II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1003 

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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 3, 2019 

Mr. RUBIO (for himself and Ms. HASSAN) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and 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 of 2019’’. 


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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.—(1) There is in the De14 partment of Veterans Affairs a Veterans Economic Oppor15 tunity and Transition Administration. 

16 ‘‘(2) The primary function of the Veterans Economic 

17 Opportunity and Transition Administration is the admin18 istration of the programs of the Department that provide 

19 assistance related to economic opportunity to veterans and 

20 their dependents and 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 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall include in 

23 the annual report to Congress required by section 529 of 

24 this title a report on the programs administered by the 


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1 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and 

2 Transition. 

3 ‘‘(b) CONTENTS.—Each report submitted under sub4 section (a) shall include the following with respect to each 

5 program described in such subsection during the fiscal 

6 year covered by the report: 

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

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

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

10 ‘‘(4) The number of successful outcomes (as de11 termined by the Secretary). 

12 ‘‘(5) The number of full-time equivalent em13 ployees. 

14 ‘‘(6) The amounts expended for information 

15 technology.’’. 

16 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—The tables of 

17 chapters at the beginning of title 38, United States 

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

19 are each amended by inserting after the item relat20 ing to chapter 79 the following new item: 

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

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

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

23 effect on October 1, 2020. 


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

2 and 2020, the total number of full-time equivalent employ3 ees authorized for the Veterans Benefits Administration 

4 and the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition 

5 Administration, as established under chapter 80 of title 

6 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), may 

7 not exceed 23,899. 

8 SEC. 3. UNDER SECRETARY FOR VETERANS ECONOMIC OP9 PORTUNITY AND TRANSITION. 

10 (a) UNDER SECRETARY.— 

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

12 States Code, is amended by inserting after section 

13 306 the following new section: 

14 ‘‘§ 306A. Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Op15 portunity and Transition 

16 ‘‘(a) UNDER SECRETARY.—(1) There is in the De17 partment an Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Op18 portunity and Transition, who is appointed by the Presi19 dent, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. 

20 ‘‘(2) The Under Secretary for Veterans Economic 

21 Opportunity and Transition shall be appointed without re22 gard to political affiliation or activity and solely on the 

23 basis of demonstrated ability in— 

24 ‘‘(A) information technology; and 


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1 ‘‘(B) the administration of programs within the 

2 Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Ad3 ministration or programs of similar content and 

4 scope. 

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

6 Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition is the 

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

8 the operations of, the Veterans Economic Opportunity and 

9 Transition Administration. 

10 ‘‘(c) VACANCIES.—(1) Whenever a vacancy in the po11 sition of Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Oppor12 tunity and Transition occurs or is anticipated, the Sec13 retary shall establish a commission to recommend individ14 uals to the President for appointment to the position. 

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

16 shall be composed of the following members appointed by 

17 the Secretary: 

18 ‘‘(A) Three persons representing education and 

19 training, vocational rehabilitation, employment, real 

20 estate, mortgage finance and related industries, and 

21 survivor benefits activities affected by the Veterans 

22 Economic Opportunity and Transition Administra23 tion. 


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1 ‘‘(B) Two persons representing veterans served 

2 by the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transi3 tion Administration. 

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

5 management of private sector benefits programs of 

6 similar content and scope to the economic oppor7 tunity and transition programs of the Department. 

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

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

10 Committee on Education formed under section 3692 

11 of this title. 

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

13 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity 

14 and Transition, if the Secretary determines that it 

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

16 commission. 

17 ‘‘(3)(A) A commission established under this sub18 section shall recommend at least three individuals for ap19 pointment to the position of Under Secretary for Veterans 

20 Economic Opportunity and Transition. 

21 ‘‘(B) The commission shall submit all recommenda22 tions under subparagraph (A) to the Secretary. 

23 ‘‘(C) The Secretary shall forward the recommenda24 tions received under subparagraph (B) to the President 

25 and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and 


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1 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep2 resentatives with any comments the Secretary considers 

3 appropriate. 

4 ‘‘(D) After receiving a recommendation under sub5 paragraph (C), the President may request the commission 

6 to recommend additional individuals for appointment. 

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

8 Secretary of Veterans Affairs who performs personnel 

9 management and labor relations functions shall serve as 

10 the executive secretary of a commission established under 

11 this subsection.’’. 

12 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec13 tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 

14 by inserting after the item relating to section 306 

15 the following new item: 

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

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

17 States Code, is further amended— 

18 (1) in section 306(c)(2), by striking subpara19 graphs (A) and (E) and redesignating subpara20 graphs (B), (C), (D), and (F), as subparagraphs (A) 

21 through (D), respectively; 

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

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

24 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity 

25 and Transition,’’; 


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

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

3 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity 

4 and Transition,’’; 

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

6 and the Under Secretary for Benefits’’ and inserting 

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

8 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity 

9 and Transition’’; 

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

11 and the Under Secretary for Benefits’’ and inserting 

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

13 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity 

14 and Transition’’; 

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

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

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

18 and the Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Op19 portunity and Transition’’; 

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

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

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

23 and the Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Op24 portunity and Transition’’; 


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

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

3 Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity 

4 and Transition,’’; 

5 (9) in section 7701(a), by inserting after ‘‘as6 sistance’’ the following: ‘‘, other than assistance re7 lated to Economic Opportunity and Transition,’’; 

8 and 

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

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

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

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

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

14 amendments made by this section, shall take effect on Oc15 tober 1, 2020. 

Æ 


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