SERVE Act
Bill: H.R.2587 | Sponsor: Rep. Lamb, Conor (D-PA)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Supporting Education Recognition for Veterans during Emergencies Act or the SERVE Act
This bill addresses opportunities for certain veterans with medical experience.
The bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to update its web portals to allow the identification of veterans who had a medical occupation as a member of the Armed Forces. Specifically, the bill authorizes veterans to elect to provide their contact information and a history of their medical experience and trained competencies.
The VA, the Department of Defense (DOD), and the Department of Labor must establish a program to share the veteran's provided information with specified entities (e.g., state credentialing bodies) for purposes of facilitating civilian medical credentialing and hiring of veterans seeking to respond to a national emergency, including a public health emergency.
The VA must implement a program to train and certify veterans who served as basic health care technicians during their service to work as VA intermediate care technicians, specifically at VA medical center locations with staffing shortages. Additionally, the VA must prepare a communications campaign under the Transition Assistance Program to convey opportunities related to the intermediate care technician program to members of the Armed Forces who are separating from active duty.
Finally, the bill requires the VA and DOD to notify veterans service organizations and members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces about the opportunities for veterans provided under this bill.

To improve the ability of veterans with medical training to assist the 
   United States in response to national emergencies, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 ``Supporting Education Recognition for 
Veterans during Emergencies Act'' or the ``SERVE Act''.

SEC. 2. UPDATE OF WEB PORTAL TO IDENTIFY VETERANS WHO HAD MEDICAL 
              OCCUPATIONS AS MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall update existing web portals of 
the Department to allow the identification of veterans who had a 
medical occupation as a member of the Armed Forces.
    (b) Information in Portal.--
            (1) In general.--An update to a portal under subsection (a) 
        shall allow a veteran to elect to provide the following 
        information:
                    (A) Contact information for the veteran.
                    (B) A history of the medical experience and trained 
                competencies of the veteran.
            (2) Inclusions in history.--To the extent practicable, 
        histories provided under paragraph (1)(B) shall include 
        individual critical task lists specific to military 
        occupational specialties that align with existing standard 
        occupational codes maintained by the Bureau of Labor 
        Statistics.

SEC. 3. PROGRAM ON PROVISION TO STATES OF INFORMATION ON VETERANS WITH 
              MEDICAL SKILLS OBTAINED DURING SERVICE IN THE ARMED 
              FORCES.

    For purposes of facilitating civilian medical credentialing and 
hiring opportunities for veterans seeking to respond to a national 
emergency, including a public health emergency declared by the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 319 of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d), the Secretary, in coordination 
with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Labor, shall 
establish a program to share information specified in section 3(b) with 
the following:
            (1) State departments of veterans affairs.
            (2) Veterans service organizations.
            (3) State credentialing bodies.
            (4) State homes.
            (5) Other stakeholders involved in State-level 
        credentialing, as determined appropriate by the Secretary.

SEC. 4. PROGRAM ON TRAINING OF INTERMEDIATE CARE TECHNICIANS OF 
              DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall implement a program to 
train and certify covered veterans to work as intermediate care 
technicians of the Department.
    (b) Locations.--The Secretary may place an intermediate care 
technician trained and certified under the program under subsection (a) 
at any medical center of the Department, giving priority to a location 
with a significant staffing shortage.
    (c) Inclusion of Information in Transition Assistance Program.--As 
part of the Transition Assistance Program under sections 1142 and 1144 
of title 10, United States Code, the Secretary shall prepare a 
communications campaign to convey opportunities for training, 
certification, and employment under the program under subsection (a) to 
appropriate members of the Armed Forces separating from active duty.
    (d) Report on Expansion of Program.--Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 
Congress a report on whether the program under this section could be 
replicated for other medical positions within the Department.
    (e) Covered Veteran Defined.--In this section, the term ``covered 
veteran'' means a veteran whom the Secretary determines served as a 
basic health care technician while serving in the Armed Forces.

SEC. 5. NOTIFICATION OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERANS.

    The Secretary shall notify veterans service organizations and, in 
coordination with the Secretary of Defense, members of the reserve 
components of the Armed Forces of opportunities for veterans under this 
Act.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Department; secretary; veteran.--The terms 
        ``Department'', ``Secretary'', ``State home'', and ``veteran'' 
        have the meanings given those terms in section 101 of title 38, 
        United States Code.
            (2) Veterans service organization.--The term ``veterans 
        service organization'' means an organization that provides 
        services to veterans, including organizations recognized by the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs under section 5902 of title 38, 
        United States Code.
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