IIB 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5229 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MAY 24, 2016 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
AN ACT 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 
a study to evaluate the effectiveness of programs, espe-
cially in regards to women veterans and minority vet-
erans, in transitioning to civilian life, and for other pur-
poses. 
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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving Transition 
Programs for All Veterans Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The rate of unemployment for women vet-
erans is higher than the rate for male veterans. In 
2015, the unemployment rate for women veterans 
remained relatively unchanged at 5.4 percent, while 
the rate for male veterans declined to 4.5 percent. 
(2) Women veterans, on average, earn less than 
male veterans. In 2013, the median income for 
women veterans was $35,264, while the median in-
come for male veterans was $41,310. 
(3) Women veterans and veterans with disabil-
ities are more likely to become homeless. 
(4) Service-connected disabled veterans with rel-
atively high disability ratings have a higher unem-
ployment rate than those with relatively low dis-
ability ratings. In 2015, the unemployment rate for 
veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 
60 percent or higher was 9.6 percent, much higher 
than the 4.0 percent rate for veterans with a service- 
connected disability rating of 30 percent or lower. 
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(5) In 2013, American Indian and Alaska Na-
tive veterans had the lowest median personal in-
comes of any group of minority veterans. 
(6) In 2013, American Indian and Alaska Na-
tive veterans were less likely to have finished an ad-
vanced degree than other veterans. 
(7) American Indian and Alaska Native vet-
erans were more likely to have a service-connected 
disability rating compared to all other veterans. In 
2013, the rate of American Indian and Alaska Na-
tive veterans with a service-connected disability rat-
ing was about 26 percent compared to 18.2 percent 
for all other veterans. 
(8) There is a lack of data on, and an under-
standing of, the challenges and needs of veterans 
who are residents of a territory of the United States 
and veterans who are part of the indigenous popu-
lation of a territory of the United States. 
SEC. 3. STUDY ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VETERANS 
TRANSITION EFFORTS. 
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in 
coordination with the Secretaries of Labor and Defense, 
shall carry out a study to evaluate programs to assist vet-
erans of the Armed Forces in their transition to civilian 
life. Such study shall be designed to determine the effec-
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tiveness of current programs, especially in regards to the 
unique challenges faced by women veterans, veterans with 
disabilities, Native American veterans, veterans who are 
residents of a territory of the United States, veterans who 
are part of the indigenous population of a territory of the 
United States, and other groups of minority veterans iden-
tified by the Secretaries, including whether such pro-
grams— 
(1) effectively address the challenges veterans 
face in pursuing higher education, especially the 
challenges faced by women veterans, veterans with 
disabilities, Native American veterans, veterans who 
are residents of a territory of the United States, vet-
erans who are part of the indigenous population of 
a territory of the United States, and other groups of 
minority veterans identified by the Secretaries; 
(2) effectively address the challenges such vet-
erans face entering the civilian workforce and in 
translating experience and skills from military serv-
ice to the job market; and 
(3) effectively address the challenges faced by 
the families of such veterans transitioning to civilian 
life. 
(b) REPORT.—Eighteen months after the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit 
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