I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 758 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize veterans who are entitled 

to educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance 

Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs to use such entitlement 

to participate in a career transition internship program for veterans. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 31, 2017 

Mr. SCHNEIDER (for himself and Mr. YOHO) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize veterans 

who are entitled to educational assistance under the 

Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs to use such entitlement 

to participate in a career transition internship program 

for veterans. 

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 ‘‘GI Internship Program 

5 Act’’. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 758 IH

1 SEC. 2. PROGRAM ON PROVISION OF CAREER TRANSITION 

2 SERVICES TO YOUNG VETERANS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 33 of 

4 title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

5 end the following new section: 

6 ‘‘§ 3320. Career transition internship program 

7 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The internship program de8 scribed in subsection (b) shall be deemed to be an ap9 proved program of education for purposes of this chapter. 

10 ‘‘(b) INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Vet11 erans Affairs shall establish a program to match individ12 uals entitled to educational assistance under this chapter 

13 with eligible employers providing internships for the pur14 pose of— 

15 ‘‘(1) providing such individuals with work expe16 rience in the civilian sector; 

17 ‘‘(2) addressing the growing skills gap in the 

18 United States economy; 

19 ‘‘(3) increasing the marketable skills of such in20 dividuals; and 

21 ‘‘(4) assisting such individuals in obtaining 

22 long-term employment. 

23 ‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE EMPLOYERS.— 

24 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of the pro25 gram, an eligible employer is an employer deter26 mined by the Secretary to meet such criteria for 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 758 IH

1 participation in the program as the Secretary shall 

2 establish for purposes of the program. 

3 ‘‘(2) PAST PERFORMANCE ON CERTAIN MAT4 TERS.—The criteria established by the Secretary 

5 under paragraph (1) may include past performance 

6 of an employer with respect to the following: 

7 ‘‘(A) Job training, basic skills training, 

8 and related activities. 

9 ‘‘(B) Financial accountability. 

10 ‘‘(C) Demonstrated need to hire, desire to 

11 grow, and plan to grow. 

12 ‘‘(D) Demonstrated high potential for 

13 growth and long-term job creation. 

14 ‘‘(3) FOR-PROFIT AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT EM15 PLOYERS.—The employers determined by the Sec16 retary to be eligible employers under paragraph (1) 

17 may include both for-profit and not-for-profit em18 ployers. 

19 ‘‘(4) SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS.—In deter20 mining employers to be eligible employers under 

21 paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure that small 

22 business concerns (under the meaning given that 

23 term under section 3(a) of the Small Business Act 

24 (15 U.S.C. 632(a))) are afforded opportunities to 

25 participate in the program. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 758 IH

1 ‘‘(5) MANUFACTURING.—In determining em2 ployers to be eligible employers under paragraph (1), 

3 the Secretary shall give special consideration to em4 ployers in the manufacturing sector. 

5 ‘‘(6) EXCLUSIONS.—The following employers 

6 may not be determined to be eligible employers 

7 under paragraph (1): 

8 ‘‘(A) An agency of the Federal Govern9 ment or a State or local government. 

10 ‘‘(B) An employer that has previously par11 ticipated in the program and, as determined by 

12 the Secretary, failed to abide by any require13 ment of the program. 

14 ‘‘(C) An employer that cannot give an as15 surance to the Secretary at the time of applica16 tion for participation in the program under sub17 section (f), and in such manner as the Sec18 retary shall specify pursuant to that subsection, 

19 on each matter as follows: 

20 ‘‘(i) That the employer has not been 

21 investigated or subject to a case or action 

22 by the Federal Trade Commission during 

23 the 180-day period ending on the date the 

24 employer would otherwise commence par25 ticipation in the program. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 758 IH

1 ‘‘(ii) That the employer has been in 

2 good standing with a State business bu3 reau during the period described in clause 

4 (i). 

5 ‘‘(iii) That the employer is not delin6 quent with respect to payment of any taxes 

7 or employer contributions described under 

8 sections 3301 and 3302(a)(1) of the Inter9 nal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 

10 3301 and 3302(a)(1)). 

11 ‘‘(iv) That the employer would not re12 quest the placement of an additional eligi13 ble individual under the program, if after 

14 such additional placement, the number of 

15 eligible individuals placed in internships at 

16 such employer under the program would 

17 constitute more than 10 percent of the eli18 gible employer’s workforce. For purposes 

19 of the previous sentence, being an intern 

20 under the program placed at an employer 

21 shall be considered part of the employer’s 

22 workforce. 

23 ‘‘(v) That the employer has the inten24 tion of retaining eligible participants after 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 758 IH

1 such participants have completed participa2 tion in the program. 

3 ‘‘(d) INTERNSHIPS.— 

4 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For each individual entitled 

5 to educational assistance under this chapter whom 

6 the Secretary approves for participation in the pro7 gram established under subsection (b), the Secretary 

8 shall attempt to place such individual in an intern9 ship on a full-time basis with an eligible employer 

10 that the Secretary has approved for participation in 

11 the program. For each month such an individual 

12 participates in such an internship on a full-time 

13 basis, the Secretary shall pay to the individual the 

14 amount of educational assistance described in sec15 tion 3313(g)(3)(B) of this title. 

16 ‘‘(2) DURATION.—Each internship under the 

17 program shall be for a period of at least 180 days 

18 but not more than one year. 

19 ‘‘(3) EMPLOYMENT STATUS.—For purposes of 

20 the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 

21 (Public Law 111–148), an individual placed in an 

22 internship with an eligible employer under the pro23 gram shall be considered an employee of the Depart24 ment of Veterans Affairs and not the eligible emVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:17 Feb 07, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H758.IH H758

SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 758 IH

1 ployer during the period of such internship under 

2 the program. 

3 ‘‘(4) RELATION TO OTHER FEDERAL ASSIST4 ANCE.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 

5 pay received by an individual under this subsection 

6 may not be used in any calculation to determine the 

7 eligibility of such individual for any Federal program 

8 for the purpose of obtaining child care assistance. 

9 ‘‘(5) CERTIFICATION.—For each month that an 

10 individual participates in an internship under the 

11 program established by subsection (b), the individual 

12 and the eligible employer providing the internship 

13 shall submit to the Secretary certification that the 

14 individual worked at least 35 hours each week for 

15 the eligible employer performing functions that pro16 vided the individual with valuable experience. 

17 ‘‘(e) PARTICIPATION.— 

18 ‘‘(1) APPLICATION.— 

19 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible employer 

20 or individual seeking to participate in the pro21 gram shall submit to the Secretary an applica22 tion therefor at such time, in such manner, and 

23 containing such information as the Secretary 

24 shall specify. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 758 IH

1 ‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBLE EM2 PLOYERS.—An application submitted by an eli3 gible employer under subparagraph (A) shall in4 clude a certification or other information, in 

5 such form and manner as the Secretary shall 

6 specify, on each of the assurances required by 

7 subsection (c)(5)(C), including the assurance 

8 that the employer has the intention of retaining 

9 eligible participants after they have completed 

10 participation in the program as provided in 

11 clause (v) of that subsection. 

12 ‘‘(2) TIME OF APPLICATION FOR CERTAIN ELI13 GIBLE INDIVIDUALS.—A member of the Armed 

14 Forces on active duty who expects to be entitled for 

15 educational assistance under this chapter may sub16 mit an application to participate in the program not 

17 earlier than 180 days before the date on which the 

18 member expects to be discharged or released from 

19 the Armed Forces. 

20 ‘‘(3) SELECTION.—The Secretary shall review 

21 each application submitted by an applicant under 

22 paragraph (1) and approve or disapprove the appli23 cant for participation in the program. 

24 ‘‘(f) OUTREACH.— 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
9 

•HR 758 IH

1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 

2 Affairs and the Secretary of Labor shall jointly 

3 carry out a program of outreach to inform eligible 

4 employers and eligible individuals about the program 

5 and the benefits of participating in the program. 

6 ‘‘(2) INTERNET PORTAL.—The Secretary of 

7 Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Labor shall 

8 work together to create and publicize an Internet 

9 website to serve as a portal for eligible individuals 

10 and eligible employers to learn about the program 

11 and apply. 

12 ‘‘(3) INCLUDED LOCATIONS AND GROUPS.—The 

13 Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of 

14 Labor shall ensure that any outreach program and 

15 activities conducted under paragraph (1) include, to 

16 the extent practicable, rural communities, tribal 

17 lands of the United States, Native Americans, and 

18 tribal organizations (as defined in section 3765 of 

19 title 38, United States Code). 

20 ‘‘(g) MINIMIZATION OF BURDENS ON PARTICIPATING

21 EMPLOYERS.—The Secretary shall take such measures as 

22 may be necessary to minimize administrative burdens in23 curred by eligible employers due to participation in the 

24 program and to ensure that employer participation in the 

25 program is at no cost to the employer. 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
10 

•HR 758 IH

1 ‘‘(h) REPORTS.— 

2 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 45 days 

3 after the completion of the first year of the program 

4 and not later than 90 days after the completion of 

5 the second and third years of the program, the Sec6 retary shall submit to Congress a report on the pro7 gram. 

8 ‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—Each report submitted under 

9 paragraph (1) shall include the following: 

10 ‘‘(A) An evaluation of the program. 

11 ‘‘(B) The number and characteristics of 

12 participants in the program. 

13 ‘‘(C) The number and types of internships 

14 in which individuals were placed under the pro15 gram. 

16 ‘‘(D) The number of individuals who ob17 tained long-term full-time unsubsidized employ18 ment positions after participation in the pro19 gram, the hourly wage and nature of such em20 ployment, and if available, whether such indi21 viduals were still employed in such positions 

22 three months after obtaining such positions. 

23 ‘‘(E) An assessment of the effect of the 

24 program on earnings of the individuals who 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
11 

•HR 758 IH

1 participated and the employment of such indi2 viduals. 

3 ‘‘(F) Such recommendations for legislative 

4 and administrative action as the Secretary may 

5 have to improve the program, to expand the 

6 program, or to improve the employment of indi7 viduals entitled to educational assistance under 

8 this chapter.’’. 

9 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

10 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 

11 after the item relating to section 3319 the following new 

12 item: 

‘‘3320. Career transition internship program.’’. 

Æ 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS