,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #gjj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,april #aj1 #bjac   
,mr4 ,kaine 7for himself1 ,mr4          
,chambliss1 and ,mr4 ,baucus7 introduced
 the following bill2 which was read     
twice and referred to the ,committee on 
,armed ,services  ,a ,,bill  ,to ensure 
that the education and training provided
 members of the ,armed ,forces and      
veterans better assists members and     
veterans in obtaining civilian          
certifications and licenses1 and for    
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,troop ,talent 
,act of #bjac4  #b4 ,findings ,congress 
makes the following findings3  7#a7     
,according to the ,bureau of ,labor     
,statistics1 the unemployment rate for  
recent veterans of military operations  
in ,iraq and ,afghanistan was #i4d      
percent in ,february #bjac1 compared    
with #g4f percent in ,february #bjab4   
7#b7 ,with the unemployment rate among  
such veterans higher than the national  

average and the number of veterans      
receiving unemployment benefits doubling
 since #bjjb1 there is a significant    
need to assist members of the ,armed    
,forces as they transition to the       
civilian workforce4  7#c7 ,in order to  
remain competitive in the civilian      
employment market1 members of the ,armed
 ,forces and veterans require           
information about how their military    
skill sets translate to the requirements
 of the civilian workforce4 ,members of 
the ,armed ,forces currently receive    
insufficient or inadequate information  
during their training for military      
occupational specialties on translating 
skills obtained during such training to 
civilian occupations and credentials4   
7#d7 ,in addition1 there is a need for  
enhanced access by accredited           
credentialing agencies to military      
training curricula in order to          
facilitate and enhance the correlation  
between military training and applicable
 civilian credentialing courses and     

exams4  7#e7 ,the information technology
 sector is one of the fastest growing   
industries1 with tremendous job growth  
and demand for talented1 qualified      
individuals4 ,the information technology
 sector has an unemployment rate of #c4e
 percent according to a ,bureau of      
,labor ,statistics report from ,february
 #bjac4  7#f7 ,the ,bureau of ,labor    
,statistics projects a need for #aaj1jjj
 computer support specialists over the  
next decade4 ,currently1 the size of the
 information technology workforce in the
 ,armed ,forces is about #afj1jjj       
members4  #c4 ,enhancement of mechanisms
 to correlate skills and training for   
military occupational specialties with  
skills and training required for        
civilian certifications and licenses    
7a7 ,improvement of information         
available to members of the ,armed      
,forces about correlation  7#a7 ,in     
general ,the ,secretaries of the        
military departments1 in coordination   
with the ,under ,secretary of ,defense  

for ,personnel and ,readiness1 shall1 to
 the maximum extent practicable1 make   
information on civilian credentialing   
opportunities available to members of   
the ,armed ,forces beginning with1 and  
at every stage of1 training of members  
for military occupational specialties1  
in order to permit members--  7,a7 to   
evaluate the extent to which such       
training correlates with the skills and 
training required in connection with    
various civilian certifications and     
licenses2 and  7,b7 to assess the       
suitability of such training for        
obtaining or pursuing such civilian     
certifications and licenses4  7#b7      
,coordination with ,transition ,goals   
,plans ,success program ,information    
shall be made available under paragraph 
7#a7 in a manner consistent with the    
,transition ,goals ,plans ,success      
7,,gps7 program4  7#c7 ,types of        
information ,the information made       
available under paragraph 7#a7 shall    
include1 but not be limited to1 the     

following3  7,a7 ,information on the    
civilian occupational equivalents of    
military occupational specialties       
7,,mos74  7,b7 ,information on civilian 
license or certification requirements1  
including examination requirements4     
7,c7 ,information on the availability   
and opportunities for use of educational
 benefits available to members of the   
,armed ,forces1 as appropriate1         
corresponding training1 or continuing   
education that leads to a certification 
exam in order to provide a pathway to   
credentialing opportunities4  7#d7 ,use 
and adaptation of certain programs ,in  
making information available under      
paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretaries of the 
military departments may use and adapt  
appropriate portions of the             
,credentialing ,opportunities ,on-,line 
7,,cool7 programs of the ,army and the  
,navy and the ,credentialing and        
,educational ,research ,tool 7,,cert7 of
 the ,air ,force4  7b7 ,improvement of  
access of accredited civilian           

credentialing agencies to military      
training content  7#a7 ,in general ,the 
,secretaries of the military            
departments1 in coordination with the   
,under ,secretary of ,defense for       
,personnel and ,readiness1 shall1 to the
 maximum extent practicable consistent  
with national security requirements1    
make available to accredited civilian   
credentialing agencies that issue       
certifications or licenses1 upon request
 of such agencies1 information such as  
military course training curricula1     
syllabi1 and materials1 levels of       
military advancement attained1 and      
professional skills developed4  7#b7    
,central repository ,the actions taken  
pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 may include  
the establishment of a central          
repository of information on training   
and training materials provided members 
in connection with military occupational
 specialties that is readily accessible 
by accredited civilian credentialing    
agencies described in that paragraph in 

order to meet requests described in that
 paragraph4  #d4 ,use of educational    
assistance for courses in pursuit of    
civilian certifications or licenses  7a7
 ,courses under ,department of ,defense 
educational assistance authorities  7#a7
 ,in general ,chapter #aja of title #aj1
 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by   
inserting after section #bjae the       
following new section3  #bjae;a4        
,civilian certifications and licenses3  
use of educational assistance for       
courses in pursuit of civilian          
certifications or licenses  7a7         
,limitation on use of assistance ,in the
 case of a member of the armed forces   
who is enrolled in an educational       
institution in a ,state for purposes of 
obtaining employment in an occupation or
 profession requiring the approval or   
licensure of a board or agency of that  
,state1 educational assistance specified
 in subsection 7b7 may be used by the   
member for a course offered by the      
educational institution that is a       

required element of the curriculum to be
 satisfied to obtain employment in that 
occupation or profession only if--  7#a7
 the successful completion of the       
curriculum fully qualifies a student    
to--  7,a7 take any examination required
 for entry into the occupation or       
profession1 including satisfying any    
,state or professionally mandated       
programmatic and specialized            
accreditation requirements2 and  7,b7 be
 certified or licensed or meet any other
 academically related pre-conditions    
that are required for entry into the    
occupation or profession2 and  7#b7 in  
the case of ,state licensing or         
professionally mandated requirements for
 entry into the occupation or profession
 that require specialized accreditation1
 the curriculum meets the requirement   
for specialized accreditation through   
its accreditation or pre-accreditation  
by an accrediting agency or association 
recognized by the ,secretary of         
,education or designated by that ,state 

as a reliable authority as to the       
quality or training offered by the      
institution in that program4  7b7       
,covered educational assistance ,the    
educational assistance specified in this
 subsection is educational assistance as
 follows3  7#a7 ,educational assistance 
for members of the armed forces under   
section #bjjg and #bjae of this title4  
7#b7 ,educational assistance for persons
 enlisting for active duty under chapter
 #ajf;,a of this title4  7#c7           
,educational assistance for members of  
the armed forces held as captives under 
section #bahc of this title4  7#d7      
,educational assistance for members of  
the ,selected ,reserve under chapter    
#afjf of this title4  7#e7 ,educational 
assistance for reserve component members
 supporting contingency operations and  
other operations under chapter #afjg of 
this title4  7#f7 ,such other           
educational assistance provided members 
of the armed forces under the laws      
administered by the ,secretary of       

,defense or the ,secretaries of the     
military departments as the ,secretary  
of ,defense shall designate for purposes
 of this section4  4  7#b7 ,clerical    
amendment ,the table of sections at the 
beginning of chapter #aja of such title 
is amended by inserting after the item  
relating to section #bjae the following 
new item3  #bjae;a4 ,civilian           
certifications and licenses3 use of     
educational assistance for courses in   
pursuit of civilian certifications or   
licenses4  4  7b7 ,courses under        
educational assistance authorities      
administered by ,secretary of ,veterans 
,affairs ,section #cfgi of title #ch1   
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following new     
subsection3  7c7 ,a course offered by an
 educational institution in a ,state    
that is a required element of the       
curriculum to be satisfied to obtain    
employment in an occupation or          
profession requiring the approval or    
licensure of a board or agency of that  

,state may be treated as approved for   
purposes of this chapter by an          
individual seeking to obtain employment 
in that occupation or profession only   
if--  7#a7 the successful completion of 
the curriculum fully qualifies a student
 to--  7,a7 take any examination        
required for entry into the occupation  
or profession1 including satisfying any 
,state or professionally mandated       
programmatic and specialized            
accreditation requirements2 and  7,b7 be
 certified or licensed or meet any other
 academically related pre-conditions    
that are required for entry into the    
occupation or profession2 and  7#b7 in  
the case of ,state licensing or         
professionally mandated requirements for
 entry into the occupation or profession
 that require specialized accreditation1
 the curriculum meets the requirement   
for specialized accreditation through   
its accreditation or pre-accreditation  
by an accrediting agency or association 
recognized by the ,secretary of         

,education or designated by that ,state 
as a reliable authority as to the       
quality or training offered by the      
institution in that program4  4  7c7    
,effective date ,the amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on       
,august #a1 #bjad1 and shall apply with 
respect to courses pursued on or after  
that date4  #e4 ,coverage of military   
occupational specialties relating to    
military information technology under   
pilot program on receipt of civilian    
credentials for skills required for     
military occupational specialties ,the  
military occupational specialties       
designated for purposes of the pilot    
program on receipt of civilian          
credentials for skills required for     
military occupational specialties under 
section #eeh of the ,national ,defense  
,authorization ,act for ,fiscal ,year   
#bjab 7#aj ,u4,s4,c4 #bjae note7 shall  
include military occupational           
specialties relating to the military    
information technology workforce4  #f4  

,revival of ,professional ,certification
 and ,licensure ,advisory ,committee of 
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of      
,veterans ,affairs shall reestablish the
 ,professional ,certification and       
,licensure ,advisory ,committee of the  
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
provided for under section #cfhi7;e7 of 
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4 ,the  
,committee shall be reestablished in    
accordance with the provisions of such  
section #cfhi7;e71 as amended by        
subsection 7b71 and shall carry out its 
duties in conformance with1 and subject 
to the requirements of such section1 as 
so amended4  7b7 ,modification of       
authorities and requirements ,section   
#cfhi7;e7 of title #ch1 ,united ,states 
,code1 is amended--  7#a7 in paragraph  
7#b7--  7,a7 by inserting 7,a7 after    
7#b72 and  7,b7 by adding at the end the
 following new subparagraph3  7,b7 ,in  
addition to the duties under            
subparagraph 7,a71 the ,committee       

shall--  7i7 develop1 in coordination   
with other appropriate agencies1        
guidance to be used by the ,department  
or other entities to perform periodic   
audits of licensure and certification   
programs to ensure the highest quality  
education is available to veterans and  
members of the ,armed ,forces2 and  7ii7
 develop1 in coordination with the      
,department of ,defense1 appropriate    
certification agencies1 and other       
appropriate non-profit organizations1 a 
plan to improve outreach to veterans and
 members of the ,armed ,forces on the   
importance of licensing and             
certification1 as well as educational   
benefits available to them4  2  7#b7 in 
paragraph 7#c77;,b71 by striking and the
 ,secretary of ,defense and inserting   
the ,secretary of ,defense1 and the     
,secretary of ,education2  7#c7 in      
paragraph 7#d71 by striking subparagraph
 7,b7 and inserting the following new   
subparagraph3  7,b7 ,the ,committee     
shall meet with such frequency as the   

,committee determines appropriate4  2   
and  7#d7 in paragraph 7#e71 by striking
 ,december #ca1 #bjjf and inserting     
,december #ca1 #bjai4  7c7 ,report ,not 
later than #ahj days after the date of  
the reestablishment of the ,professional
 ,certification and ,licensure ,advisory
 ,committee of the ,department of       
,veterans ,affairs pursuant to this     
section1 the ,committee shall submit to 
,congress a report setting forth an     
assessment of the feasibility and       
advisability of permitting members of   
the ,armed ,forces to use educational   
assistance to which they are entitled   
under chapters #cj and #cc of title #ch1
 ,united ,states ,code1 to obtain or    
pursue civilian employment              
certifications or licenses without the  
use of such assistance for that purpose 
being charged against the entitlement of
 such members to such educational       
assistance4