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the organization, policies, consistency of quality, and 
efficacy of the Transition Assistance Program. 
(c) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary of Defense shall 
prepare the report in consultation with the Secretary of 
Labor. 
(d) SUBMISSION OF REPORT.—Not later than 270 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Defense shall submit the report to the Commit-
tees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives. 
SEC. 598. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING ASSISTING 
MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES TO PAR-
TICIPATE IN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings: 
(1) Some members of the Armed Forces who 
are separated or released from active duty are hav-
ing difficulty finding employment after their separa-
tion or release. 
(2) Some members who have served for long pe-
riods on active duty have the additional difficulty of 
translating their military experience into skill sets 
for civilian employment.
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(3) Apprenticeship programs bring immense 
value to the American workforce and to individuals 
who participate in such programs. 
(4) Apprenticeship programs assist in the build-
ing of re´sume´s and skills of participants and help 
connect participants with employers and job oppor-
tunities. 
(5) Military units returning from deployment 
often operate at a reduced readiness status, which 
would allow members who are assigned to the unit, 
but who are in the process of being separated or re-
leased from active duty, to be available to participate 
in apprenticeship programs. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that commanders of units of the Armed Forces 
should make every effort to permit members of the Armed 
Forces who are assigned to the unit, but who are in the 
process of being separated or released from active duty, 
to participate in an apprenticeship program that is reg-
istered under the Act of Aug. 16, 1937 (commonly known 
as the National Apprenticeship Act; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.). 
(c) ARMED FORCES DEFINED.—In this section, the 
term ‘‘Armed Forces’’ means the Army, Navy, Air Force, 
and Marine Corps.
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SEC. 599. REPORT ON EXPANSION OF NUMBER OF HEIR-
LOOM CHEST AWARDED TO SURVIVING FAMI-
LIES. 
The Secretary of the Army shall submit to the con-
gressional defense committees a report on the heirloom 
chest policy of the Army, including— 
(1) a detailed explanation of such policy; 
(2) the plans of the Secretary to continue the 
heirloom chest program; and 
(3) an estimate of the procurement costs to ex-
pand the number of such chests to additional family 
members. 
SEC. 600. INCREASE OF MAXIMUM AGE FOR CHILDREN ELI-
GIBLE FOR MEDICAL CARE UNDER CHAMPVA 
PROGRAM. 
(a) INCREASE.—Section 1781(c) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘twenty-three’’ and inserting 
‘‘twenty-six’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘twenty-third birthday’’ and in-
serting ‘‘twenty-sixth birthday’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to medical care pro-
vided on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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SEC. 600A. TRANSFER OF TROOPS-TO-TEACHERS PROGRAM 
FROM DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO DE-
PARTMENT OF DEFENSE. 
(a) TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS.— 
(1) TRANSFER.—The responsibility and author-
ity for operation and administration of the Troops- 
to-Teachers Program in chapter A of subpart 1 of 
part C of title II of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6671 et seq.), is 
transferred from the Secretary of Education to the 
Secretary of Defense. 
(2) EFFECTIVE
DATE.—The transfer under 
paragraph (1) shall take effect on the first day of 
the first month beginning more than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, or on such 
earlier date as the Secretary of Education and the 
Secretary of Defense may jointly provide. 
(b) ENACTMENT OF PROGRAM AUTHORITY IN TITLE 
10, UNITED STATES CODE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Chapter 58 of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1154. Assistance to eligible members and former 
members to obtain employment as teach-
ers: Troops-to-Teachers Program 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
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‘‘(1) PROGRAM.—The term ‘Program’ means 
the Troops-to-Teachers Program authorized by this 
section. 
‘‘(2) MEMBER OF THE ARMED FORCES.—The 
term ‘member of the armed forces’ includes a former 
member of the armed forces. 
‘‘(3) CHARTER
SCHOOL.—The term ‘charter 
school’ has the meaning given that term in section 
5210 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7221i). 
‘‘(4) ADDITIONAL TERMS.—The terms ‘elemen-
tary school’, ‘highly qualified teacher’, ‘local edu-
cational agency’, ‘secondary school’, and ‘state’ have 
the meanings given those terms in section 9101 of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
‘‘(b) PROGRAM
AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary 
may carry out a program (to be known as the ‘Troops- 
to-Teachers Program’)— 
‘‘(1) to assist eligible members of the armed 
forces described in subsection (d) to obtain certifi-
cation or licensing as elementary school teachers, 
secondary school teachers, or vocational or technical 
teachers, and to become highly qualified teachers; 
and
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‘‘(2) to facilitate the employment of such mem-
bers— 
‘‘(A) by local educational agencies or pub-
lic charter schools that the Secretary of Edu-
cation identifies as— 
‘‘(i) receiving grants under part A of 
title I of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et 
seq.) as a result of having within their ju-
risdictions concentrations of children from 
low-income families; or 
‘‘(ii) experiencing a shortage of highly 
qualified teachers, in particular a shortage 
of science, mathematics, special education, 
or vocational or technical teachers; and 
‘‘(B) in elementary schools or secondary 
schools, or as vocational or technical teachers. 
‘‘(c) PLACEMENT ASSISTANCE AND REFERRAL SERV-
ICES.—The Secretary may provide placement assistance 
and referral services to members of the armed forces who 
meet the criteria described in subsection (d), including 
meeting the education qualification requirements under 
subsection (d)(3)(B). Such members shall not be eligible 
for financial assistance under paragraphs (3) and (4) of 
subsection (e).