SECTION 1. PILOT PROGRAM TO EMPLOY VETERANS IN PO-
SITIONS RELATING TO CONSERVATION AND 
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs and the Secretaries concerned shall jointly estab-
lish a pilot program under which veterans are employed 
by the Federal Government in positions that relate to the 
conservation and resource management activities of the 
Department of the Interior and the Department of Agri-
culture. 
(b) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall administer the pilot program under sub-
section (a). 
(c) POSITIONS.—The Secretaries concerned shall— 
(1) identify vacant positions in the respective 
Departments of the Secretaries that are appropriate 
to fill using the pilot program under subsection (a); 
and 
(2) to the extent practicable, fill such positions 
using the pilot program. 
(d) APPLICATION OF CIVIL SERVICE LAWS.—A vet-
eran employed under the pilot program under subsection 
(a) shall be treated as an employee as defined by section 
2105 of title 5, United States Code. 
(e) BEST PRACTICES FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS.— 
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish guide-
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lines containing best practices for departments and agen-
cies of the Federal Government that carry out programs 
to employ veterans who are transitioning from service in 
the Armed Forces. Such guidelines shall include— 
(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 learned. 
(f) 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. 
(g) 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 the pilot program 
will be carried out in a manner to reduce the 
unemployment of veterans; and 
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(B) any recommendations for legislative 
actions to improve the pilot program. 
(2) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than one 
year after the date on which the pilot program under 
subsection (a) commences, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs and the Secretaries concerned shall jointly 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
a report on the implementation of the pilot program. 
(3) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 30 days 
after the date on which the pilot program under sub-
section (a) is completed, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs and the Secretaries concerned shall jointly 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
a report on the pilot program that includes the fol-
lowing: 
(A) The number of veterans who applied to 
participate in the pilot program. 
(B) The number of such veterans employed 
under the pilot program. 
(C) The number of veterans identified in 
subparagraph (B) who transitioned to full-time 
positions with the Federal Government after 
participating in the pilot program. 
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(D) Any other information the Secretaries 
determine appropriate with respect to meas-
uring the effectiveness of the pilot program. 
(h) DURATION.—The authority to carry out the pilot 
program under subsection (a) shall terminate on the date 
that is two years after the date on which the pilot program 
commences. 
(i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, 
the Committee on Agriculture, and the Com-
mittee on Natural Resources of the House of 
Representatives; and 
(B) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, 
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry, and the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources of the Senate. 
(2) The term ‘‘Secretary concerned’’ means— 
(A) the Secretary of Agriculture with re-
spect to matters regarding the National Forest 
System and the Department of Agriculture; and 
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(B) the Secretary of the Interior with re-
spect to matters regarding the National Park 
System and the Department of the Interior. 
Æ 
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