,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #djcg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #aa1 #bjad 
,mr4 ,flores introduced the following   
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to make certain          
improvements in the laws administered by
 the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs   
relating to training and rehabilitation 
for veterans with service-connected     
disabilities1 and for other purposes4   
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,improving ,veterans' ,access to
 ,vocational ,rehabilitation and        
,employment ,act of #bjad4  #b4         
,calculation of rate of veterans        
rehabilitated to the point of           
employability  7a7 ,in general ,chapter 
#ca of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1
 is amended by adding at the end the    
following new section3  #cabc4          
,calculation of rate of veterans        
rehabilitated to the point of           

employability ,to calculate the rate of 
veterans whom the ,secretary determines 
are rehabilitated to the point of       
employability under this chapter during 
a fiscal year1 the ,secretary shall     
divide--  7#a7 the number of veterans   
who participated in vocational          
rehabilitation programs under this      
chapter during such fiscal year whom the
 ,secretary determines to have been     
rehabilitated to the point of           
employability2 by  7#b7 the sum of--    
7,a7 the number of veterans who         
participated in such programs during    
such fiscal year 7regardless of whether 
such a veteran first participated in    
such programs during a previous fiscal  
year72 and  7,b7 the number of veterans 
who were entitled to participate in such
 programs during such fiscal year but   
did not complete a program4  4  7b7     
,clerical amendment ,the table of       
sections at the beginning of such       
chapter is amended by adding after the  
item relating to section #cabb the      

following new item3  #cabc4 ,calculation
 of rate of veterans rehabilitated to   
the point of employability4  4  #c4     
,approval of courses of education and   
training for purposes of the vocational 
rehabilitation program of the           
,department of ,veterans ,affairs  7a7  
,in general ,section #cajd7;b7 of title 
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  
by adding at the end the following new  
sentence3 ,to the maximum extent        
practicable1 a course of education or   
training may be pursued by a veteran as 
part of a rehabilitation program under  
this chapter only if the course is      
approved for purposes of chapter #cj or 
#cc of this title4 ,the ,secretary may  
waive the requirement under the         
preceding sentence to the extent the    
,secretary determines appropriate44  7b7
 ,effective date ,the amendment made by 
subsection 7a7 shall apply with respect 
to a course of education or training    
pursued by a veteran who first begins a 
program of rehabilitation under chapter 

#ca of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1
 on or after the date that is one year  
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act4  #d4 ,eligibility of certain      
veterans enrolled in vocational         
rehabilitation programs for specially   
adapted housing provided by the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs        
,section #baja7;b77#b7 of title #ch1    
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following new     
subparagraph3  7,d7 ,the disability is a
 disability for which the veteran is    
eligible for a rehabilitation program   
under chapter #ca of this title and is  
referred for assistance under this      
section pursuant to section #bajg of    
this title4  4  #e4 ,authority to       
prioritize vocational rehabilitation    
services based on need ,section #cajd of
 title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 as   
amended by section #c1 is further       
amended by adding at the end the        
following new subsection3  7c7  7#a7    
,the ,secretary shall have the authority

 to administer this chapter by          
prioritizing the provision of services  
under this chapter based on need1 as    
determined by the ,secretary4 ,in       
evaluating need for purposes of this    
subsection1 the ,secretary shall        
consider disability ratings1 the        
severity of employment handicaps1       
qualification for a program of          
independent living1 income1 and any     
other factor the ,secretary determines  
appropriate4  7#b7 ,not later than #ij  
days before making any changes to the   
prioritization of the provision of      
services under this chapter as          
authorized under paragraph 7#a71 the    
,secretary shall submit to ,congress a  
plan describing such changes4  4  #f4   
,modification of definition of serious  
employment handicap ,paragraph 7#g7 of  
section #caja of title #ch1 ,united     
,states ,code1 is amended to read as    
follows3  7#g7 ,the term serious        
employment handicap means a significant 
impairment1 resulting from the          

service-connected disability1 that is   
directly related to the veteran's       
ability to prepare for1 obtain1 or      
retain employment consistent with such  
veteran's abilities1 aptitudes1 and     
interests4  4