,i  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ejad  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #bg1 #bjbc,mr4 
,landsman 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,miller of 
,ohio1 and ,mr4 ,levin7 introduced the  
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs1  
and in addition to the ,committee on    
,agriculture1 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 direct the ,secretary of 
,veterans ,affairs to submit to         
,congress a report on the ,warrior      
,training ,advancement ,course1 to      
direct the ,secretary of ,agriculture to
 administer a pilot program to employ   
veterans in positions that relate to    
agriculture1 conservation1 and nutrition
 activities of the ,department of       
,agriculture1 and for other purposes4   
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,employing ,veterans to ,feed   

,america ,act4  #b4 ,reporting on the   
,warrior ,training ,advancement ,course 
of the ,veterans ,benefit               
,administration  7a7 ,reports required  
7#a7 ,initial report ,not later than six
 months after the date of the enactment 
of this ,act1 the ,secretary of         
,veterans ,affairs shall submit to the  
,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs of   
the ,senate and ,house of               
,representatives a report on ,,wartac4  
7#b7 ,annual report ,one year after the 
submission under paragraph 7#a7 and     
annually thereafter1 the ,secretary     
shall submit to such ,committees a      
report that contains the elements under 
paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#c7 of subsection  
7b7 with regards to the preceding year4 
7b7 ,elements ,subject to subsection    
7a77#b71 the reports under this section 
shall include the following elements3   
7#a7 ,best practices ,with regards to   
best practices of ,,wartac-- 7,a7 how   
many covered members have applied to    
participate in ,,wartac2  7,b7 how many 

covered members have participated in    
,,wartac2  7,c7 how the ,secretary      
provides training to covered members    
during ,,tap2  7,d7 how many covered    
members have completed ,,wartac2 and    
7,e7 any other information the          
,secretary determines appropriate4  7#b7
 ,cost savings ,with regards to cost    
savings of ,,wartac-- 7,a7 how much     
money the ,secretary determines ,,wartac
 saves the ,united ,states each fiscal  
year2  7,b7 how much money the          
,secretary determines ,,wartac has saved
 the ,united ,states since its          
establishment2 and  7,c7 the            
determination of the ,secretary whether 
other ,federal agencies may save money  
by establishing a program similar to    
,,wartac4  7#c7 ,hiring ,with regards to
 hiring covered members who complete    
,,wartac-- 7,a7 how the ,secretary      
identifies positions in the ,department 
of ,veterans ,affairs for which such    
covered members may qualify2  7,b7 the  
grades of such positions on the ,general

 ,schedule under section #eccb of title 
#e1 ,united ,states ,code2 and  7,c7 how
 many such covered members the          
,secretary has hired to such positions4 
7c7 ,distribution ,not later than #cj   
days after submitting the report under  
subsection 7a77#a71 the ,secretary of   
,veterans ,affairs shall transmit a copy
 of the report under this section to    
each head of a ,federal agency4  7d7    
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,the
 term covered member means members of   
the ,armed ,forces participating in     
,,tap4  7#b7 ,the term ,,tap means the  
,transition ,assistance ,program of the 
,department of ,defense under sections  
#aadb and #aadd of title #aj1 ,united   
,states ,code4  7#c7 ,the term ,,wartac 
means the ,warrior ,training            
,advancement ,course of the ,veterans   
,benefit ,administration1 in which the  
,secretary provides training to covered 
members so such covered members may     
qualify for certain employment in the   
,veterans ,benefit ,administration4  #c4

 ,pilot program to employ veterans in   
positions relating to agriculture1      
conservation1 and nutrition activities  
7a7 ,best practices for other           
departments ,the ,assistant ,secretary  
of ,labor for ,veterans' ,employment and
 ,training1 in consultation with the    
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 shall 
establish guidelines containing best    
practices for departments and agencies  
of the ,federal ,government that carry  
out programs to employ veterans who are 
transitioning from service in the ,armed
 ,forces4 ,such guidelines shall include
 the findings of the report required    
under section #b4  7b7 ,pilot program   
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of the 
,agriculture1 in consultation with the  
,assistant ,secretary of ,labor for     
,veterans' ,employment and ,training and
 the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1  
shall establish a pilot program under   
which veterans are employed by the      
,federal ,government in positions that  
relate to the agriculture1 conservation1

 and nutrition activities of the        
,department of ,agriculture4  7#b7      
,positions ,the ,secretary of           
,agriculture shall-- 7,a7 identify      
vacant positions in the ,department of  
,agriculture that are appropriate to    
fill using the pilot program established
 under paragraph 7#a72 and  7,b7 to the 
extent practicable1 fill such positions 
using the pilot program4  7#c7          
,application of civil service laws ,a   
veteran employed under the pilot program
 established under paragraph 7#a7 shall 
be treated as an employee as defined by 
section #baje of title #e1 ,united      
,states ,code4  7#d7 ,briefings and     
reports  7,a7 ,initial briefing ,not    
later than #fj days after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,agriculture and the      
,assistant ,secretary of ,labor for     
,veterans' ,employment and ,training    
shall jointly provide to the appropriate
 congressional committees a briefing on 
the pilot program established under     

paragraph 7#a71 including-- 7i7 a       
description of how the pilot program    
will be carried out in a manner to      
reduce the unemployment of veterans2 and
  7ii7 any recommendations for          
legislative actions to improve the pilot
 program4  7,b7 ,implementation briefing
 ,not later than one year after the date
 on which the pilot program established 
under paragraph 7#a7 commences1 the     
,secretary of ,agriculture and the      
,assistant ,secretary of ,labor for     
,veterans' ,employment and ,training    
shall jointly provide to the appropriate
 congressional committees a briefing on 
the implementation of the pilot program4
  7,c7 ,final report ,not later than #cj
 days after the date on which the pilot 
program established under paragraph 7#a7
 is completed1 the ,secretary of        
,agriculture and the ,assistant         
,secretary of ,labor for ,veterans'     
,employment and ,training shall jointly 
submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report on the pilot program

 that includes the following3 7i7 ,the  
number of veterans who applied to       
participate in the pilot program4  7ii7 
,the number of such veterans employed   
under the pilot program4  7iii7 ,the    
number of veterans identified in clause 
7ii7 who transitioned to full-time      
positions with the ,federal ,government 
after participating in the pilot        
program4  7iv7 ,any other information   
the ,secretary and the ,assistant       
,secretary determine appropriate with   
respect to measuring the effectiveness  
of the pilot program4  7#e7 ,duration   
,the authority to carry out a pilot     
program under this subsection shall     
terminate on the date that is two years 
after the date on which the pilot       
program commences4  7c7 ,appropriate    
congressional committees defined ,in    
this section1 the term appropriate      
congressional committees means-- 7#a7   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
and the ,committee on ,agriculture of   
the ,house of ,representatives2 and     

7#b7 the ,committee on ,veterans'       
,affairs and the ,committee on          
,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry 
of the ,senate4