,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,h4 ,r4 #bcbf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of 
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #bb1      
#bjai,received  ,,an ,,act  ,to amend   
the ,social ,security ,act1 to amend the
 ,dignified ,burial and ,other          
,veterans' ,benefits ,improvement ,act  
of #bjab1 and to direct the ,secretaries
 of ,veterans ,affairs1 ,defense1       
,labor1 and ,homeland ,security1 and the
 ,administrator of the ,small ,business 
,administration1 to take certain actions
 to improve transition assistance to    
members of the ,armed ,forces who       
separate1 retire1 or are discharged from
 the ,armed ,forces1 and for other      
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,navy ,,seal ,chief 
,petty ,officer ,william #8,bill'       
,mulder 7,ret47 ,transition ,improvement
 ,act of #bjai4  #b4 ,,tap defined ,in  
this ,act1 the term ,,tap means the     
,transition ,assistance ,program under  
sections #aadb and #aadd of title #aj1  
,united ,states ,code4  #c4 ,access for 

the ,secretaries of ,labor and ,veterans
 ,affairs to the ,federal directory of  
new hires ,section #dec;,a7h7 of the    
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#fec;a7h77 is amended by adding at the  
end the following new paragraph3  7#d7  
,veteran employment ,the ,secretaries of
 ,labor and of ,veterans ,affairs shall 
have access to information reported by  
employers pursuant to subsection 7b7 of 
this section for purposes of tracking   
employment of veterans4  4  #d4 ,pilot  
program for off-base transition training
 for veterans and spouses  7a7          
,extension of pilot program ,subsection 
7a7 of section #cja of the ,dignified   
,burial and ,other ,veterans' ,benefits 
,improvement ,act of #bjab 7,public ,law
 #aab-bfj2 #aj ,u4,s4,c4 #aadd note7 is 
amended--  7#a7 by striking ,during the 
two-year period beginning on the date of
 the enactment of this ,act and         
inserting ,during the #e-year period    
beginning on the date of the enactment  
of the ,navy ,,seal ,chief ,petty       

,officer ,william #8,bill' ,mulder      
7,ret47 ,transition ,improvement ,act of
 #bjai2 and  7#b7 by striking to assess 
the feasibility and advisability of     
providing such program to eligible      
individuals at locations other than     
military installations4  7b7 ,locations 
,subsection 7c7 of such section is      
amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by    
striking not less than three and not    
more than five ,states and inserting not
 fewer than #ej locations in ,states 7as
 defined in section #aja of title #ch1  
,united ,states ,code72 and  7#b7 in    
paragraph 7#b71 by striking at least two
 and inserting at least #bj4  7c7       
,conforming repeal ,subsection 7f7 of   
such section is repealed4  #e4 ,grants  
for provision of transition assistance  
to members of the ,armed ,forces after  
separation1 retirement1 or discharge    
7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of      
,veterans ,affairs shall make grants to 
eligible organizations for the provision
 of transition assistance to members of 

the ,armed ,forces who are separated1   
retired1 or discharged from the ,armed  
,forces1 and spouses of such members4   
7b7 ,use of funds ,the recipient of a   
grant under this section shall use the  
grant to provide to members of the      
,armed ,forces and spouses described in 
subsection 7a7 resume assistance1       
interview training1 job recruitment     
training1 and related services leading  
directly to successful transition1 as   
determined by the ,secretary4  7c7      
,eligible organizations ,to be eligible 
for a grant under this section1 an      
organization shall submit to the        
,secretary an application containing    
such information and assurances as the  
,secretary1 in consultation with the    
,secretary of ,labor1 may require4  7d7 
,priority for hubs of services ,in      
making grants under this section1 the   
,secretary shall give priority to an    
organization that provides multiple     
forms of services described in          
subsection 7b74  7e7 ,amount of grant ,a

 grant under this section shall be in an
 amount that does not exceed #ej percent
 of the amount required by the          
organization to provide the services    
described in subsection 7b74  7f7       
,deadline ,the ,secretary shall carry   
out this section not later than #f      
months after the effective date of this 
,act4  7g7 ,termination ,the authority  
to provide a grant under this section   
shall terminate on the date that is #e  
years after the date on which the       
,secretary implements the grant program 
under this section4  7h7 ,authorization 
of appropriations ,there is authorized  
to be appropriated #aj1jjj1jjj to carry 
out this section4  #f4 ,one-year        
independent assessment of the           
effectiveness of ,,tap  7a7 ,independent
 assessment ,not later than #ij days    
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary of ,veterans       
,affairs1 in consultation with the      
covered officials1 shall enter into an  
agreement with an appropriate entity    

with experience in adult education to   
carry out a #a-year independent         
assessment of ,,tap1 including--  7#a7  
the effectiveness of ,,tap for members  
of each military department during the  
entire military life cycle2  7#b7 the   
appropriateness of the ,,tap career     
readiness standards2  7#c7 a review of  
information that is provided to the     
,department of ,veterans ,affairs under 
,,tap1 including mental health data2    
7#d7 whether ,,tap effectively addresses
 the challenges veterans face entering  
the civilian workforce and in           
translating experience and skills from  
military service to the job market2     
7#e7 whether ,,tap effectively addresses
 the challenges faced by the families of
 veterans making the transition to      
civilian life2  7#f7 appropriate metrics
 regarding ,,tap outcomes for members of
 the ,armed ,forces #a year after       
separation1 retirement1 or discharge    
from the ,armed ,forces2  7#g7 what the 
,secretary1 in consultation with the    

covered officials and veterans service  
organizations determine to be successful
 outcomes for ,,tap2  7#h7 whether      
members of the ,armed ,forces achieve   
successful outcomes for ,,tap1 as       
determined under paragraph 7#g72  7#i7  
how the ,secretary and the covered      
officials provide feedback to each other
 regarding such outcomes2  7#aj7        
recommendations for the ,secretaries of 
the military departments regarding how  
to improve outcomes for members of the  
,armed ,forces after separation1        
retirement1 and discharge2 and  7#aa7   
other topics the ,secretary and the     
covered officials determine would aid   
members of the ,armed ,forces as they   
transition to civilian life4  7b7       
,report ,not later than #ij days after  
the completion of the independent       
assessment under subsection 7a71 the    
,secretary and the covered officials1   
shall submit to the ,committees on      
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate and  
,house of ,representatives and the      

,committees on ,armed ,services of the  
,senate and ,house of ,representatives--
  7#a7 the findings and recommendations 
7including recommended legislation7 of  
the independent assessment prepared by  
the entity described in subsection 7a72 
and  7#b7 responses of the ,secretary   
and the covered officials to the        
findings and recommendations described  
in paragraph 7#a74  7c7 ,definitions ,in
 this section3 7#a7 ,the term covered   
officials is comprised of--  7,a7 the   
,secretary of ,defense2  7,b7 the       
,secretary of ,labor2  7,c7 the         
,administrator of the ,small ,business  
,administration2 and  7,d7 the          
,secretaries of the military            
departments4  7#b7 ,the term military   
department has the meaning given that   
term in section #aja of title #aj1      
,united ,states ,code4  #g4             
,longitudinal study on changes to ,,tap 
7a7 ,study ,not later than #ij days     
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary of ,veterans       

,affairs1 in consultation with the      
,secretaries of ,defense and ,labor and 
the ,administrator of the ,small        
,business ,administration1 shall conduct
 a #e-year longitudinal study regarding 
,,tap on three separate cohorts of      
members of the ,armed ,forces who have  
separated from the ,armed ,forces1      
including--  7#a7 a cohort that has     
attended ,,tap counseling as implemented
 on the date of the enactment of this   
,act2  7#b7 a cohort that attends ,,tap 
counseling after the ,secretaries of    
,defense and ,labor implement changes   
recommended in the report under section 
#f7;b7 of this ,act2 and  7#c7 a cohort 
that has not attended ,,tap counseling4 
7b7 ,progress reports ,not later than   
#ij days after the day that is #a year  
after the date of the initiation of the 
study under subsection 7a7 and annually 
thereafter for the #c subsequent years1 
the ,secretaries of ,veterans ,affairs1 
,defense1 and ,labor1 and the           
,administrator of the ,small ,business  

,administration1 shall submit to the    
,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs of   
the ,senate and ,house of               
,representatives and the ,committees on 
,armed ,services of the ,senate and     
,house of ,representatives a progress   
report of activities under the study    
during the immediately preceding year4  
7c7 ,final report ,not later than #ahj  
days after the completion of the study  
under subsection 7a71 the ,secretaries  
of ,veterans ,affairs1 ,defense1 and    
,labor1 and the ,administrator of the   
,small ,business ,administration1 shall 
submit to the ,committees on ,veterans' 
,affairs of the ,senate and ,house of   
,representatives and the ,committees on 
,armed ,services of the ,senate and     
,house of ,representatives a report of  
final findings and recommendations based
 on the study4  7d7 ,elements ,the final
 report under subsection 7c7 shall      
include information regarding the       
following3 7#a7 ,the percentage of each 
cohort that received unemployment       

benefits during the study4  7#b7 ,the   
numbers of months members of each cohort
 were employed during the study4  7#c7  
,annual starting and ending salaries of 
members of each cohort who were employed
 during the study4  7#d7 ,how many      
members of each cohort enrolled in an   
institution of higher learning1 as that 
term is defined in section #cdeb7;f7 of 
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4  7#e7 
,the academic credit hours1 degrees1 and
 certificates obtained by members of    
each cohort during the study4  7#f7 ,the
 annual income of members of each       
cohort4  7#g7 ,the total household      
income of members of each cohort4  7#h7 
,how many members of each cohort own    
their principal residences4  7#i7 ,how  
many dependents that members of each    
cohort have4  7#aj7 ,the percentage of  
each cohort that achieves a successful  
outcome for ,,tap1 as determined under  
section #f7;a77#g7 of this ,act4  7#aa7 
,other criteria the ,secretaries and the
 ,administrator of the ,small ,business 

,administration determine appropriate4  
,passed the ,house of ,representatives  
,may #ba1 #bjai4;,cheryl ,l4            
,johnson1,clerk4