erans Service Organizations, the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs, and the Department of Defense; 
‘‘(4) to create a service corps to coordinate with 
the Veteran Service Organizations, the Department 
of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, and 
other Federal agencies to identify and address exist-
ing and future needs and challenges of veterans; and 
‘‘(5) to create a service corps that provides vet-
erans of all ages with opportunities to adjust to civil-
ian life. 
‘‘SEC. 199BB. ESTABLISHMENT OF VET CORPS; ADMINIS-
TRATIVE PROVISIONS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Corporation shall establish 
VET Corps to carry out the purposes described in section 
199AA. 
‘‘(b) STAFF.— 
‘‘(1) APPOINTMENT.—Upon the establishment 
of VET Corps, the Chief Executive Officer shall ap-
point a Director. The Director may be selected from 
among retired commissioned officers of the Armed 
Forces of the United States. 
‘‘(2) DUTIES.—The Director shall— 
‘‘(A) design, develop, and administer the 
VET Corps programs; 
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‘‘(B) be responsible for managing the daily 
operations of the Corps; and 
‘‘(C) report to the Chief Executive Officer. 
‘‘(3) AUTHORITY TO EMPLOY STAFF.—The Di-
rector may employ such staff as is necessary to 
carry out this subtitle. The Director shall, to the 
maximum extent practicable, utilize in staff positions 
personnel who are detailed from departments and 
agencies of the Federal Government and, to the ex-
tent the Director considers appropriate, shall request 
and accept detail of personnel from such depart-
ments and agencies in order to do so. 
‘‘(4) INAPPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERV-
ICE LAWS.—The Director and staff personnel shall 
be appointed without regard to provisions of title 5, 
United States Code, governing appointments in the 
competitive service. The rates of pay of such persons 
may be established without regard to the provisions 
of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of 
such title. 
‘‘(5) VOLUNTARY SERVICES.—Notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, the Director may accept 
the voluntary services of individuals. While away 
from their homes or regular places of business on 
the business of the Corps, such individuals may be 
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allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
subsistence, in the same amounts and to the same 
extent, as authorized under section 5703 of title 5, 
United States Code, for persons employed intermit-
tently in the Federal Government. 
‘‘SEC. 199CC. VET CORPS MEMBERS. 
‘‘(a) MEMBERSHIP IN VET CORPS.— 
‘‘(1) PARTICIPANTS TO BE MEMBERS.—Persons 
selected to participate in any VET Corps project re-
ceiving a grant under the 199DD shall become mem-
bers of the VET Corps. 
‘‘(2) SELECTION OF MEMBERS.—The Director 
shall select individuals for membership in the Corps. 
Such individuals shall consist of veterans, retired 
military personnel, or family members of veterans or 
retired military personnel, with preference given to 
veterans and retired military personnel. 
‘‘(b) APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP.—To be se-
lected to become a Corps member an individual shall sub-
mit an application to the Director or any other office as 
the Director may designate, at such time, in such manner, 
and containing such information as the Director shall re-
quire. At a minimum, the application shall contain an as-
surance that the individual is a veteran or retired military 
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personnel who did not withdraw from military service for 
the purpose of becoming a member of VET Corps. 
‘‘(c) DURATION.—Individuals may be members of 
VET Corps for up to 24 months. 
‘‘(d) STATUS OF CORPS MEMBERS UNDER FEDERAL 
LAW.—Except as otherwise provided in this subtitle, mem-
bers of VET Corps shall not, by reason of their status 
as such members, be considered Federal employees or be 
subject to the provisions of law relating to Federal employ-
ment. 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZED BENEFITS
FOR CORPS MEM-
BERS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall provide 
for members of the VET Corps to receive benefits 
authorized by this subsection. 
‘‘(2) LIVING ALLOWANCE.—The Director shall 
provide a living allowance to members of the Corps 
for the period during which such members are en-
gaged in residential Corps programs. 
‘‘(3) OTHER
AUTHORIZED
BENEFITS.—While 
receiving training or engaging in service projects as 
members of the VET Corps, members may be pro-
vided the following benefits: 
‘‘(A) Allowance for travel expenses, per-
sonal expenses, and other expenses. 
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‘‘(B) Quarters. 
‘‘(C) Subsistence. 
‘‘(D) Transportation. 
‘‘(E) Other services determined by the Di-
rector to be consistent with the purposes of 
VET Corps. 
‘‘(4) 
NATIONAL
SERVICE
EDUCATIONAL 
AWARDS.—A Corps member who successfully com-
pletes a period of agreed service in the Corps shall 
be considered to have served in an approved national 
service position and, upon meeting the requirements 
of section 147 for full-time or part-time national 
service, shall be eligible for a national service edu-
cational award described in such section. The Cor-
poration (through the Director) shall transfer an ap-
propriate amount of funds to the National Service 
Trust to provide for the national service educational 
awards for such member. 
‘‘(5) HEALTH INSURANCE.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A VET Corps project 
receiving assistance under section 199DD shall 
provide a basic health care policy for each full- 
time participant in a service project carried out 
or supported using the assistance, if the partici-
pant is not otherwise covered by a health care 
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policy. Not more than 85 percent of the cost of 
a premium shall be provided by the Director, 
with the remaining cost paid by the entity re-
ceiving assistance under section 199DD. The 
Director shall establish minimum standards 
that all plans must meet in order to qualify for 
payment under this section, any circumstances 
in which an alternative health care policy may 
be substituted for the basic health care policy, 
and mechanisms to prohibit participants from 
dropping existing coverage. 
‘‘(B) OPTION.—A VET Corps project re-
ceiving assistance under section 199DD may 
elect to provide from its own funds a health 
care policy for participants that does not meet 
all of the standards established by the Director 
if the fair market value of such policy is equal 
to or greater than the fair market value of a 
plan that meets the minimum standards estab-
lished by the Director, and is consistent with 
other applicable laws. 
‘‘(6) DETERMINATION OF BENEFITS.—In deter-
mining the authorized benefits a member receives 
under this subsection, the Director shall take into 
account the educational, social, and family cir-
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cumstances of such member, including whether such 
member has graduated from an institution of higher 
education, is unemployed, or has had contact with 
the justice system. 
‘‘SEC. 199DD. AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO VET 
CORPS PROJECTS. 
‘‘(a) PROVISION
OF ASSISTANCE.—From amounts 
appropriated for a fiscal year under section 501(a)(4), the 
Corporation shall make grants to Veteran Service Organi-
zations, nonprofit organizations, Federal agencies, State 
or local governments, or institutions of higher education 
for the purpose of establishing, operating, and supporting 
a VET Corps project. 
‘‘(b) APPLICATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive as-
sistance under this section, a Veteran Service Orga-
nizations, nonprofit organization, Federal, State, or 
local government, or institution of higher education 
shall prepare and submit to the Director an applica-
tion at such time, in such manner, and containing 
such information as the Corporation may reasonably 
require. 
‘‘(2) REQUIRED INFORMATION.—An application 
submitted under paragraph (1) shall include— 
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‘‘(A) a description of how the VET Corps 
project to be carried out directly by such appli-
cant using funds provided under this section— 
‘‘(i) will assist participants in obtain-
ing admission into an institution of higher 
education, a job credential, further job 
training, or employment; 
‘‘(ii) will meet all the VET indicators, 
and engage participants in activities that 
will improve the project’s performance on 
such indicators; and 
‘‘(iii) will improve performance on the 
VET indicators in a geographic area dem-
onstrating the need to improve such indica-
tors based on the demographic information 
of veterans and retired military personnel 
in such area and other statistics; 
‘‘(B) a description of the type of positions 
which participants will be placed into using the 
funds under this section, including descriptions 
of the specific tasks to be performed by such 
participants, and the minimum qualifications 
that individuals will be required to meet to be-
come participants in such project; 
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‘‘(C) the number of proposed full- and 
part-time national service positions for which 
participants will receive the national service 
educational award described in subtitle D; 
‘‘(D) an assurance that the applicant will 
comply with the nonduplication and non-
displacement provisions of section 177; and 
‘‘(E) a description of how the applicant— 
‘‘(i) in cooperation with other service 
corps authorized under the national service 
laws, Veterans Service Organizations, the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, and the 
Department of Defense will act as a clear-
inghouse by directing any person desiring 
to serve the veteran population to such op-
portunities; and 
‘‘(ii) if applicable, will work with other 
community-based agencies to carry out ac-
tivities to improve performance of the VET 
Corps indicators 
‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE VET CORPS PROJECTS.—The recipi-
ent of a grant under this section shall use the grant funds 
to carry out service projects that address veteran needs, 
which may include— 
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‘‘(1) building housing for veterans and others in 
need of such services; 
‘‘(2) assisting with rehabilitative classes such as 
physical therapy or life skills development; 
‘‘(3) providing services in veterans’ hospitals or 
community-based outpatient clinics; 
‘‘(4) assisting with outreach of Veteran Services 
Organizations and other service corps to help vet-
erans and retired military personnel with the transi-
tion from active duty service as a member of the 
Armed Forces to becoming a veteran or retiring 
from military life; 
‘‘(5) the repair, renovation, or adaption of 
homes or vehicles of disabled veterans; 
‘‘(6) performing outreach to the veteran and re-
tired military personnel community to provide them 
information and access to services available to them; 
‘‘(7) assisting in other such activities as a re-
cipient of a grant under this section may identify; 
‘‘(8) providing services to military families dur-
ing overseas deployment; and 
‘‘(9) fostering mentoring relationships between 
veterans and nonveterans. 
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