SERVE Act

To improve the ability of veterans with medical training to assist the United States in response to national emergencies, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Supporting Education Recognition for Veterans during Emergencies Act SERVE Act 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Department; secretary; veteran The terms Department Secretary veteran (2) Veterans service organization The term veterans service organization 3. Update of web portal to identify veterans who had medical occupations as members of the Armed Forces (a) In general The Secretary shall update existing web portals of the Department to allow the identification of veterans who had a medical occupation as a member of the Armed Forces. (b) Information in portal (1) In general An update to a portal under subsection (a) shall allow a veteran to elect to provide the following information: (A) Contact information for the veteran. (B) A history of the medical experience and trained competencies of the veteran. (2) Inclusions in history To the extent practicable, histories provided under paragraph (1)(B) shall include individual critical task lists specific to military occupational specialties that align with existing standard occupational codes maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 4. Program on provision to States of information on veterans with medical skills obtained during service in the Armed Forces For purposes of facilitating civilian medical cre­den­tial­ing and hiring opportunities for veterans seeking to respond to a national emergency, including a public health emergency declared by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 247d (1) State departments of veterans affairs. (2) Veterans service organizations. (3) State credentialing bodies. (4) Other stakeholders involved in State-level credentialing, as determined appropriate by the Secretary. 5. Program on training of intermediate care technicians of Department of Veterans Affairs (a) Establishment The Secretary shall implement a program to train and certify covered veterans to work as intermediate care technicians of the Department. (b) Locations The Secretary may place an intermediate care technician trained and certified under the program under subsection (a) at any medical center of the Department, giving priority to a location with a significant staffing shortage. (c) Inclusion of information in transition assistance program As part of the Transition Assistance Program under sections 1142 and 1144 of title 10, United States Code, the Secretary shall prepare a communications campaign to convey opportunities for training, certification, and employment under the program under subsection (a) to appropriate members of the Armed Forces separating from active duty. (d) Report on expansion of program Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on whether the program under this section could be replicated for other medical positions within the Department. (e) Covered veteran defined In this section, the term covered veteran 6. Notification of opportunities for veterans The Secretary shall notify veterans service organizations and, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces of opportunities for veterans under this Act.

Summary: Supporting Education Recognition for Veterans during Emergencies Act or the SERVE Act This bill addresses opportunities for certain veterans with medical experience. The bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to update its web portals to allow the identification of veterans who had a medical occupation as a member of the Armed Forces. Specifically, the bill authorizes veterans to elect to provide their contact information and a history of their medical experience and trained competencies. The VA, the Department of Defense (DOD), and the Department of Labor must establish a program to share the veteran's provided information with specified entities (e.g., state credentialing bodies) for purposes of facilitating civilian medical credentialing and hiring of veterans seeking to respond to a national emergency, including a public health emergency. The VA must implement a program to train and certify veterans who served as basic health care technicians during their service to work as VA intermediate care technicians, specifically at VA medical center locations with staffing shortages. Additionally, the VA must prepare a communications campaign under the Transition Assistance Program to convey opportunities related to the intermediate care technician program to members of the Armed Forces who are separating from active duty. Finally, the bill requires the VA and DOD to notify veterans service organizations and members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces about the opportunities for veterans provided under this bill.