I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4380 
To make certain improvements relating to the hiring and employment of 
members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their spouses, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 13, 2017 
Mr. KIND (for himself and Mr. JONES) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to 
the Committees on Armed Services, and Veterans’ Affairs, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To make certain improvements relating to the hiring and 
employment of members of the Armed Forces, veterans, 
and their spouses, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Better Jobs for Vet-
erans Act of 2017’’. 
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SEC. 2. VETERANS RETRAINING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 
(a) PERMANENT PROGRAM.—Section 211 of the 
VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 (Public Law 112–56; 
38 U.S.C. 4100 note) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(2)(B), by striking ‘‘the pe-
riod beginning October 1, 2012, and ending March 
31, 2014’’ and inserting ‘‘each subsequent fiscal 
year that the program is carried out’’; and 
(2) by striking subsection (k). 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Such section is 
further amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ‘‘Not later 
than July 1, 2012, the’’ and inserting ‘‘The’’; 
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘Except as 
provided by subsection (k), each’’ and inserting 
‘‘Each’’; 
(3) in subsection (e)(1)(G), by striking ‘‘by not 
later than October 1, 2013,’’; 
(4) by striking subsection (i); and 
(5) by redesignating subsections (j) and (l) as 
subsections (i) and (j), respectively. 
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SEC. 3. IMPROVED EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR MEM-
BERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND VET-
ERANS. 
(a) 
IMPROVED
EMPLOYMENT
SKILLS 
VERIFICATION.—Section 1143(a) of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘The Secretary of 
Defense’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2) In order to improve the accuracy and complete-
ness of a certification or verification of job skills and expe-
rience 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 po-
tential employers referred to in subsection (c) so 
that State and other entities may allow military 
training to satisfy licensing or certification require-
ments to engage in a civilian profession.’’. 
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(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 experi-
ence 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 verifica-
tion.’’. 
(c) IMPROVED RESPONSIVENESS TO CERTIFICATION 
REQUESTS.—Section 1143(c) of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘For the pur-
pose’’; and 
(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 Depart-
ment of Defense or the Coast Guard, as the case may be, 
to confirm the accuracy and authenticity of the certifi-
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cation 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 fol-
lowing 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: ‘‘, includ-
ing State-submitted and approved lists of military training 
and skills that satisfy occupational certifications and li-
censes’’. 
SEC. 4. WORK OPPORTUNITY CREDIT TO SMALL BUSI-
NESSES FOR HIRING MEMBERS OF READY 
RESERVE OR NATIONAL GUARD. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 51(d)(1) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 
end of subparagraph (I), by striking the period at the end 
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of subparagraph (J) and inserting ‘‘, or’’, and by adding 
at the end the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(K) in the case of an eligible employer (as 
defined in section 408(p)(2)(C)(i)), an indi-
vidual who is a member of— 
‘‘(i) the Ready Reserve (as described 
in section 10142 of title 10, United States 
Code), or 
‘‘(ii) the National Guard (as defined 
in section 101(c)(1) of such title 10).’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The amendment made by 
this section shall apply to wages paid or incurred 
after the date of the enactment of this Act in tax-
able years ending after such date. 
(2) CURRENT EMPLOYEES COVERED BY CRED-
IT.—For purposes of applying section 51 of the In-
ternal Revenue Code of 1986, individuals described 
in section 51(d)(1)(K) of such Code, as added by 
this section, who are employed by an eligible em-
ployer (as defined in section 408(p)(2)(C)(i) of such 
Code) on the date of the enactment of this Act shall 
be treated as beginning work for such employer on 
such date. 
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SEC. 5. PERMANENT EXTENSION OF WORK OPPORTUNITY 
CREDIT FOR EMPLOYERS HIRING QUALIFIED 
VETERANS AND MEMBERS OF READY RE-
SERVE AND NATIONAL GUARD. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 51(c)(4) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting ‘‘(other 
than any individual described in subparagraph (B) or (K) 
of subsection (d)(1))’’ after ‘‘individual’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
this section shall apply to individuals who begin work for 
the employer after December 31, 2016. 
SEC. 6. ELIGIBILITY OF SPOUSES OF MILITARY PERSONNEL 
FOR THE WORK OPPORTUNITY CREDIT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 51(d)(1) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended by this Act, is amend-
ed by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of subparagraph (J), by 
striking the period at the end of subparagraph (K) and 
inserting ‘‘, or’’, and by adding at the end the following 
new subparagraph: 
‘‘(L) a qualified military spouse.’’. 
(b) QUALIFIED MILITARY SPOUSE.—Section 51(d) of 
such Code is amended by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(16) QUALIFIED
MILITARY
SPOUSE.—The 
term ‘qualified military spouse’ means any individual 
who is certified by the designated local agency as 
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being (as of the hiring date) a spouse of a member 
of the Armed Forces of the United States.’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply to amounts paid or incurred after 
the date of the enactment of this Act to individuals who 
begin work for the employer after such date. 
Æ 
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