I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5153 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program 
to employ veterans in certain wildland firefighting activities. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 4, 2023 
Mr. NEGUSE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Agri-
culture, Natural Resources, and Armed Services, for a period to be subse-
quently 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 carry out 
a pilot program to employ veterans in certain wildland 
firefighting activities. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. PILOT PROGRAM TO EMPLOY VETERANS IN PO-
SITIONS RELATING TO FEDERAL WILDLAND 
FIREFIGHTING ACTIVITIES. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, in coordination with the Secretary of Agriculture 
and the Secretary of the Interior, shall jointly establish 
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a pilot program to employ veterans in wildland firefighting 
activities. 
(b) DUTIES.—Under such pilot program— 
(1) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall be 
responsible for administering such pilot program; 
and 
(2) the Secretary of Agriculture and the Sec-
retary of the Interior shall be responsible for— 
(A) identifying vacant positions in the De-
partment of Agriculture and the Department of 
the Interior, respectively, that are appropriate 
for veterans selected for participation in such 
pilot program; and 
(B) to the extent practicable, employing 
such veterans in such positions. 
(c) APPLICATION OF CIVIL SERVICE LAWS.—A vet-
eran employed under the pilot program under subsection 
(a) shall be treated as an employee. 
(d) BEST PRACTICES.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall establish guidelines that include best prac-
tices for departments and agencies of the Federal Govern-
ment that carry out programs to employ veterans who are 
transitioning from service in the Armed Forces. Such 
guidelines shall include— 
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(1) lessons learned under the Warrior Training 
Advancement Course of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs; and 
(2) methods to realize cost savings based on 
such lessons. 
(e) PARTNERSHIP.—The Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs, the Secretaries concerned, and the Secretary of De-
fense may enter into a partnership to include the pilot pro-
gram under subsection (a) as part of the Skillbridge pro-
gram under section 1143 of title 10, United States Code. 
(f) REPORTS.— 
(1) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 60 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretaries con-
cerned shall jointly submit to the appropriate con-
gressional committees a report on the pilot program 
under subsection (a), including— 
(A) a description of how such pilot pro-
gram will be carried out in a manner to reduce 
the unemployment of veterans; and 
(B) any recommendations for legislative 
actions to improve such pilot program. 
(2) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than one 
year after the date on which the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs commences such pilot program, such 
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Secretary and the Secretaries concerned shall jointly 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
a report on the implementation of such pilot pro-
gram. 
(3) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 30 days 
after the date on which such pilot program con-
cludes, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the 
Secretaries concerned shall jointly submit to the ap-
propriate congressional committees a report that in-
cludes— 
(A) an identification of— 
(i) the number of veterans who ap-
plied to participate in such pilot program; 
(ii) the number of such veterans em-
ployed pursuant to such pilot program; and 
(iii) the number of veterans described 
in clause (ii) who transitioned to full-time 
positions with the Federal Government 
after participating in such pilot program; 
and 
(B) any other information the Secretaries 
determine appropriate with respect to meas-
uring the effectiveness of such pilot program. 
(g) TERMINATION DATE.—The authority to carry out 
the pilot program under subsection (a) shall terminate on 
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the date that is two years after the date on which the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs commences such pilot program. 
(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means the following: 
(A) The Committee on Agriculture of the 
House of Representatives. 
(B) The Committee on Natural Resources 
of the House of Representatives. 
(C) The Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 
the House of Representatives. 
(D) The Committee on Agriculture, Nutri-
tion, and Forestry of the Senate. 
(E) The Committee on Energy and Nat-
ural Resources of the Senate. 
(F) The Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 
the Senate. 
(2) The term ‘‘employee’’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 2105 of title 5, United 
States Code. 
(3) The term ‘‘wildland firefighting activities’’ 
means any temporary, seasonal, or permanent posi-
tion at the Department of Agriculture or the De-
partment of the Interior, and Tribal Firefighters, 
that maintains group, emergency incident manage-
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ment, or fire qualifications, as established annually 
by the Standards for Wildland Fire Position Quali-
fications published by the National Wildfire Coordi-
nating Group, that primarily engages in or supports 
wildland fire management, including forestry and 
rangeland technicians and positions concerning avia-
tion, engineering heavy equipment operations, dis-
patch, or fire and fuels management. 
Æ 
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