I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5644 

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

Opportunity and Transition Administration, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 26, 2018 

Mr. WENSTRUP (for himself, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. BANKS of Indiana, and Mr. 

TAKANO) 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 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 2018’’ 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 

‘‘Sec. 

‘‘8001. Organization of Administration. 

‘‘8002. Functions of Administration. 

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 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—The tables of 

22 chapters at the beginning of title 38, United States 

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

24 are each amended by inserting after the item relat25 ing to chapter 79 the following new item: 


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

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

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

3 effect on October 1, 2019. 

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

5 and 2020, the total number of full-time equivalent employ6 ees authorized for the Veterans Benefits Administration 

7 and the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition 

8 Administration, as established under chapter 80 of title 

9 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), may 

10 not exceed 21,543. 

11 SEC. 3. UNDER SECRETARY FOR VETERANS ECONOMIC OP12 PORTUNITY AND TRANSITION. 

13 (a) UNDER SECRETARY.— 

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

15 States Code, is amended by inserting after section 

16 306 the following new section: 

17 ‘‘§ 306A. Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Op18 portunity and Transition 

19 ‘‘(a) UNDER SECRETARY.—There is in the Depart20 ment an Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Oppor21 tunity and Transition, who is appointed by the President, 

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

23 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and 

24 Transition shall be appointed without regard to political 


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1 affiliation or activity and solely on the basis of dem2 onstrated ability in— 

3 ‘‘(1) information technology; and 

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

5 Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Ad6 ministration or programs of similar content and 

7 scope. 

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

9 Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition is the 

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

11 the operations of, the Veterans Economic Opportunity and 

12 Transition Administration. 

13 ‘‘(c) VACANCIES.—(1) Whenever a vacancy in the po14 sition of Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Oppor15 tunity and Transition occurs or is anticipated, the Sec16 retary shall establish a commission to recommend individ17 uals to the President for appointment to the position. 

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

19 shall be composed of the following members appointed by 

20 the Secretary: 

21 ‘‘(A) Three persons representing education and 

22 training, vocational rehabilitation, employment, real 

23 estate, mortgage finance and related industries, and 

24 survivor benefits activities affected by the Veterans 


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1 Economic Opportunity and Transition Administra2 tion. 

3 ‘‘(B) Two persons representing veterans served 

4 by the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transi5 tion Administration. 

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

7 management of private sector benefits programs of 

8 similar content and scope to the economic oppor9 tunity and transition programs of the Department. 

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

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

12 Committee on Education formed under section 3692 

13 of this title. 

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

15 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity 

16 and Transition, if the Secretary determines that it 

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

18 commission. 

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

20 shall recommend at least three individuals for appoint21 ment to the position of Under Secretary for Veterans Eco22 nomic Opportunity and Transition. The commission shall 

23 submit all recommendations to the Secretary. The Sec24 retary shall forward the recommendations to the President 

25 and the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate 


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1 and House of Representatives with any comments the Sec2 retary considers appropriate. Thereafter, the President 

3 may request the commission to recommend additional in4 dividuals for appointment. 

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

6 Secretary of Veterans Affairs who performs personnel 

7 management and labor relations functions shall serve as 

8 the executive secretary of a commission established under 

9 this subsection.’’. 

10 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec11 tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 

12 by inserting after the item relating to section 306 

13 the following new item: 

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

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

15 States Code, is further amended— 

16 (1) in section 306(c)(2), by striking subpara17 graphs (A) and (E) and redesignating subpara18 graphs (B), (C), (D), and (F), as subparagraphs (A) 

19 through (D), respectively; 

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

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

22 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity 

23 and Transition,’’; 

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

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


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1 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity 

2 and Transition,’’; 

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

4 and the Under Secretary for Benefits’’ and inserting 

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

6 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity 

7 and Transition’’; 

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

9 and the Under Secretary for Benefits’’ and inserting 

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

11 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity 

12 and Transition’’; 

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

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

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

16 and the Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Op17 portunity and Transition’’; 

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

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

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

21 and the Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Op22 portunity and Transition’’; 

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

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


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1 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity 

2 and Transition,’’; 

3 (9) in section 7701(a), by inserting after ‘‘as4 sistance’’ the following: ‘‘, other than assistance re5 lated to Economic Opportunity and Transition,’’; 

6 and 

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

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

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

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

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

12 amendments made by this section, shall take effect on Oc13 tober 1, 2019. 

Æ 


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