The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“VETERANS RETRAINING ACT OF 2009” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H12149-H12151 on Nov. 2, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
VETERANS RETRAINING ACT OF 2009
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 1168) to amend chapter 42 of title 38, United States Code, to provide certain veterans with employment training assistance, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1168
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 ``Veterans Retraining Act of 2009''.
SEC. 2. EMPLOYMENT TRAINING ASSISTANCE.
(a) In General.--Chapter 42 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 4216. Employment Training Assistance for Unemployed
Veterans.
``(a) Monthly Training Assistance Allowance.--Subject to the availability of appropriations for such purpose, the Secretary of Labor may pay to each covered veteran a monthly training assistance allowance under this section for each month that a covered veteran is enrolled in an employment and training program that teaches a skill in demand, as determined by the Secretary.
``(b) Amount.--The amount of the training assistance allowance under this section is the amount equal to the monthly amount of the basic allowance for housing payable under section 403 of title 37 for a member of the Armed Forces with dependents in pay grade E-5 residing in the military housing area that encompasses all or the majority portion of the ZIP code area in which the veteran resides.
``(c) Duration.--A covered veteran may receive training assistance under this section for not more than six months during each 10-year period beginning on the date in which the covered veteran first receives training allowance under this section.
``(d) Moving Stipend.--Subject to the availability of appropriations for such purpose, in addition to the training assistance allowance payable under subsection (a), the Secretary may reimburse each covered veteran, in an amount not to exceed $5,000, for moving expenses related to the veteran's receipt of training for which an allowance is paid under this section.
``(e) Covered Veteran Defined.--In this section, the term
`covered veteran' means a veteran who is--
``(1) unemployed for a period of not less than four consecutive months at the time of applying for training assistance under this section;
``(2) able to successfully complete the employment and training program described in subsection (a), as determined by the Secretary; and
``(3) except as provided under this section, ineligible for education or training assistance under this title.
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $100,000,000 for each fiscal year.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 42 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new item:
``4216. Employment training assistance for unemployed veterans.''.
(c) Effective Date.--Section 4216 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to months beginning on or after the first day of fiscal year 2011.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Walz) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Minnesota.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Again, I thank my colleagues from Florida and Arkansas for introducing an incredibly important piece of legislation.
H.R. 1168 is a much-needed piece of legislation to address the job retraining needs of America's veterans. Just this month, the Department of Labor reported that more than 30,000 recently discharged veterans have filed for unemployment insurance benefits. Furthermore, as of September 2009, the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that 990,000 veterans were unemployed.
Mr. Speaker, these numbers are significant, and they demonstrate an immediate need to help our veterans receive the essential training needed to get their skills so they can be employed in a meaningful manner. We know the employment training programs can be effective in providing job counseling and retraining, an important part of successful transition to a civilian career.
H.R. 1168 goes one step further in support of veterans. The Veterans Retraining Act of 2009 would provide a stipend to veterans who are enrolled in employment and training programs to help cover living expenses and moving costs so veterans can move to an area where there is a demand for their newly acquired military skills.
This bill is good for the veteran, good for the underserved skill sector, and it is good for the country. Our veterans have invested in our country, and this legislation invests in our veterans.
H.R. 1168 is the result of continuously bipartisan work between the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee chairwoman, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, and the ranking member, Mr. Boozman. I applaud both Mr. Boozman and Ms. Herseth Sandlin for their leadership on the issue, their dedication to our veterans, and the example they set in the Veterans' Affairs Committee of bipartisan work for our veterans.
I urge all my colleagues to join me in support of this bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I also rise in support of this bill, H.R. 1168, as amended, the Veterans Retraining Act of 2009. It is unfortunate this wasn't part of the stimulus package, because I think this could have been handled appropriately there. We have got a CBO estimate, but it is an authorization bill, and it is not an appropriations bill. But I think this is the kind of thing that would have been very pertinent to the stimulus bill.
This would amend chapter 42 of title 38, United States Code, to provide eligible veterans with employment training assistance.
Mr. Speaker, helping our returning veterans get back into the workforce is of the utmost importance. I believe this legislation will further that cause when, because of the recession, the unemployment level, particularly among veterans, continues to reach unacceptable levels.
I will be yielding shortly to the author of the bill, Mr. Boozman, for a fuller explanation, but I would like to thank him for offering this bill, and also, as Mr. Walz had mentioned, Ms. Herseth Sandlin and the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity for moving this bill through the legislative process, and also thank the chairman and the ranking member for their support.
We must do more, obviously, to help our veterans today who have been hit especially hard by these tough economic times, particularly when they come back from Iraq or Afghanistan.
So I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1168, as amended.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, it is a real pleasure at this time to yield such time as she may consume to the coauthor of this bill, a tireless and effective advocate for our veterans and my colleague from right next door in South Dakota, Ms. Herseth Sandlin.
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend for yielding, for his service to our country, and for his tireless advocacy on behalf our Nation's veterans.
I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1168, the Veterans Retraining Act of 2009, which the Veterans' Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee passed on October 8 and the full committee approved last week. I would like to thank the ranking member of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, Mr. Boozman, for his outstanding leadership in introducing this important legislation, and full committee Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for their leadership as well and their support of this legislation.
The bill offers important updates to the employment training assistance available to veterans. It directs the Secretary of Labor to provide a monthly assistance allowance to veterans who are enrolled in an employment and training program. It teaches a skill in demand.
In addition, the veteran would be eligible to receive a monthly housing allowance, as well as a moving stipend of up to $5,000 for moving expenses directly related to the receipt of this training. In order to be eligible for this assistance, veterans must be unemployed for no less than four months and ineligible for other education and training assistance.
Employment assistance is one of the essential benefits that our country gives its veterans. These benefits help our veterans adjust to life outside of the military and successfully transfer the skills and experience they acquired while serving in the Armed Forces to the civilian job force.
Again, I want to thank Chairman Filner and particularly the hard work of Ranking Member Boozman for their support on this issue, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the author of the bill, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman).
Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Filner, Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin and Ranking Member Buyer for bringing H.R. 1168, as amended, the Veterans Retraining Act of 2009, to the floor.
I introduced this bill to encourage veterans to enroll in job training programs offered by the Department of Labor that train participants for jobs in the new economy.
In 2002, Congress enacted the Jobs for Veterans Act which gave covered veterans priority access to job training programs sponsored by the Department of Labor. Unfortunately, just as in other sectors of the workforce, veterans too have been forced to join the lines of the unemployed.
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data for September 2009, 990,000 veterans were out of work, for an unemployment rate of 8.3 percent, the highest in decades. Of that number, nearly 600,000 were between the ages of 35 and 64, the years of prime earning power as well as peak financial obligations. These is also the group of veterans who no longer have access to any VA education or training programs. So while veterans may have priority access to training programs, the need to provide some income to the family while training is the prime goal of H.R. 1168, as amended,
To meet that goal, H.R. 1168, as amended, authorizes $100 million per year to provide a living stipend and moving assistance to veterans who have been unemployed for at least 4 months, who are not eligible for training or education under title 38, and are enrolled in a U.S. Department of Labor retraining program. The amount of the living stipend would mirror that given to post-9/11 GI Bill participants.
The moving assistance is intended to help a newly trained veteran who lives in an area of high unemployment to move to an area where there is a demand for the veteran's skills. It is my hope that H.R. 1168, as amended, will be a step towards providing veterans with new skill sets and the ability to locate where the jobs are plentiful.
I want to especially thank Ms. Herseth Sandlin for her help and leadership on this bill and just in general her leadership on our subcommittee. I also appreciate Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for bringing this bill forward to the floor.
As always, I want to thank the staff for your efforts. We don't do that enough. We really appreciate your efforts on behalf of our veterans and the tremendous job that you are doing.
Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, so I yield back the balance of our time.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, again, thank you to both our chairwoman and our ranking member for a wonderful and timely piece of legislation.
General Leave
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1168, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Minnesota?
There was no objection.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to unanimously support H.R. 1168.
I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Walz) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1168, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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