I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5153 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program 

to employ veterans in certain wildland firefighting activities. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 4, 2023 

Mr. NEGUSE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 

provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 

a pilot program to employ veterans in certain wildland 

firefighting activities. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. PILOT PROGRAM TO EMPLOY VETERANS IN PO4 SITIONS RELATING TO FEDERAL WILDLAND 

5 FIREFIGHTING ACTIVITIES. 

6 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Veterans 

7 Affairs, in coordination with the Secretary of Agriculture 

8 and the Secretary of the Interior, shall jointly establish 


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1 a pilot program to employ veterans in wildland firefighting 

2 activities. 

3 (b) DUTIES.—Under such pilot program— 

4 (1) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall be 

5 responsible for administering such pilot program; 

6 and 

7 (2) the Secretary of Agriculture and the Sec8 retary of the Interior shall be responsible for— 

9 (A) identifying vacant positions in the De10 partment of Agriculture and the Department of 

11 the Interior, respectively, that are appropriate 

12 for veterans selected for participation in such 

13 pilot program; and 

14 (B) to the extent practicable, employing 

15 such veterans in such positions. 

16 (c) APPLICATION OF CIVIL SERVICE LAWS.—A vet17 eran employed under the pilot program under subsection 

18 (a) shall be treated as an employee. 

19 (d) BEST PRACTICES.—The Secretary of Veterans 

20 Affairs shall establish guidelines that include best prac21 tices for departments and agencies of the Federal Govern22 ment that carry out programs to employ veterans who are 

23 transitioning from service in the Armed Forces. Such 

24 guidelines shall include— 


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1 (1) lessons learned under the Warrior Training 

2 Advancement Course of the Department of Veterans 

3 Affairs; and 

4 (2) methods to realize cost savings based on 

5 such lessons. 

6 (e) PARTNERSHIP.—The Secretary of Veterans Af7 fairs, the Secretaries concerned, and the Secretary of De8 fense may enter into a partnership to include the pilot pro9 gram under subsection (a) as part of the Skillbridge pro10 gram under section 1143 of title 10, United States Code. 

11 (f) REPORTS.— 

12 (1) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 60 days 

13 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec14 retary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretaries con15 cerned shall jointly submit to the appropriate con16 gressional committees a report on the pilot program 

17 under subsection (a), including— 

18 (A) a description of how such pilot pro19 gram will be carried out in a manner to reduce 

20 the unemployment of veterans; and 

21 (B) any recommendations for legislative 

22 actions to improve such pilot program. 

23 (2) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than one 

24 year after the date on which the Secretary of Vet25 erans Affairs commences such pilot program, such 


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1 Secretary and the Secretaries concerned shall jointly 

2 submit to the appropriate congressional committees 

3 a report on the implementation of such pilot pro4 gram. 

5 (3) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 30 days 

6 after the date on which such pilot program con7 cludes, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the 

8 Secretaries concerned shall jointly submit to the ap9 propriate congressional committees a report that in10 cludes— 

11 (A) an identification of— 

12 (i) the number of veterans who ap13 plied to participate in such pilot program; 

14 (ii) the number of such veterans em15 ployed pursuant to such pilot program; and 

16 (iii) the number of veterans described 

17 in clause (ii) who transitioned to full-time 

18 positions with the Federal Government 

19 after participating in such pilot program; 

20 and 

21 (B) any other information the Secretaries 

22 determine appropriate with respect to meas23 uring the effectiveness of such pilot program. 

24 (g) TERMINATION DATE.—The authority to carry out 

25 the pilot program under subsection (a) shall terminate on 


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1 the date that is two years after the date on which the Sec2 retary of Veterans Affairs commences such pilot program. 

3 (h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

4 (1) The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com5 mittees’’ means the following: 

6 (A) The Committee on Agriculture of the 

7 House of Representatives. 

8 (B) The Committee on Natural Resources 

9 of the House of Representatives. 

10 (C) The Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 

11 the House of Representatives. 

12 (D) The Committee on Agriculture, Nutri13 tion, and Forestry of the Senate. 

14 (E) The Committee on Energy and Nat15 ural Resources of the Senate. 

16 (F) The Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 

17 the Senate. 

18 (2) The term ‘‘employee’’ has the meaning 

19 given such term in section 2105 of title 5, United 

20 States Code. 

21 (3) The term ‘‘wildland firefighting activities’’ 

22 means any temporary, seasonal, or permanent posi23 tion at the Department of Agriculture or the De24 partment of the Interior, and Tribal Firefighters, 

25 that maintains group, emergency incident manageVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:48 Aug 22, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5153.IH H5153

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1 ment, or fire qualifications, as established annually 

2 by the Standards for Wildland Fire Position Quali3 fications published by the National Wildfire Coordi4 nating Group, that primarily engages in or supports 

5 wildland fire management, including forestry and 

6 rangeland technicians and positions concerning avia7 tion, engineering heavy equipment operations, dis8 patch, or fire and fuels management. 

Æ 


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