I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5951 
To establish the Veterans Crisis Response Corps, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 23, 2018 
Mr. SCHIFF (for himself, Mr. MOULTON, and Ms. JACKSON LEE) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Af-
fairs, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infra-
structure, Foreign Affairs, and Armed Services, for a period to be subse-
quently 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 the Veterans Crisis Response Corps, 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 ‘‘Veterans Crisis Re-
sponse Corps Act of 2018’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The United States has a long history of re-
sponding to natural and man-made crises both do-
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mestic and abroad. These efforts secure the safety 
and security of our citizens at home and overseas, 
help to build a more peaceful, prosperous, and se-
cure world, to the long-term benefit of the United 
States and the international community. 
(2) Following major natural disasters, the De-
partment of Defense has an unmatched logistical 
and operational capacity to provide rapid response 
across the globe. In recent years, Department of De-
fense assets have played a key role in responding to 
domestic and international crises including the 2004 
tsunami in the Indian Ocean, Hurricane Katrina in 
2005, the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the 2011 earth-
quake and tsunami in Japan, Hurricane Sandy in 
2012, and Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. 
(3) The Department of Defense’s crisis re-
sponse mission serves the interests of the United 
States by supporting domestic response to aid the 
homeland and abroad by deepening cooperation with 
regional partners, and providing a platform for pub-
lic diplomacy and outreach. 
(4) The Department of Defense’s role following 
disasters is temporary, typically spanning the imme-
diate aftermath of a disaster, focusing on the provi-
sion of equipment, support, food and water, and 
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medical care. When Department of Defense assets 
withdraw, the work of repairing infrastructure can 
take months or years. 
(5) More than 2,400,000 members of the 
Armed Forces have separated from the Armed 
Forces since September 11, 2001. Unemployment 
remains a serious problem for veterans, with 
500,000 veterans unemployed at some point in 
2016. Many veterans leave the Armed Forces with 
a continued desire to serve, as well as skills and ex-
perience that make them invaluable in a disaster re-
lief and reconstruction setting. 
(6) Nonprofit organizations such as Team Ru-
bicon, the Mission Continues, and others provide 
service opportunities for veterans to apply their 
skills to community service projects, including dis-
aster relief and reconstruction. 
(7) There is a pressing need to provide service 
and employment opportunities for veterans and it is 
in the interests of the United States to assist in re-
construction projects following national disasters in 
order to promote American values and as an exercise 
of public diplomacy. 
(8) The establishment of a Veterans Crisis Re-
sponse Corps would leverage the unique skills of vet-
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erans to the benefit of the United States, supporting 
the safety and security of the homeland, building 
good will overseas and providing productive, mean-
ingful work opportunities to veterans. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF VETERANS CRISIS RESPONSE 
CORPS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the ex-
ecutive branch of the Federal Government an independent 
agency to be known as the Veterans Crisis Response 
Corps. 
(b) DIRECTOR.—There shall be a Director of the Vet-
erans Crisis Response Corps, who is the head of the Vet-
erans Crisis Response Corps. The Director shall be ap-
pointed by the President, by and with the advice and con-
sent of the Senate. 
(c) MISSION.—The Veterans Crisis Response Corps 
shall— 
(1) organize members of the Veterans Crisis 
Response Corps to participate in disaster relief and 
reconstruction projects following domestic or inter-
national manmade or natural disasters; 
(2) in carrying out such projects, deploy mem-
bers of the Corps in support of the United States 
Agency designated to lead the response to perform 
reconstruction tasks and provide support services, 
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training, technical assistance, and other assistance 
in post-disaster areas; 
(3) supplement and enhance the humanitarian 
relief and reconstruction support provided by other 
departments and agencies of the Federal Govern-
ment, including the Department of Defense, the De-
partment of State, the United States Agency for 
International Development, the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, and nongovernmental organi-
zations and international aid organizations, by de-
ploying a highly skilled and highly experienced work-
force of veterans; and 
(4) identify high-impact reconstruction projects 
in the United States that would make use of the 
skills of members of the Veterans Crisis Response 
Corps and leverage and coordinate with other ele-
ments of the Federal Government and nongovern-
mental organizations. 
(d) POWERS.—The Director may establish general 
policies of the Veterans Crisis Response Corps, including 
with respect to— 
(1) establishing rules for conducting the general 
business of the Corps; 
(2) entering into contracts; 
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(3) directing the establishment and mainte-
nance of divisions or other offices within the Corps; 
(4) coordinating and overseeing the operation of 
the activities of the Corps; 
(5) adopting and using a seal; 
(6) appointing and supervising personnel em-
ployed by the Corps; 
(7) distributing business among such personnel 
and units of the Corps; 
(8) obligating and expending funds made avail-
able to the Corps; and 
(9) performing such other functions as may be 
authorized or required by law. 
(e) PERSONNEL.—The Director may fix the number 
of, and appoint and direct, employees of the Veterans Cri-
sis Response Corps, in accordance with the applicable pro-
visions of title 5, United States Code. Unless otherwise 
provided expressly by law, any individual appointed under 
this subsection shall be an employee as defined in section 
2105 of title 5, United States Code, and subject to the 
provisions of such title and other laws generally applicable 
to the employees of an Executive agency. 
SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP IN CORPS. 
(a) ELIGIBILITY.— 
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(1) VOLUNTEER.—Subject to paragraph (2), a 
veteran may elect to serve as a member of the Vet-
erans Crisis Response Corps. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The Director may pre-
scribe requirements, including with respect to phys-
ical and mental health, for veterans to serve as 
members of the Veterans Crisis Response Corps. 
(b) DUTY REQUIRED.— 
(1) TRAINING.—The Director shall require that 
each member of the Veterans Crisis Response Corps 
meet the training requirements pursuant to section 
6. 
(2) DEPLOYMENTS.—Members of the Veterans 
Crisis Response Corps may elect to accept a deploy-
ment in support of a disaster relief or reconstruction 
project pursuant to section 5. Such a deployment 
may not exceed a one-year period. The Director may 
not require that a member accept a deployment. 
(3) LIST.—The Director shall maintain a list of 
members of the Veterans Crisis Response Corps who 
elect to accept deployments in support of a disaster 
relief or reconstruction project pursuant to section 5. 
(c) SEPARATION.—A member of the Veterans Crisis 
Response Corps may be separated from the Corps as fol-
lows: 
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(1) Upon the election of the member. 
(2) Upon the determination of the Director 
that— 
(A) the member has failed to meet the 
training requirements pursuant to section 5 or 
other requirements pursuant to this Act; or 
(B) such separation is in the best interests 
of the Veterans Crisis Response Corps. 
SEC. 5. DISASTER RELIEF AND RECONSTRUCTION PROJ-
ECTS. 
(a) PROJECT SELECTION.—In consultation with the 
Coordination Council established under section 7, the Di-
rector shall select disaster relief and reconstruction 
projects in the United States or outside the United States 
for the Veterans Crisis Response Corps to carry out. 
(b) INTERAGENCY PREFERENCE.—The Veterans Cri-
sis Response Corps shall be the preferred source of per-
sonnel for surge capacity to all United States Agencies 
providing relief and reconstruction. 
(c) PRIORITY.—To the extent practicable, the Direc-
tor shall prioritize the selection of disaster relief and re-
construction projects under subsection (a) that— 
(1) will benefit from the skilled and experienced 
labor of the Veterans Crisis Response Corps; 
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(2) support defined needs of the lead United 
States Agency; and 
(3) may be carried out using funds made avail-
able by an element of the Federal Government other 
than the Veterans Crisis Response Corps, or by a 
State or local government, a foreign country, or a 
nongovernmental organization. 
(d) TYPES OF PROJECTS.—Disaster relief and recon-
struction projects selected under subsection (a) shall in-
clude projects relating to— 
(1) responding to natural disasters, including 
through the provision of food, water, shelter, and 
medical care; 
(2) carrying out reconstruction following nat-
ural disasters, including repair of critical infrastruc-
ture; 
(3) water and energy projects, including the 
construction of water infrastructure, electrical infra-
structure and generation, and transportation hubs; 
and 
(4) other projects that the Director determines 
fulfil the mission of the Veterans Crisis Response 
Corps. 
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(e) AGREEMENTS.—The Director may enter into 
agreements with nongovernmental organizations under 
which— 
(1) members of the Veterans Crisis Response 
Corps assist the nongovernmental entity to carry out 
disaster relief and reconstruction projects that the 
Director determines fulfil the mission of the Vet-
erans Crisis Response Corps; and 
(2) the Director may provide to the nongovern-
mental entity funds in amounts necessary to carry 
out paragraph (1). 
SEC. 6. TRAINING OF MEMBERS OF THE VETERANS CRISIS 
RESPONSE CORPS. 
(a) REQUIRED TRAINING.—The Director shall estab-
lish a system of required training for members of the Vet-
erans Crisis Response Corps that is carried out on a reg-
ular schedule. 
(b) MANDATORY
PARTICIPATION.—The Director 
shall require members of the Veterans Crisis Response 
Corps to participate in training under subsection (a) as 
a condition of remaining eligible for deployment in support 
of a disaster relief or reconstruction project pursuant to 
section 5. 
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SEC. 7. COMPENSATION, BENEFITS, AND PROTECTIONS 
FOR MEMBERS OF THE VETERANS CRISIS RE-
SPONSE CORPS. 
(a) COMPENSATION.—The Director shall determine a 
rate of compensation for members of the Veterans Crisis 
Response Corps during a duty period. In determining such 
rate, the Director shall take into account the final rank 
in the Armed Forces of the members, the specific skills 
possessed by members, and other factors as determined 
appropriate by the Director. 
(b) HEALTH CARE.—During a duty period, a mem-
ber of the Veterans Crisis Response Corps shall be treated 
as a member of the National Guard on active duty for 
a period of more than 30 days for purposes of being eligi-
ble for health care benefits under the TRICARE program 
(as defined in section 1072 of title 10, United States 
Code). 
(c) EMPLOYMENT AND REEMPLOYMENT RIGHTS.— 
Section 4303(16) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: 
‘‘Such term also includes the Veterans Crisis Response 
Corps when in a duty period (as defined in section 9 of 
the Veterans Crisis Response Corps Act of 2018).’’. 
SEC. 8. COORDINATION COUNCIL. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a council 
to be known as the ‘‘Coordination Council’’ to— 
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(1) advise the Director; 
(2) assist the Director in identifying and 
prioritizing 
disaster 
relief 
and 
reconstruction 
projects under section 5 that are suitable to the mis-
sion and resources of the Veterans Crisis Response 
Corps; 
(3) coordinate the deployments of members of 
the Veterans Crisis Response Corps in support of a 
disaster relief or reconstruction project pursuant to 
section 5; and 
(4) as requested by the Director, provide tech-
nical support, training, logistical support, and other 
appropriate support. 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The Council shall consist of the 
following: 
(1) The Secretary of Defense. 
(2) The Secretary of State. 
(3) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 
(4) The Secretary of the Department of Home-
land Security. 
(5) The Administrator of the United States 
Agency for International Development. 
(6) The Administrator of the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency. 
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(7) The Chief Executive Officer of the Corpora-
tion for National and Community Service. 
(8) Other members in the non-voting, con-
sulting status as determined by the Council. 
SEC. 9. REPORTS. 
(a) REPORTS.—Not less than once each year, the Di-
rector shall submit to Congress a report on the operations 
of the Veterans Crisis Response Corps. 
(b) MATTERS INCLUDED.—Each report under sub-
section (a) shall include the following: 
(1) A detail of any activities carried out by the 
Veterans Crisis Response Corps during the period 
covered by the report. 
(2) Any recommendations the Director deter-
mines appropriate to increase the effectiveness and 
efficiency of the Veterans Crisis Response Corps. 
SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) The term ‘‘duty period’’ means a period in 
which a member of the Veterans Crisis Response 
Corps is— 
(A) deployed in support of a disaster relief 
or reconstruction project pursuant to section 5; 
or 
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(B) engaged in training pursuant to sec-
tion 6. 
(2) The term ‘‘veteran’’ has the meaning given 
that term in section 101(2) of title 38, United 
States Code. 
Æ 
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