II 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3865 

To provide incentive for employers to hire service-connected disabled veterans 

and to improve adjustment assistance and job-training transition for 

injured and disabled veterans, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 7 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 6), 2006 

Mr. BAUCUS introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To provide incentive for employers to hire service-connected 

disabled veterans and to improve adjustment assistance 

and job-training transition for injured and disabled veterans, 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 ‘‘Help Our Patriots Em5 ployment (HOPE) Act of 2006’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


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•S 3865 IS

1 (1) As of July 15, 2006, a total of 19,813 

2 members of the Armed Forces of the United States 

3 have been wounded in action in Operation Iraqi 

4 Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom 

5 (OEF). 

6 (2) As of July 15, 2006, a total of 3,083 mem7 bers of the National Guard have been wounded in 

8 action in OIF and OEF. 

9 (3) As of July 15, 2006, a total of 1,626 mem10 bers of the Reserve have been wounded in action in 

11 OIF and OEF. 

12 (4) Rural States are carrying a huge burden 

13 when it comes to this Nation’s current conflicts 

14 abroad. Ninety-five percent of America’s National 

15 Guard combat battalions and special operations have 

16 been mobilized since September 11, 2001. When not 

17 deployed, many members of the National Guard and 

18 Reserve have second and third jobs to make ends 

19 meet. 

20 (5) Many of these brave servicemen and women 

21 are now permanently disabled, and many of them 

22 are now unable to perform the jobs they did before 

23 deployment because of injury or disability. 

24 (6) Since August 2002, the number of veterans 

25 collecting unemployment insurance has risen 96 perVerDate Aug 31 2005 00:09 Sep 13, 2006 Jkt 049196 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3865.IS S3865

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1 cent. In addition, during any given year, 500,000 

2 veterans experience homelessness. 

3 SEC. 3. TREATMENT OF DISABLED VETERANS UNDER THE 

4 WORK OPPORTUNITY TAX CREDIT. 

5 (a) DISABLED VETERANS TREATED AS MEMBERS OF

6 TARGETED GROUP.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subparagraph (A) of section 

8 51(d)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (re9 lating to qualified veteran) is amended by striking 

10 ‘‘agency as being a member of a family’’ and all that 

11 follows and inserting ‘‘agency as— 

12 ‘‘(i) being a member of a family re13 ceiving assistance under a food stamp pro14 gram under the Food Stamp Act of 1977 

15 for at least a 3-month period ending dur16 ing the 12-month period ending on the hir17 ing date, or 

18 ‘‘(ii) entitled to compensation for a 

19 service-connected disability.’’. 

20 (2) DEFINITIONS.—Paragraph (3) of section 

21 51(d) of such Code is amended by adding at the end 

22 the following new subparagraph: 

23 ‘‘(C) OTHER DEFINITIONS.—For purposes 

24 of subparagraph (A), the terms ‘compensation’ 

25 and ‘service-connected’ have the meanings given 


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1 such terms under section 101 of title 38, 

2 United States Code.’’. 

3 (b) INCREASE IN AMOUNT OF WAGES TAKEN INTO

4 ACCOUNT FOR DISABLED VETERANS.—Paragraph (3) of 

5 section 51(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is 

6 amended— 

7 (1) by inserting ‘‘($12,000 per year in the case 

8 of any individual who is a qualified veteran by rea9 son of subsection (d)(3)(A)(ii))’’ before the period at 

10 the end, and 

11 (2) by striking ‘‘ONLY FIRST $6,000 OF’’ in the 

12 heading and inserting ‘‘LIMITATION ON’’. 

13 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

14 this section shall apply to individuals who begin work for 

15 an employer after December 31, 2005. 

16 SEC. 4. INCREASED FUNDING FOR THE NATIONAL VET17 ERANS’ EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING SERV18 ICES INSTITUTE. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—In addition to any amounts other20 wise appropriated, there is authorized to be appropriated 

21 to the Secretary of Labor to operate the National Vet22 erans’ Employment and Training Services Institute in ac23 cordance with section 4109 of title 38, United States 

24 Code, $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 and 2009. 


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1 (b) AVAILABILITY.—Any amounts appropriated pur2 suant to the authority of subsection (a) shall remain avail3 able until expended. 

Æ 


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