,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cfcf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,january #bc1  
#bjbd,mr4 ,braun 7for himself and ,ms4  
,sinema7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a  
,,bill  ,to require the ,director of the
 ,office of ,personnel ,management to   
establish a pilot program to identify   
and refer veterans for potential        
employment with ,federal land management
 agencies1 and for other purposes4  #a4 
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,hire ,veterans ,act4  #b4 ,pilot   
program on identification1 appointment1 
or referral of veterans for potential   
employment with ,federal land management
 agencies  7a7 ,definitions ,in this    
section3 7#a7 ,appropriate committees of
 ,congress ,the term appropriate        
committees of ,congress means-- 7,a7 the
 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of   
the ,senate2  7,b7 the ,committee on    
,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry 

of the ,senate2  7,c7 the ,committee on 
,energy and ,natural ,resources of the  
,senate2  7,d7 the ,committee on        
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives2  7,e7 the ,committee  
on ,agriculture of the ,house of        
,representatives2 and  7,f7 the         
,committee on ,natural ,resources of the
 ,house of ,representatives4  7#b7      
,director ,the term ,director means the 
,director of the ,office of ,personnel  
,management4  7#c7 ,federal land        
management agency ,the term ,federal    
land management agency means-- 7,a7 the 
,forest ,service2  7,b7 the ,national   
,park ,service2  7,c7 the ,united       
,states ,fish and ,wildlife ,service2   
7,d7 the ,bureau of ,land ,management2  
or  7,e7 the ,bureau of ,reclamation4   
7#d7 ,noncompetitive ,the term          
noncompetitive1 when used with respect  
to an appointment1 means an appointment 
made without regard to subchapter ,i of 
chapter #cc of title #e1 ,united ,states
 ,code1 other than sections #ccjc and   

#ccbh of that title4  7#e7 ,pilot       
program ,the term pilot program means   
the pilot program established by the    
,director under subsection 7b74  7#f7   
,recognized postsecondary credential    
,the term recognized postsecondary      
credential has the meaning given the    
term in section #c of the ,workforce    
,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi  
,u4,s4,c4 #cajb74  7#g7 ,veteran ,the   
term veteran has the meaning given the  
term in section #aja of title #ch1      
,united ,states ,code4  7b7             
,establishment ,not later than #a year  
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 the ,director 7in consultation    
with the ,secretary of ,veterans        
,affairs1 the ,secretary of the         
,interior1 and the ,secretary of        
,agriculture7 shall establish a pilot   
program to recruit veterans with        
relevant strengths and abilities and    
refer the veterans to supervisory or    
nonsupervisory positions in ,federal    
land management agencies4  7c7          

,publication of information application 
7#a7 ,publication ,the ,director shall  
publicize1 and disseminate information  
about1 the pilot program on the website 
of the ,office of ,personnel            
,management4  7#b7 ,application ,a      
veteran seeking to participate in the   
pilot program shall submit to the       
,director an application in such form1  
in such manner1 and containing such     
information as the ,director may        
require4  7d7 ,tests of strengths and   
abilities  7#a7 ,guidance ,not later    
than #ahj days after the date of        
enactment of this ,act1 the ,director   
7in consultation with the ,secretary of 
,veterans ,affairs1 the ,secretary of   
the ,interior1 and the ,secretary of    
,agriculture7 shall issue guidance on   
the development of individual tests to  
be administered for the purposes of the 
pilot program to determine the strengths
 and abilities of veterans for positions
 in the following career fields at      
,federal land management agencies3 7,a7 

,outdoor recreation management4  7,b7   
,management of volunteers4  7,c7 ,fire  
planning and fire analysis4  7,d7       
,firefighting4  7,e7 ,aviation4  7,f7   
,forest engineering4  7,g7 ,inventory   
monitoring of land under the management 
of a ,federal land management agency4   
7,h7 ,landscape restoration4  7,i7      
,ecology4  7,j7 ,sustainability of      
ecosystems4  7,k7 ,archeology4  7,l7    
,range management4  7,m7 ,analysis of   
geospatial data4  7,n7 ,biology4  7,o7  
,geology4  7,p7 ,land use4  7,q7        
,physical sciences4  7,r7 ,civil        
,engineering4  7,s7 ,hydrology4  7,t7   
,land surveying4  7,u7 ,water           
reclamation4  7,v7 ,finance1 budget1 and
 administration4  7#b7 ,waiver ,for     
purposes of the pilot program1 the      
,director 7in consultation with1 as     
appropriate1 the ,secretary of          
,agriculture or the ,secretary of the   
,interior7 may waive any requirement for
 a recognized postsecondary credential  
for a position in a career field        

described in paragraph 7#a71 if the     
,director determines that such a waiver 
is necessary4  7#c7 ,administration ,the
 head of a ,federal land management     
agency shall-- 7,a7 administer a test   
developed described in paragraph 7#a7 to
 each veteran who applies for           
participation in the pilot program2     
7,b7 develop assessments to measure the 
relative capacity and fitness of        
veterans described in subparagraph 7,a7 
of this paragraph for positions in the  
career fields described in paragraph    
7#a72 and  7,c7 refer each veteran      
described in subparagraph 7,a7 to the   
official employment website of the      
,federal ,government4  7#d7 ,management 
,the ,director 7in consultation with the
 ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs7 shall
 develop a method to oversee and manage 
the employment of veterans within       
,federal land management agencies in    
positions in the career fields that are 
covered by the pilot program4  7e7      
,appointment and referral ,the head of a

 ,federal land management agency 7in    
consultation with the ,secretary of     
,veterans ,affairs71 with respect to a  
veteran who has taken a test            
administered under subsection           
7d77#c77;,a7-- 7#a7 if the veteran has  
demonstrated through the test the       
necessary strengths and abilities for a 
vacant supervisory or nonsupervisory    
position in a career field covered by   
the pilot program in the ,federal land  
management agency1 as determined by the 
head of the ,federal land management    
agency1 may make a noncompetitive       
career-conditional appointment of the   
veteran to that vacant position2 or     
7#b7 if the veteran has not demonstrated
 through the test the necessary         
strengths and abilities for a vacant    
supervisory or nonsupervisory position  
in a career field covered by the pilot  
program in the ,federal land management 
agency1 as determined by the head of the
 ,federal land management agency-- 7,a7 
shall refer the veteran to a recruiter  

of that ,federal land management agency 
for participation in a training program 
that the agency shall establish for the 
purposes of this section1 which shall   
provide the veteran with the strengths  
and abilities for a position in such a  
career field2  7,b7 shall1 after the    
participation by the veteran in a       
training program described in           
subparagraph 7,a71 re-administer that   
test1 for the purpose of re-evaluation1 
to the veteran as frequently as the head
 of the ,federal land management agency 
determines appropriate until the veteran
 demonstrates through the test the      
necessary strengths and abilities2 and  
7,c7 may1 if the veteran has            
demonstrated through the test the       
necessary strengths and abilities1 make 
a noncompetitive career-conditional     
appointment of the veteran to a position
 in such a career field4  7f7 ,reports  
,not later than #a year after the date  
of enactment of this ,act1 and annually 
thereafter until the termination of the 

pilot program1 the ,director 7in        
consultation with the ,secretary of     
,veterans ,affairs and the heads of the 
,federal land management agencies7 shall
 submit to the appropriate committees of
 ,congress a report on the pilot        
program4  7g7 ,termination ,the pilot   
program shall terminate on the date that
 is #e years after the date on which the
 ,director establishes the pilot        
program4