CERT Act

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 members leaving the Armed Forces without 
        civilian employment 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 certification guidelines.
            (4) Veteran transition can be aided by establishing a 
        commission to examine licensing and certification challenges 
        confronting members of the Armed Forces upon post-service entry 
        into the civilian workforce.
            (5) This commission will identify where there are gaps 
        between military training and civilian credentials' training 
        requirements and can identify opportunities 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 licensed 
        professions. States could adopt Blue Star certifications as 
        equivalent to entry into certain licensed 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 immediately apply their training 
        and experience to the private sector. States that adopt the 
        Blue Star credential will attract and retain talented and civic 
        minded veterans. Furthermore, this would modernize military 
        training within Blue Star occupational specialties to ensure 
        that members are well trained and prepared to meet any 
        challenge upon separation.

SEC. 2. COMMISSION ON VETERAN CERTIFICATION STANDARDS.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established an advisory commission to 
be known as the Commission on Veteran Certification Standards (in this 
Act referred to as the ``Commission'').
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) Number and appointment.--The Commission shall be 
        composed of 16 members appointed as follows:
                    (A) The Majority Leader of the Senate shall appoint 
                one member.
                    (B) The Minority Leader of the Senate shall appoint 
                one member.
                    (C) The Speaker of the House of Representatives 
                shall appoint one member.
                    (D) The Minority Leader of the House of 
                Representatives shall appoint one member.
                    (E) The Chairman of the Committee on Armed Services 
                of the Senate shall appoint one member.
                    (F) The Ranking Member of the Committee on Armed 
                Services of the Senate shall appoint one member.
                    (G) The Chairman of the Committee on Armed Services 
                of the House of Representatives shall appoint one 
                member.
                    (H) The Ranking Member of the Committee on Armed 
                Services of the House of Representatives 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 Committee on 
                Veterans' Affairs of the Senate shall appoint one 
                member.
                    (K) The Chairman of the Committee on Veterans' 
                Affairs of the House of Representatives shall appoint 
                one member.
                    (L) The Ranking Member of the Committee 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 Committee on Health, 
                Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate shall 
                appoint one member.
                    (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 Committee 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 paragraph (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 Commission.--Members of the 
Commission will not receive wages or compensation on account of their 
services on the Commission, but will be allowed travel expenses, 
including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for 
employees under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 
Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the 
performance of services for the Commission.
    (f) Use of Government Information.--The Commission may secure 
directly from any department or agency 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 information 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 Commission may--
                    (A) procure the services of experts or consultants 
                (or of organizations of experts or consultants) 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 transportation and 
                per diem in lieu of subsistence, while such individuals 
                are traveling from their homes or places of business to 
                duty stations.
            (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 Executive 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 consideration. 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 
announced 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 
opportunity 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 appointed.
            (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 member objects or classified 
        information is to be considered.
    (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 suitable excess space within the Federal space inventory to 
house the operations of the Commission. If the Administrator is not 
able to make such suitable excess space available within such 90-day 
period, the Commission may lease space to the extent the funds are 
available.
    (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 following duties:
            (1) Examine the unique challenges that confront members of 
        the Armed Forces and their spouses upon post-service entry into 
        the civilian workforce.
            (2) Determine best practices and evaluate efforts 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 transition efforts for members of the Armed Forces 
        and their spouses upon post-service entry into the civilian 
        workforce.
            (5) Design an evaluation criteria that the Secretary of 
        Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs can use to 
        evaluate the extent to which States and territories adopt and 
        utilize the Blue Star credentialing standards.
    (b) Development of Commission Recommendations.--The Commission 
shall develop recommendations on the matters subject to its review 
under subsection (a).
    (c) Commission Report and Recommendations.--
            (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 conclusions of the Commission, together with the 
        recommendations 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 implement the recommendations of the 
        Commission.
            (2) Requirement for approval.--The recommendations of the 
        Commission must be approved by a majority of the members of the 
        Commission before 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 paragraph (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 Director in accordance with section 
3161 of title 5, United States Code.
    (b) Staff.--The Executive Director, with the approval of the 
Commission, may appoint and fix the rate of basic pay for additional 
personnel as staff of the Commission 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.

Summary: Collaborating for Economic Reintegration of Troops Act or the CERT Act This bill establishes the Commission on Veteran Certification Standards which shall:   examine the challenges confronting members of the Armed Forces and their spouses upon post-service entry into the civilian workforce;  determine best state practices and evaluate efforts to assist members of the Armed Forces in obtaining professional credentials to facilitate the transfer of military skills and certifications to civilian settings;  identify industries and jobs that can most benefit from military experience;  develop recommended Blue Star credentialing standards and design evaluation criteria that the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs can use to evaluate state and territory utilization of such standards; and  develop related administrative recommendations.