Title: SERVE Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Securing Experienced Returning Veterans Employment Act of 2017 or the SERVE Act
This bill directs that in order to improve the accuracy and completeness of a certification or verification of job skills and experience acquired while on active duty, the Department of Defense (DOD) (and the Department of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy) shall: (1) establish a database to record all training performed by members of the armed forces that may have application to civilian sector employment, (2) make such information that is unclassified available to states and other employers so that they may allow military training to satisfy licensing or certification requirements for civilian professions, and (3) ensure that certifications and verifications of job skills and experience can be confirmed by states and other employers.
A state may use a certification or verification provided to a member of the armed forces and request DOD or the Coast Guard to confirm its accuracy and authenticity. Such information shall be confirmed or denied within five business days.
A certification or verification provided to a member of the armed forces and accepted by a state to satisfy licensing or certification requirements shall be valid in all states once used in the accepting states.
Pre-separation counseling concerning licensing and certification requirements shall include state-submitted and approved lists of military training and skills that satisfy occupational certifications and licenses.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3027 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3027

  To amend title 10, United States Code, to improve recordkeeping and 
 information sharing with States regarding military training performed 
   by members of the Armed Forces and other skills developed through 
military service that translate to civilian occupations to expedite the 
          transition of veterans to post-military employment.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 22, 2017

  Mr. Trott introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 10, United States Code, to improve recordkeeping and 
 information sharing with States regarding military training performed 
   by members of the Armed Forces and other skills developed through 
military service that translate to civilian occupations to expedite the 
          transition of veterans to post-military employment.

    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 ``Securing Experienced Returning 
Veterans Employment Act of 2017'' or the ``SERVE Act''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVED EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES 
              AND VETERANS.

    (a) Improved Employment Skills Verification.--Section 1143(a) of 
title 10, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(1)'' before ``The Secretary of 
        Defense''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(2) In order to improve the accuracy and completeness of a 
certification or verification of job skills and experience required by 
paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland 
Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a 
service in the Navy shall--
            ``(A) establish a database to record all training performed 
        by members of the armed forces that may have application to 
        employment in the civilian sector; and
            ``(B) make unclassified information regarding such 
        information available to States and other potential employers 
        referred to in subsection (c) so that State and other entities 
        may allow military training to satisfy licensing or 
        certification requirements to engage in a civilian 
        profession.''.
    (b) Improved Accuracy of Certificates of Training and Skills.--
Section 1143(a) of title 10, United States Code, is further amended by 
inserting after paragraph (2), as added by subsection (a), the 
following new paragraph:
    ``(3) The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland 
Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a 
service in the Navy shall ensure that a certification or verification 
of job skills and experience required by paragraph (1) is rendered in 
such a way that States and other potential employers can confirm the 
accuracy and authenticity of the certification or verification.''.
    (c) Improved Responsiveness to Certification Requests.--Section 
1143(c) of title 10, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(1)'' before ``For the purpose''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(2) A State may use a certification or verification of job skills 
and experience provided to a member of the armed forces under 
subsection (a) and request the Department of Defense or the Coast 
Guard, as the case may be, to confirm the accuracy and authenticity of 
the certification or verification. A response confirming or denying the 
information shall be provided within five business days.''.
    (d) Improved Portability of Certificates of Training and Skills.--
Section 1143 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following new subsection:
    ``(e) Portability.--A certification or verification of job skills 
and experience provided to a member of the armed forces under 
subsection (a) and accepted by a State to satisfy licensing or 
certification requirements to engage in a civilian profession shall be 
valid in all States once used in the accepting States.''.
    (e) Improved Notice to Members.--Section 1142(b)(4)(A) of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting before the semicolon the 
following: ``, including State-submitted and approved lists of military 
training and skills that satisfy occupational certifications and 
licenses''.
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