I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3387 
To amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, to make improvements 
to certain programs for a member nearing separation, or for a veteran 
who recently separated, from the Armed Forces, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 14, 2025 
Mr. VAN ORDEN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ 
Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, to make 
improvements to certain programs for a member nearing 
separation, or for a veteran who recently separated, from 
the Armed Forces, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Enhancing the 
Transitioning Servicemember’s Experience Act’’ or the 
‘‘ETS Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: AMENDMENTS; 
PILOT PROGRAM; REPORTS. 
(a) SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES.—Subsection (a) 
of section 1142 of title 10, United States Code, is amend-
ed, in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘(including each mem-
ber of the special operations forces)’’ after ‘‘armed 
forces’’. 
(b) REQUIREMENT
OF
PRESEPARATION
COUN-
SELING: NUMBER OF DAYS.—Such subsection is further 
amended, in paragraph (1)— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ before ‘‘Within’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(B) The Secretary concerned shall ensure that a 
member 
described 
in 
subparagraph 
(A) 
receives 
preseparation counseling in the following amounts: 
‘‘(i) In the case of a member who has accepted 
an offer of full-time employment, or has enrolled in 
a program of education or vocational training, that 
shall commence after the member separates, retires, 
or is discharged, not fewer than three days. 
‘‘(ii) In the case of a member other than a 
member described in clause (i), not fewer than five 
days.’’. 
(c) PROVISION
OF PRESEPARATION COUNSELING: 
THIRD PARTY COUNSELORS; IN-PERSON TO THE EXTENT 
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PRACTICABLE.—Such subsection is further amended, in 
paragraph (2)— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ before ‘‘In carrying’’; 
and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraphs: 
‘‘(B) Preseparation counseling may not be provided 
by an individual responsible for the retention of members 
in the armed force concerned. 
‘‘(C) Preseparation counseling shall be provided in 
person to the extent practicable. If the Secretary con-
cerned determines that a member cannot attend such 
counseling in person, such member may receive such coun-
seling remotely.’’. 
(d) PERIOD
OF ELIGIBILITY: EXPANSION.—Such 
subsection is further amended, in paragraph (3)— 
(1) by striking ‘‘365’’ each place it appears and 
inserting ‘‘540’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘365-day’’ and inserting ‘‘540- 
day’’. 
(e) WAIVER FOR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE RE-
SERVE COMPONENTS.—Such subsection is further amend-
ed, in paragraph (4), by adding at the end the following 
new subparagraph: 
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ment, or discharge, request to receive, on a space-available 
basis, such preseparation counseling a second time.’’. 
(h) ELECTIVE INCLUSION OF THE SPOUSE OF A 
MEMBER.—Such section is further amended, in subsection 
(b), in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘regarding the matters 
covered by paragraphs (9), (10), and (16)’’. 
(i) MINIMUM AMOUNT OF COUNSELING REGARDING 
FINANCIAL
PLANNING.—Such subsection is further 
amended, in paragraph (9)— 
(1) by striking ‘‘Financial’’ and inserting ‘‘(A) 
General financial’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘loans’’ and inserting ‘‘loans 
and other debt, investing’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraphs: 
‘‘(B) Individualized assistance regarding mat-
ters described in subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(C) Counseling under subparagraph (A) or (B) 
shall be provided by an individual who has signifi-
cant experience in financial planning and may not be 
shorter than one hour.’’. 
(j) PATHWAYS: STANDARDIZATION; ESTABLISHMENT 
OF PATHWAY FOR MEMBERS OF THE RESERVE COMPO-
NENTS.—Such section is further amended, in paragraph 
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(1) of subsection (c), in the matter preceding subpara-
graph (A)— 
(1) by striking ‘‘Each Secretary concerned’’ and 
inserting ‘‘The Secretaries of Defense and Homeland 
Security’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘pathways for members of the 
military department concerned’’ and inserting ‘‘path-
ways, standardized across the armed forces and in-
cluding one pathway for members of the reserve 
components, for members’’. 
(k) PATHWAYS: RECORD
OF PATHWAY ASSIGN-
MENT.—Such subsection is further amended by adding at 
the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) The Secretary concerned shall ensure that the 
pathway in which a member is placed, and the reasons 
for such placement, are noted in the service record of such 
member.’’. 
(l) COORDINATION BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS OF DE-
FENSE, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND LABOR.—Such section 
is further amended, in subsection (d)— 
(1) by striking the heading and inserting 
‘‘TRANSMISSION
OF
CERTAIN
INFORMATION
TO 
OTHER DEPARTMENTS’’; 
(2) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘In the case’’; and 
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(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(2) Before a member described in subsection (a) 
separates, retires, or is discharged, the Secretary con-
cerned shall transmit to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
the following information: 
‘‘(A) The contact information of such member. 
‘‘(B) The Department of Defense Form DD– 
2648 regarding such member. 
‘‘(3)(A) In the case of a member described in sub-
section (a) whom the Secretary concerned determines is 
at risk for a difficult transition to civilian life, the Sec-
retary concerned shall, before the member separates, re-
tires, or is discharged, provide— 
‘‘(i) such member with the contact information 
of an employee of the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs and an employee of the Department of Labor; 
and 
‘‘(ii) such employees with the contact informa-
tion of such member. 
‘‘(B) Each employee described in subparagraph (A) 
shall contact the member described in such subparagraph 
not later than 60 days after such member separates, re-
tires, or is discharged. 
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‘‘(C) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Sec-
retary of Labor shall each submit to the Committees on 
Armed Services and on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate 
and House of Representatives an annual report that iden-
tifies the number of times, and reasons why, an employee 
of the department under the jurisdiction of such Secretary 
failed to carry out subparagraph (B) in the year preceding 
the date of the report. 
‘‘(D) The Secretary of Defense and Secretary of 
Homeland Security shall prescribe regulations to ensure 
that, for purposes of this paragraph, each Secretary con-
cerned uses the same definition of the term ‘at risk for 
a difficult transition to civilian life’.’’. 
(m) CONTRACTING: STANDARDIZATION.—Such sec-
tion is further amended by adding at the end the following 
new subsection: 
‘‘(f) CONTRACTING.—A Secretary concerned may 
enter into an agreement with an entity under which such 
entity shall provide preseparation counseling under this 
section. If more than one Secretary seeks to enter into 
such an agreement, such Secretaries concerned shall, to 
the extent practicable, seek to enter into such agreements 
with the same entity.’’. 
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(n) YEARLY SURPRISE AUDITS.—Such section is fur-
ther amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(g) AUDITS.—(1) Not less than once each year, an 
employee or contractor of the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs, and an employee or contractor of the Department 
of Labor, shall make unannounced visits to preseparation 
counseling under this section in order to audit such coun-
seling. 
‘‘(2) Not later than 90 days after such a visit, the 
employee or contractor shall submit to the Committees on 
Armed Services and on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate 
and House of Representatives a report regarding such 
audit. 
‘‘(3) Such employees or contractors shall have exper-
tise regarding matters described in subsection (b).’’. 
(o) INFORMATION PROVIDED TO STATE VETERANS 
AGENCIES REGARDING MEMBERS SEPARATING FROM 
THE ARMED FORCES.— 
(1) EXPANSION.—Section 570F of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 
(Public Law 116–92; 10 U.S.C. 1142 note) is 
amended, in subsection (a)— 
(A) by redesignating paragraph (8) as 
paragraph (9); and 
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(B) by inserting, after paragraph (7), the 
following new paragraph (8): 
‘‘(8) Benefits for low-income households, includ-
ing the supplemental nutrition assistance program 
(as such term is defined in section 3 of the Food 
and Nutrition Act of 2008 (Public Law 88–525; 7 
U.S.C. 2012)).’’. 
(2) LIMITATION
OF
VOLUNTARY
PARTICIPA-
TION.—Such section is further amended, in sub-
section (d), by striking ‘‘Information’’ and inserting 
‘‘Except for information related to whether an indi-
vidual is eligible for benefits described in paragraph 
(8) of subsection (a), information’’. 
(p) PILOT PROGRAM FOR MILITARY SPOUSES.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Defense shall establish a pilot program for 
spouses of members of the covered Armed Forces 
who are eligible to receive preseparation counseling 
under TAP. 
(2) VOLUNTARY
BASIS.—Participation in the 
pilot program shall be on a voluntary basis. 
(3) CURRICULUM.—The Secretary of Defense, 
in coordination with the Secretary of Veterans Af-
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fairs and the Secretary of Labor, shall establish a 
curriculum based on TAP for the pilot program. 
(4) COUNSELING.—Counseling under the pilot 
program shall— 
(A) be tailored to the military spouse and 
family; 
(B) be offered at least once per calendar 
quarter at each location selected under para-
graph (5); 
(C) be offered at times including nights 
and weekends; and 
(D) include at least one hour regarding 
benefits and assistance available to military 
families and veterans from each department 
under the jurisdiction of the Secretaries speci-
fied in subparagraph (C). 
(5) LOCATIONS.—The Secretary of Defense 
shall carry out the pilot program at not fewer than 
five military installations of each of the covered 
Armed Forces. One such location shall be located 
outside the continental United States. 
(6) REPORT.—Not later than one year before 
the pilot program terminates, the Secretary of De-
fense shall submit to the Committees on Armed 
Services of the Senate and House of Representatives 
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a report to the regarding the pilot program. Such re-
port shall include elements the Secretary determines 
appropriate, including whether the pilot program 
should be made permanent. 
(7) TERMINATION.—The pilot program shall 
terminate three years after the Secretary of Defense 
establishes the pilot program. 
(8) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
(A) The term ‘‘covered Armed Force’’ 
means the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air 
Force, or Space Force. 
(B) The term ‘‘TAP’’ means the Transi-
tion Assistance Program under sections 1142 
and 1144 of title 10, United States Code. 
(q) REPORTS; TRACKING SYSTEM.— 
(1) ANNUAL REPORT ON TAP PARTICIPATION.— 
Not later than one year after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, and annually thereafter for four 
years, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the 
Committees on Armed Services and on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a 
report on the Transition Assistance Program at mili-
tary installations where at least 250 members per 
year receive preseparation counseling under section 
1142 of title 10, United States Code. Such report 
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shall include the following elements with regards to 
the year preceding the date of such report, 
disaggregated by military installation: 
(A) The number of members described in 
subsection (a)(1)(B)(ii) of such section 1142, as 
added by subsection (a), who received fewer 
than five days of preseparation counseling 
under such section. 
(B) The average period of time between 
when a member begins to receive preseparation 
counseling and the day the member separates, 
retires, or is discharged. 
(C) The number of members who began to 
receive preseparation counseling and then re-en-
listed or agreed to a new period of obligated 
service. 
(D) The number of members who began to 
receive preseparation counseling and then were 
deployed. 
(E) The number of members assigned to 
each pathway under subsection (c) of such sec-
tion. 
(F) The number of members who, in the 
course of such preseparation counseling, were 
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referred to another Federal agency or depart-
ment. 
(G) The Federal agencies or departments 
to which members were so referred. 
(H) The number of members who should 
have been, but were not, so referred, and rea-
sons why such referrals did not occur. 
(I) The number of members who receive 
such preseparation counseling and apply for un-
employment compensation under subchapter II 
of chapter 85 of title 5, United States Code. 
(J) The total amount of such unemploy-
ment compensation paid to members separating 
from the Armed Forces. 
(K) The frequency with which the com-
mander of the military installation received a 
briefing regarding attendance of members in ac-
cordance with statutory requirements of the 
Transition Assistance Program. 
(2) ANNUAL REPORT ON TAP CURRICULA.—Not 
less than once each year after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretaries of Defense, Vet-
erans Affairs, and Labor shall— 
(A) review and update curricula under the 
Transition Assistance Program; and 
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(B) submit to Congress copies of such cur-
ricula. 
(3) TRACKING OF TIMELINESS.— 
(A) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 
one year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Defense shall implement 
a system to track how many, and what percent-
age of, members of the Armed Forces begin to 
receive preseparation counseling within the time 
periods established in section 1142 of title 10, 
United States Code. 
(B) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than two 
years after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of 
Defense shall submit to the Committees on 
Armed Services, and the Committees on Vet-
erans’ Affairs, of the Senate and House of Rep-
resentatives, a report on data recorded with 
such tracking system during the year preceding 
the date of such report. Such report shall in-
clude a list of the seven military installations lo-
cated inside the continental United States, and 
three military installations located outside the 
continental United States, where members are 
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least likely to receive TAP preseparation coun-
seling in accordance with such time periods. 
SEC. 3. TRANSITIONAL HEALTH CARE FOR MEMBERS 
BEING 
SEPARATED 
OR 
RECENTLY 
SEPA-
RATED: EXTENSION OF AVAILABILITY. 
Section 1145(a) of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (4)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘180 days’’ and inserting 
‘‘270 days’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘180-day period’’ and in-
serting ‘‘270-day period’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (7)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘180-day transition pe-
riod’’ and inserting ‘‘270-day transition pe-
riod’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘180 days’’ both places it 
appears and inserting ‘‘270 days’’. 
SEC. 4. SKILLBRIDGE: GAO STUDY. 
(a) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Comptroller General of 
the United States shall conduct a study of the Skillbridge 
programs under section 1143(e) of title 10, United States 
Code. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than two years after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall 
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submit to the Committees on Armed Services, and the 
Committees on Veterans’ Affairs, of the Senate and House 
of Representatives, a report regarding such study. Such 
report shall include observations and recommendations of 
the Comptroller regarding, with respect to members and 
employers who participate in Skillbridge— 
(1) differences in criteria for participation be-
tween the Armed Forces; 
(2) other differences in Skillbridge programs 
between the Armed Forces; 
(3) best practices in Skillbridge programs 
across the Armed Forces, including— 
(A) the selection of employers; and 
(B) the development of contracts; and 
(4) the feasibility of making Skillbridge pro-
grams uniform across the Armed Forces. 
SEC. 5. WEBSITE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF-
FAIRS REGARDING PROGRAMS FOR NEW VET-
ERANS. 
Section 523 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(c) The Secretary shall maintain a publicly available 
website of the Department through which a veteran or de-
pendent of a veteran may search by ZIP code for pro-
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grams for veterans who recently separated from active 
military, naval, air, or space service, or dependents of such 
veterans.’’. 
SEC. 6. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR A CERTAIN PRO-
GRAM OF JOB COUNSELING, TRAINING, AND 
PLACEMENT SERVICE FOR VETERANS. 
(a) DEFINITION.—Section 4101 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended in paragraph (5)— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking the comma 
at the end and inserting a semicolon; 
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘power, 
or’’ and inserting ‘‘power;’’; 
(3) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(D) a member of the Armed Forces eligi-
ble for the Transition Assistance Program 
under sections 1142 and 1144 of title 10.’’. 
(b) OUTREACH.—Section 4103A(a)(1) of such title is 
amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), 
by inserting ‘‘and certain eligible persons’’ after ‘‘eli-
gible veterans’’; 
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(2) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as sub-
paragraph (D); and 
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the fol-
lowing new subparagraph (C): 
‘‘(C) Eligible persons described in paragraph 
(5)(D) of section 4101 of this title.’’. 
SEC. 7. SOLID START PROGRAM: INTERACTION WITH TRAN-
SITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 
(a) CLARIFICATION OF REFERENCE TO TAP.—Sub-
section (b) of section 6320 of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended, in of paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘transition 
classes or separation’’ and inserting ‘‘TAP classes or 
preseparation counseling’’. 
(b) PROVISION OF TAP MATERIALS.—Such para-
graph is further amended— 
(1) 
by 
redesignating 
subparagraphs 
(D) 
through (H) as subparagraphs (E) through (I), re-
spectively; and 
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the fol-
lowing new subparagraph (D): 
‘‘(D) furnishing TAP materials to veterans;’’. 
(c) ASSESSMENT OF TAP.—Such paragraph is fur-
ther amended, in subparagraph (I), as redesignated, by 
inserting ‘‘and of TAP’’ before the period. 
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(d) DEFINITIONS.—Such section is further amend-
ed— 
(1) by striking paragraph (3) of subsection (b); 
and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘TAP’ means the Transition As-
sistance Program under sections 1142 and 1144 of 
title 10. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘Vet Center’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 1712A(h) of this title. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘veterans service organization’ 
means an organization recognized by the Secretary 
for the representation of veterans under section 
5902 of this title.’’. 
Æ 
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