,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #dhbd ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,october #bc1 #bjai,mr4 ,cohen 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,schakowsky1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,ms4 ,jackson ,lee1 and ,ms4 ,moore7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs1 and in addition to the ,committees on ,oversight and ,reform1 ,armed ,services1 ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology1 and the ,judiciary1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to reauthorize the ,,vow to ,hire ,heroes ,act of #bjaa1 to provide assistance to small businesses owned by veterans1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title2 table of contents 7a7 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,putting ,our ,veterans ,back to ,work ,act of #bjai4 7b7 ,table of contents ,the table of contents for this ,act is as follows3 ,sec4 #a4 ,short title2 table of contents4 ,title ,i--,renewing our vow to hire heroes ,sec4 #aja4 ,reauthorization of veterans retraining assistance program4 ,sec4 #ajb4 ,extension of additional rehabilitation programs for persons who have exhausted rights to unemployment benefits under ,state law4 ,sec4 #ajc4 ,reauthorization of collaborative veterans' training1 mentoring1 and placement program4 ,title ,,ii--,building on our vow to hire heroes ,sec4 #bja4 ,unified employment portal for veterans4 ,sec4 #bjb4 ,grants to hire veterans as first responders4 ,sec4 #bjc4 ,contracting preference for offerors employing veterans4 ,i ,renewing our vow to hire heroes #aja4 ,reauthorization of veterans retraining assistance program 7a7 ,extension ,subsection 7k7 of section #baa of the ,,vow to ,hire ,heroes ,act of #bjaa 7,public ,law #aab-ef2 #ch ,u4,s4,c4 #dajj note7 is amended by striking ,march #ca1 #bjad and inserting ,december #ca1 #bjba4 7b7 ,number of eligible veterans ,subsection 7a77#b7 of such section is amended-- 7#a7 in subparagraph 7,a71 by striking and at the end2 7#b7 in subparagraph 7,b71 by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs3 7,c7 #ej1jjj during fiscal year #bjbj2 7,d7 #ej1jjj during fiscal year #bjba2 7,e7 #ej1jjj during fiscal year #bjbb2 and 7,f7 #ej1jjj during the period beginning ,october #a1 #bjbb1 and ending ,december #ca1 #bjbc4 4 7c7 ,clarification of limitation on aggregate amount of assistance ,subsection 7b7 of such section is amended by striking up to #ab months of retraining assistance provided by the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs and inserting an aggregate of not more than #ab months of retraining assistance provided by the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs under this section4 7d7 ,updated report ,subsection 7i7 of such section is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph3 7#c7 ,update ,not later than ,december #ca1 #bjbb1 the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 in collaboration with the ,secretary of ,labor1 shall submit to the appropriate committees of ,congress an update to the report described in paragraph 7#a74 4 7e7 ,conforming amendment ,subsection 7e77#a77;,g7 of such section is amended by striking by not later than ,october #a1 #bjac14 #ajb4 ,extension of additional rehabilitation programs for persons who have exhausted rights to unemployment benefits under ,state law ,section #cajb7;b77#d7 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by striking ,march #ca1 #bjad and inserting ,march #ca1 #bjbb4 #ajc4 ,reauthorization of collaborative veterans' training1 mentoring1 and placement program ,subsection 7e7 of section #dajd;,a of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended to read as follows3 7e7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section amounts as follows3 7#a7 #d1ejj1jjj for the period consisting of fiscal years #bjbj and #bjba4 7#b7 #d1ejj1jjj for the period consisting of fiscal years #bjbb and #bjbc4 4 ,,ii ,building on our vow to hire heroes #bja4 ,unified employment portal for veterans ,section #daje of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7c7 7#a7 ,the ,secretary shall develop a single1 unified ,federal web-based employment portal1 for use by veterans1 containing information regarding all ,federal programs and activities concerning employment1 unemployment1 and training to the extent the programs and activities affect veterans4 7#b7 ,the ,secretary shall work with representatives from the ,department of ,defense1 the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 the ,small ,business ,administration1 and other ,federal agencies and organizations concerned with veterans' issues1 to determine an appropriate platform and implementing agency for the portal4 ,the ,secretary shall enter into an agreement with the other ,federal agencies for the implementation of the portal4 4 #bjb4 ,grants to hire veterans as first responders 7a7 ,grants for firefighters ,the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security shall award grants under section #cd of the ,federal ,fire ,prevention and ,control ,act of #aigd 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bbbi;a7 to hire veterans as firefighters4 7b7 ,grants for law enforcement officers ,the ,attorney ,general shall award grants under part ,q of title ,i of the ,omnibus ,crime ,control and ,safe ,streets ,act of #aifh 7#cd ,u4,s4,c4 #ajcha et seq47 to hire veterans as law enforcement officers4 7c7 ,priority ,in awarding grants under this section to hire veterans1 the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security and the ,attorney ,general shall give priority to the hiring of veterans who served on active duty in the ,armed ,forces on or after ,september #aa1 #bjja4 7d7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section #bej1jjj1jjj4 #bjc4 ,contracting preference for offerors employing veterans 7a7 ,civilian contracts 7#a7 ,in general ,chapter #cc of title #da1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by adding at the end the following new section3 #ccac4 ,contracting preference for offerors employing veterans 7a7 ,preference ,with respect to the procurement of goods and services using competitive procedures by executive agencies1 where such procurement is valued at #be1jjj1jjj or higher1 the ,administrator shall establish a preference1 and criteria for applying such preference1 for a covered offeror4 7b7 ,congressional report ,prior to establishing the preference described in subsection 7a71 the ,administrator shall provide a report to ,congress that includes-- 7#a7 a plan for implementing such preference1 including penalties for an offeror that willfully and intentionally misrepresents the veteran status of the employees of the offeror in a bid submitted under subsection 7a72 and 7#b7 the process for assessing and verifying offeror compliance with regulations relating to equal opportunity for veterans requirements4 7c7 ,covered offeror defined ,in this section1 the term covered offeror means an offeror for which #e percent of the full-time employees of such offeror are veterans4 4 7#b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding after the item relating to section #ccab the following new item3 #ccac4 ,contracting preference for offerors employing veterans4 4 7b7 ,defense contracts 7#a7 ,in general ,chapter #acg of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by adding at the end the following new section3 #bcci;b4 ,contracting preference for offerors employing veterans 7a7 ,preference ,with respect to the procurement of goods and services using competitive procedures by executive agencies1 where such procurement is valued at #be1jjj1jjj or higher1 the ,administrator shall establish a preference1 and criteria for applying such preference1 for a covered offeror4 7b7 ,congressional report ,prior to establishing the preference described in subsection 7a71 the ,secretary of ,defense shall provide a report to ,congress that includes-- 7#a7 a plan for implementing such preference1 including penalties for an offeror that willfully and intentionally misrepresents the veteran status of the employees of the offeror in a bid submitted under subsection 7a72 and 7#b7 the process for assessing and verifying offeror compliance with regulations relating to equal opportunity for veterans requirements4 7c7 ,covered offeror defined ,in this section1 the term covered offeror means an offeror for which #e percent of the full-time employees of such offeror are veterans4 4 7#b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding after the item relating to section #bcci;a the following new item3 #bcci;b4 ,contracting preference for offerors employing veterans4 4 7c7 ,applicability ,the amendments made by subsections 7a7 and 7b7 shall apply to contracts entered into #fj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act4 7d7 ,regulations ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,federal ,acquisition ,regulation shall be amended to carry out the requirements of section #ccac of title #da1 ,united ,states ,code1 and section #bcci;b of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 as added by subsections 7a7 and 7b71 respectively4