I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6253 
To establish an advisory commission to examine licensing and certification 
challenges confronting members of the Armed Forces and their spouses 
upon post-service entry into the civilian workforce and to make rec-
ommendations to Congress for the development of a new class of uniform 
veteran’s certifications for selected occupations that can be accepted 
by States and United States territories. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 
Mr. HECK of Washington introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee 
on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish an advisory commission to examine licensing 
and certification challenges confronting members of the 
Armed Forces and their spouses upon post-service entry 
into the civilian workforce and to make recommendations 
to Congress for the development of a new class of uni-
form veteran’s certifications for selected occupations that 
can be accepted by States and United States territories. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Collaborating for Economic Reintegration of Troops 
Act’’ or the ‘‘CERT Act’’. 
(b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) One of the greatest challenges facing 
transitioning members of the Armed Forces and 
their spouses is finding civilian employment. 
(2) Veterans report that employment is the top 
challenge upon separation or retirement from the 
Armed Forces, with as many as 80 percent of mem-
bers leaving the Armed Forces without civilian em-
ployment in hand and one in four reporting being 
underemployed and earning below-poverty wages. 
(3) Military training correlates to approximately 
962 civilian professions, yet even with their military 
education and experience, veterans must duplicate 
their training to meet various State specific certifi-
cation guidelines. 
(4) Veteran transition can be aided by estab-
lishing a commission to examine licensing and cer-
tification challenges confronting members of the 
Armed Forces upon post-service entry into the civil-
ian workforce. 
(5) This commission will identify where there 
are gaps between military training and civilian cre-
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dentials’ training requirements and can identify op-
portunities for military training to be reformed to 
address such gaps and for transition to be improved 
by increased recognition of military training as 
equivalent through a ‘‘Blue Star certification’’. 
(6) The Blue Star certification initiative would 
set sufficient standards for entry into certain li-
censed professions. States could adopt Blue Star 
certifications as equivalent to entry into certain li-
censed professions. The Armed Forces, in their 
training process, would ensure members reach Blue 
Star proficiency so that upon leaving service they 
could swiftly transition to civilian employment. 
(7) Operation Certification would allow for 
members of the Armed Forces to directly and imme-
diately apply their training and experience to the 
private sector. States that adopt the Blue Star cre-
dential will attract and retain talented and civic 
minded veterans. Furthermore, this would modernize 
military training within Blue Star occupational spe-
cialties to ensure that members are well trained and 
prepared to meet any challenge upon separation. 
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(G) The Chairman of the Committee on 
Armed Services of the House of Representatives 
shall appoint one member. 
(H) The Ranking Member of the Com-
mittee on Armed Services of the House of Rep-
resentatives shall appoint one member. 
(I) The Chairman of the Committee on 
Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate shall appoint 
one member. 
(J) The Ranking Member of the Com-
mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate shall 
appoint one member. 
(K) The Chairman of the Committee on 
Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representa-
tives shall appoint one member. 
(L) The Ranking Member of the Com-
mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 
Representatives shall appoint one member. 
(M) The Chairman of the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the 
Senate shall appoint one member. 
(N) The Ranking Member of the Com-
mittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen-
sions of the Senate shall appoint one member. 
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(O) The Chairman of the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce of the House of 
Representatives shall appoint one member. 
(P) The Ranking Member of the Com-
mittee on Education and the Workforce of the 
House of Representatives shall appoint one 
member. 
(2) DEADLINE FOR APPOINTMENT.—Members 
shall be appointed to the Commission under para-
graph (1) not later than 45 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
(c) CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.—The Commission shall 
elect a Chair and Vice Chair from among its members. 
(d) TERMS.—Members shall be appointed for the life 
of the Commission. A vacancy in the Commission shall not 
affect its powers, and shall be filled in the same manner 
as the original appointment was made. 
(e) COMPENSATION FOR MEMBERS OF THE COMMIS-
SION.—Members of the Commission will not receive wages 
or compensation on account of their services on the Com-
mission, but will be allowed travel expenses, including per 
diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employ-
ees under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United 
States Code, while away from their homes or regular 
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places of business in the performance of services for the 
Commission. 
(f) USE OF GOVERNMENT INFORMATION.—The Com-
mission may secure directly from any department or agen-
cy of the Federal Government such information as the 
Commission considers necessary to carry out its duties. 
Upon such request of the Chair of the Commission, the 
head of such department or agency shall furnish such in-
formation to the Commission. 
(g) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Commission may use 
the United States mails in the same manner and under 
the same conditions as departments and agencies of the 
United States. 
(h) PERSONAL SERVICES.— 
(1) AUTHORITY
TO
PROCURE.—The Commis-
sion may— 
(A) procure the services of experts or con-
sultants (or of organizations of experts or con-
sultants) in accordance with the provisions of 
section 3109 of title 5, United States Code; and 
(B) pay in connection with such services 
travel expenses of individuals, including trans-
portation and per diem in lieu of subsistence, 
while such individuals are traveling from their 
homes or places of business to duty stations. 
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(2) MAXIMUM
DAILY
PAY
RATES.—The daily 
rate paid an expert or consultant procured pursuant 
to paragraph (1) may not exceed the daily rate paid 
a person occupying a position at level IV of the Ex-
ecutive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, 
United States Code. 
SEC. 3. COMMISSION HEARINGS AND MEETINGS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall conduct 
hearings on the recommendations it is taking under con-
sideration. Any such hearing, except a hearing in which 
classified information is to be considered, shall be open 
to the public. Any hearing open to the public shall be an-
nounced on a Federal website at least 14 days in advance. 
For all hearings open to the public, the Commission shall 
release an agenda and a listing of materials relevant to 
the topics to be discussed. The Commission is authorized 
and encouraged to hold hearings and meetings in various 
locations throughout the country to provide maximum op-
portunity for public comment and participation in the 
Commission’s execution of its duties. 
(b) MEETINGS.— 
(1) INITIAL MEETING.—The Commission shall 
hold its initial meeting not later than 60 days after 
the date as of which all members have been ap-
pointed. 
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(2) SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS.—After its initial 
meeting, the Commission shall meet upon the call of 
the Chair or a majority of its members. 
(3) PUBLIC MEETINGS.—Each meeting of the 
Commission shall be held in public unless any mem-
ber objects or classified information is to be consid-
ered. 
(c) QUORUM.—Nine members of the Commission 
shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold 
hearings or meetings. 
(d) PUBLIC COMMENTS.—The Commission shall seek 
written comments from the general public and interested 
parties on matters of the Commission’s review under this 
Act. Comments shall be requested through a solicitation 
in the Federal Register and announcement on the Internet 
website of the Commission. 
(e) SPACE
FOR USE
OF COMMISSION.—Not later 
than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Administrator of General Services, in consultation 
with the Secretary, shall identify and make available suit-
able excess space within the Federal space inventory to 
house the operations of the Commission. If the Adminis-
trator is not able to make such suitable excess space avail-
able within such 90-day period, the Commission may lease 
space to the extent the funds are available. 
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(f) CONTRACTING AUTHORITY.—The Commission 
may acquire administrative supplies and equipment for 
Commission use to the extent funds are available. 
SEC. 4. COMMISSION DUTIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 
(a) DUTIES.—The Commission shall perform the fol-
lowing duties: 
(1) Examine the unique challenges that con-
front members of the Armed Forces and their 
spouses upon post-service entry into the civilian 
workforce. 
(2) Determine best practices and evaluate ef-
forts that have been undertaken by the States and 
the executive branch, including the program required 
by section 2015 of title 10, United States Code, to 
assist members of the Armed Forces in obtaining 
professional credentials, to facilitate the transfer of 
skills and certifications from the military to civilian 
settings. 
(3) Identify industries and jobs that can most 
benefit from military experience and training and 
identify military specialties that can readily transfer 
to high-demand jobs. 
(4) 
Develop 
recommended 
Blue 
Star 
credentialing standards for select professions in 
order to simplify and streamline training and transi-
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tion efforts for members of the Armed Forces and 
their spouses upon post-service entry into the civil-
ian workforce. 
(5) Design an evaluation criteria that the Sec-
retary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs can use to evaluate the extent to which States 
and territories adopt and utilize the Blue Star 
credentialing standards. 
(b) DEVELOPMENT OF COMMISSION RECOMMENDA-
TIONS.—The Commission shall develop recommendations 
on the matters subject to its review under subsection (a). 
(c) 
COMMISSION
REPORT
AND
RECOMMENDA-
TIONS.— 
(1) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the 
date on which the Commission is established, the 
Commission shall transmit to the President and 
Congress a report containing the findings and con-
clusions of the Commission, together with the rec-
ommendations of the Commission regarding the 
matters described in subsection (a). The Commission 
shall include in the report legislative language and 
recommendations for administrative action to imple-
ment the recommendations of the Commission. 
(2) REQUIREMENT FOR APPROVAL.—The rec-
ommendations of the Commission must be approved 
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by a majority of the members of the Commission be-
fore the recommendations may be transmitted to the 
President and Congress under paragraph (1). 
(3) PUBLIC
AVAILABILITY.—The Commission 
shall publish a copy of the report required by para-
graph (1) on an Internet website available to the 
public on the same date on which it transmits that 
report to the President and Congress under that 
paragraph. 
SEC. 5. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND STAFF. 
(a) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.—The Commission shall 
appoint and fix the rate of basic pay for an Executive Di-
rector in accordance with section 3161 of title 5, United 
States Code. 
(b) STAFF.—The Executive Director, with the ap-
proval of the Commission, may appoint and fix the rate 
of basic pay for additional personnel as staff of the Com-
mission in accordance with section 3161 of title 5, United 
States Code. 
SEC. 6. TERMINATION OF COMMISSION. 
The Commission shall terminate 90 days after the 
date of the submission of the report under section 4. 
Æ 
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