SERVE Act

To amend title 10, United States Code, to improve recordkeeping and information sharing with States regarding military training performed by members of the Armed Forces and other skills developed through military service that translate to civilian occupations to expedite the transition of veterans to post-military employment. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Securing Experienced Returning Veterans Employment Act of 2017 SERVE Act 2. Improved employment assistance for members of the Armed Forces and veterans (a) Improved Employment Skills Verification Section 1143(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended— (1) by inserting (1) The Secretary of Defense (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (2) In order to improve the accuracy and completeness of a certification or verification of job skills and experience required by paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy shall— (A) establish a database to record all training performed by members of the armed forces that may have application to employment in the civilian sector; and (B) make unclassified information regarding such information available to States and other potential employers referred to in subsection (c) so that State and other entities may allow military training to satisfy licensing or certification requirements to engage in a civilian profession. . (b) Improved accuracy of certificates of training and skills Section 1143(a) of title 10, United States Code, is further amended by inserting after paragraph (2), as added by subsection (a), the following new paragraph: (3) The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy shall ensure that a certification or verification of job skills and experience required by paragraph (1) is rendered in such a way that States and other potential employers can confirm the accuracy and authenticity of the certification or ver­i­fi­ca­tion. . (c) Improved responsiveness to certification requests Section 1143(c) of title 10, United States Code, is amended— (1) by inserting (1) For the purpose (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (2) A State may use a certification or verification of job skills and experience provided to a member of the armed forces under subsection (a) and request the Department of Defense or the Coast Guard, as the case may be, to confirm the accuracy and authenticity of the certification or verification. A response confirming or denying the information shall be provided within five business days. . (d) Improved portability of certificates of training and skills Section 1143 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: (e) Portability A certification or verification of job skills and experience provided to a member of the armed forces under subsection (a) and accepted by a State to satisfy licensing or certification requirements to engage in a civilian profession shall be valid in all States once used in the accepting States. . (e) Improved notice to members Section 1142(b)(4)(A) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting before the semicolon the following: , including State-submitted and approved lists of military training and skills that satisfy occupational certifications and licenses

Summary: Securing Experienced Returning Veterans Employment Act of 2017 or the SERVE Act This bill directs that in order to improve the accuracy and completeness of a certification or verification of job skills and experience acquired while on active duty, the Department of Defense (DOD) (and the Department of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy) shall: (1) establish a database to record all training performed by members of the armed forces that may have application to civilian sector employment, (2) make such information that is unclassified available to states and other employers so that they may allow military training to satisfy licensing or certification requirements for civilian professions, and (3) ensure that certifications and verifications of job skills and experience can be confirmed by states and other employers. A state may use a certification or verification provided to a member of the armed forces and request DOD or the Coast Guard to confirm its accuracy and authenticity. Such information shall be confirmed or denied within five business days. A certification or verification provided to a member of the armed forces and accepted by a state to satisfy licensing or certification requirements shall be valid in all states once used in the accepting states. Pre-separation counseling concerning licensing and certification requirements shall include state-submitted and approved lists of military training and skills that satisfy occupational certifications and licenses.