I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2789 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to administer a pilot program 

to employ veterans in positions that relate to conservation and resource 

management activities. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 22, 2021 

Mr. LAMB (for himself and Mr. FITZPATRICK) 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 administer 

a pilot program to employ veterans in positions that 

relate to conservation and resource management activities. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. PILOT PROGRAM TO EMPLOY VETERANS IN PO2 SITIONS RELATING TO CONSERVATION AND 

3 RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. 

4 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Veterans 

5 Affairs and the Secretaries concerned shall jointly estab6 lish a pilot program under which veterans are employed 

7 by the Federal Government in positions that relate to the 

8 conservation and resource management activities of the 

9 Department of the Interior and the Department of Agri10 culture. 

11 (b) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary of Veterans 

12 Affairs shall administer the pilot program under sub13 section (a). 

14 (c) POSITIONS.—The Secretaries concerned shall— 

15 (1) identify vacant positions in the respective 

16 Departments of the Secretaries that are appropriate 

17 to fill using the pilot program under subsection (a); 

18 and 

19 (2) to the extent practicable, fill such positions 

20 using the pilot program. 

21 (d) APPLICATION OF CIVIL SERVICE LAWS.—A vet22 eran employed under the pilot program under subsection 

23 (a) shall be treated as an employee as defined by section 

24 2105 of title 5, United States Code. 

25 (e) BEST PRACTICES FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS.— 

26 The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish guideVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:25 Jun 08, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2789.IH H2789

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1 lines containing best practices for departments and agen2 cies of the Federal Government that carry out programs 

3 to employ veterans who are transitioning from service in 

4 the Armed Forces. Such guidelines shall include— 

5 (1) lessons learned under the Warrior Training 

6 Advancement Course of the Department of Veterans 

7 Affairs; and 

8 (2) methods to realize cost savings based on 

9 such lessons learned. 

10 (f) PARTNERSHIP.—The Secretary of Veterans Af11 fairs, the Secretaries concerned, and the Secretary of De12 fense may enter into a partnership to include the pilot pro13 gram under subsection (a) as part of the Skillbridge pro14 gram under section 1143 of title 10, United States Code. 

15 (g) REPORTS.— 

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

17 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec18 retary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretaries con19 cerned shall jointly submit to the appropriate con20 gressional committees a report on the pilot program 

21 under subsection (a), including— 

22 (A) a description of how the pilot program 

23 will be carried out in a manner to reduce the 

24 unemployment of veterans; and 


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1 (B) any recommendations for legislative 

2 actions to improve the pilot program. 

3 (2) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than one 

4 year after the date on which the pilot program under 

5 subsection (a) commences, the Secretary of Veterans 

6 Affairs and the Secretaries concerned shall jointly 

7 submit to the appropriate congressional committees 

8 a report on the implementation of the pilot program. 

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

10 after the date on which the pilot program under sub11 section (a) is completed, the Secretary of Veterans 

12 Affairs and the Secretaries concerned shall jointly 

13 submit to the appropriate congressional committees 

14 a report on the pilot program that includes the fol15 lowing: 

16 (A) The number of veterans who applied to 

17 participate in the pilot program. 

18 (B) The number of such veterans employed 

19 under the pilot program. 

20 (C) The number of veterans identified in 

21 subparagraph (B) who transitioned to full-time 

22 positions with the Federal Government after 

23 participating in the pilot program. 


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1 (D) Any other information the Secretaries 

2 determine appropriate with respect to meas3 uring the effectiveness of the pilot program. 

4 (h) DURATION.—The authority to carry out the pilot 

5 program under subsection (a) shall terminate on the date 

6 that is two years after the date on which the pilot program 

7 commences. 

8 (i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

9 (1) The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com10 mittees’’ means— 

11 (A) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, 

12 the Committee on Agriculture, and the Com13 mittee on Natural Resources of the House of 

14 Representatives; and 

15 (B) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, 

16 the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 

17 Forestry, and the Committee on Energy and 

18 Natural Resources of the Senate. 

19 (2) The term ‘‘Secretary concerned’’ means— 

20 (A) the Secretary of Agriculture with re21 spect to matters regarding the National Forest 

22 System and the Department of Agriculture; and 


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1 (B) the Secretary of the Interior with re2 spect to matters regarding the National Park 

3 System and the Department of the Interior. 

Æ 


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