefits, and the 

24 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity 

25 and Transition’’; 


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1 (5) in section 541(a)(2)(B), by striking ‘‘Health 

2 and the Under Secretary for Benefits’’ and inserting 

3 ‘‘Health, the Under Secretary for Benefits, and the 

4 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity 

5 and Transition’’; 

6 (6) in section 542(a)(2)(B)(iii), by striking 

7 ‘‘Health and the Under Secretary for Benefits’’ and 

8 inserting ‘‘Health, the Under Secretary for Benefits, 

9 and the Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Op10 portunity and Transition’’; 

11 (7) in section 544(a)(2)(B)(vi), by striking 

12 ‘‘Health and the Under Secretary for Benefits’’ and 

13 inserting ‘‘Health, the Under Secretary for Benefits, 

14 and the Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Op15 portunity and Transition’’; 

16 (8) in section 709(c)(2)(A), by inserting after 

17 ‘‘Under Secretary for Benefits,’’ the following: ‘‘the 

18 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity 

19 and Transition,’’; 

20 (9) in section 7701(a), by inserting after ‘‘as21 sistance’’ the following: ‘‘, other than assistance re22 lated to Economic Opportunity and Transition,’’; 

23 and 


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1 (10) in section 7703, by striking paragraphs (2) 

2 and (3) and redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as 

3 paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively. 

4 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Section 306A of title 38, 

5 United States Code, as added by subsection (a), and the 

6 amendments made by this section, shall take effect on Oc7 tober 1, 2020. 

Æ 


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