GI Internship Program Act
Bill: H.R.9666 | Sponsor: Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott (D-IL)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
GI Internship Program Act
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a program to match veterans who are entitled to educational assistance with internships to provide such veterans with work experience and marketable skills.
The VA shall establish criteria that employers must meet to participate in the program. The following employers are excluded from participating in the program: (1) government agencies, (2) employers who cannot provide the VA with certain assurances, and (3) employers who have previously participated in the program and failed to abide by its requirements.
The VA shall pay individuals who are full-time participants in such an internship the amount of educational assistance payable to those participating in a full-time apprenticeship or other on-job training programs.
Interns shall be considered as employees of the VA, not the program employer, for purposes of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Additionally, each intern and employer shall provide the VA with a monthly certification that the intern worked at least 35 hours each week performing functions that provided the individual with valuable experience.
The VA and the Department of Labor shall create and publicize a website to serve as a portal for the program.
The VA shall (1) minimize the administrative burdens incurred by employers due to their participation in the program, and (2) ensure that employer participation is at no cost to the employer.

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize veterans who are 
  entitled to educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Educational 
 Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs to use such 
 entitlement to participate in a career transition internship program 
                             for veterans.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``GI Internship Program Act''.

SEC. 2. PROGRAM ON PROVISION OF CAREER TRANSITION SERVICES TO YOUNG 
              VETERANS.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 33 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 3320A. Career transition internship program
    ``(a) In General.--The internship program described in subsection 
(b) shall be deemed to be an approved program of education for purposes 
of this chapter.
    ``(b) Internship Program.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
establish a program to match individuals entitled to educational 
assistance under this chapter with eligible employers providing 
internships for the purpose of--
            ``(1) providing such individuals with work experience in 
        the civilian sector;
            ``(2) addressing the growing skills gap in the United 
        States economy;
            ``(3) increasing the marketable skills of such individuals; 
        and
            ``(4) assisting such individuals in obtaining long-term 
        employment.
    ``(c) Eligible Employers.--
            ``(1) In general.--For purposes of the program, an eligible 
        employer is an employer determined by the Secretary to meet 
        such criteria for participation in the program as the Secretary 
        shall establish for purposes of the program.
            ``(2) Past performance on certain matters.--The criteria 
        established by the Secretary under paragraph (1) may include 
        past performance of an employer with respect to the following:
                    ``(A) Job training, basic skills training, and 
                related activities.
                    ``(B) Financial accountability.
                    ``(C) Demonstrated need to hire, desire to grow, 
                and plan to grow.
                    ``(D) Demonstrated high potential for growth and 
                long-term job creation.
            ``(3) For-profit and not-for-profit employers.--The 
        employers determined by the Secretary to be eligible employers 
        under paragraph (1) may include both for-profit and not-for-
        profit employers.
            ``(4) Small business concerns.--In determining employers to 
        be eligible employers under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 
        ensure that small business concerns (under the meaning given 
        that term under section 3(a) of the Small Business Act (15 
        U.S.C. 632(a))) are afforded opportunities to participate in 
        the program.
            ``(5) Manufacturing.--In determining employers to be 
        eligible employers under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 
        give special consideration to employers in the manufacturing 
        sector.
            ``(6) Exclusions.--The following employers may not be 
        determined to be eligible employers under paragraph (1):
                    ``(A) An agency of the Federal Government or a 
                State or local government.
                    ``(B) An employer that has previously participated 
                in the program and, as determined by the Secretary, 
                failed to abide by any requirement of the program.
                    ``(C) An employer that cannot give an assurance to 
                the Secretary at the time of application for 
                participation in the program under subsection (f), and 
                in such manner as the Secretary shall specify pursuant 
                to that subsection, on each matter as follows:
                            ``(i) That the employer has not been 
                        investigated or subject to a case or action by 
                        the Federal Trade Commission during the 180-day 
                        period ending on the date the employer would 
                        otherwise commence participation in the 
                        program.
                            ``(ii) That the employer has been in good 
                        standing with a State business bureau during 
                        the period described in clause (i).
                            ``(iii) That the employer is not delinquent 
                        with respect to payment of any taxes or 
                        employer contributions described under sections 
                        3301 and 3302(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue 
                        Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 3301 and 3302(a)(1)).
                            ``(iv) That the employer would not request 
                        the placement of an additional eligible 
                        individual under the program, if after such 
                        additional placement, the number of eligible 
                        individuals placed in internships at such 
                        employer under the program would constitute 
                        more than 10 percent of the eligible employer's 
                        workforce. For purposes of the previous 
                        sentence, being an intern under the program 
                        placed at an employer shall be considered part 
                        of the employer's workforce.
                            ``(v) That the employer has the intention 
                        of retaining eligible participants after such 
                        participants have completed participation in 
                        the program.
    ``(d) Internships.--
            ``(1) In general.--For each individual entitled to 
        educational assistance under this chapter whom the Secretary 
        approves for participation in the program established under 
        subsection (b), the Secretary shall attempt to place such 
        individual in an internship on a full-time basis with an 
        eligible employer that the Secretary has approved for 
        participation in the program. For each month such an individual 
        participates in such an internship on a full-time basis, the 
        Secretary shall pay to the individual the amount of educational 
        assistance described in section 3313(g)(3)(B) of this title.
            ``(2) Duration.--Each internship under the program shall be 
        for a period of at least 180 days but not more than one year.
            ``(3) Employment status.--For purposes of the Patient 
        Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148), an 
        individual placed in an internship with an eligible employer 
        under the program shall be considered an employee of the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs and not the eligible employer 
        during the period of such internship under the program.
            ``(4) Relation to other federal assistance.--
        Notwithstanding any other provision of law, pay received by an 
        individual under this subsection may not be used in any 
        calculation to determine the eligibility of such individual for 
        any Federal program for the purpose of obtaining child care 
        assistance.
            ``(5) Certification.--For each month that an individual 
        participates in an internship under the program established by 
        subsection (b), the individual and the eligible employer 
        providing the internship shall submit to the Secretary 
        certification that the individual worked at least 35 hours each 
        week for the eligible employer performing functions that 
        provided the individual with valuable experience.
    ``(e) Participation.--
            ``(1) Application.--
                    ``(A) In general.--An eligible employer or 
                individual seeking to participate in the program shall 
                submit to the Secretary an application therefor at such 
                time, in such manner, and containing such information 
                as the Secretary shall specify.
                    ``(B) Requirements for eligible employers.--An 
                application submitted by an eligible employer under 
                subparagraph (A) shall include a certification or other 
                information, in such form and manner as the Secretary 
                shall specify, on each of the assurances required by 
                subsection (c)(6)(C), including the assurance that the 
                employer has the intention of retaining eligible 
                participants after they have completed participation in 
                the program as provided in clause (v) of that 
                subsection.
            ``(2) Time of application for certain eligible 
        individuals.--A member of the Armed Forces on active duty who 
        expects to be entitled for educational assistance under this 
        chapter may submit an application to participate in the program 
        not earlier than 180 days before the date on which the member 
        expects to be discharged or released from the Armed Forces.
            ``(3) Selection.--The Secretary shall review each 
        application submitted by an applicant under paragraph (1) and 
        approve or disapprove the applicant for participation in the 
        program.
    ``(f) Outreach.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs and 
        the Secretary of Labor shall jointly carry out a program of 
        outreach to inform eligible employers and eligible individuals 
        about the program and the benefits of participating in the 
        program.
            ``(2) Internet portal.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
        and the Secretary of Labor shall work together to create and 
        publicize an internet website to serve as a portal for eligible 
        individuals and eligible employers to learn about the program 
        and apply.
            ``(3) Included locations and groups.--The Secretary of 
        Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Labor shall ensure that 
        any outreach program and activities conducted under paragraph 
        (1) include, to the extent practicable, rural communities, 
        tribal lands of the United States, Native Americans, and tribal 
        organizations (as defined in section 3765 of title 38, United 
        States Code).
    ``(g) Minimization of Burdens on Participating Employers.--The 
Secretary shall take such measures as may be necessary to minimize 
administrative burdens incurred by eligible employers due to 
participation in the program and to ensure that employer participation 
in the program is at no cost to the employer.
    ``(h) Reports.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 45 days after the 
        completion of the first year of the program and not later than 
        90 days after the completion of the second and third years of 
        the program, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on 
        the program.
            ``(2) Contents.--Each report submitted under paragraph (1) 
        shall include the following:
                    ``(A) An evaluation of the program.
                    ``(B) The number and characteristics of 
                participants in the program.
                    ``(C) The number and types of internships in which 
                individuals were placed under the program.
                    ``(D) The number of individuals who obtained long-
                term full-time unsubsidized employment positions after 
                participation in the program, the hourly wage and 
                nature of such employment, and if available, whether 
                such individuals were still employed in such positions 
                three months after obtaining such positions.
                    ``(E) An assessment of the effect of the program on 
                earnings of the individuals who participated and the 
                employment of such individuals.
                    ``(F) Such recommendations for legislative and 
                administrative action as the Secretary may have to 
                improve the program, to expand the program, or to 
                improve the employment of individuals entitled to 
                educational assistance under this chapter.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
3320 the following new item:

``3320A. Career transition internship program.''.
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