This Act may be cited as the “Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer William “Bill” Mulder (Ret.) Transition Improvement Act of 2018”.

The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.
Sec. 3. Definitions.

In this Act:

(1) The term “TAP” means the Transition Assistance Program under sections 1142 and 1144 of title 10, United States Code.

(2) The term “Secretary concerned” has the meaning given such term in section 101 of title 10, United States Code.

(a) In general.—Section 1142 of title 10, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in the section heading by striking “medical” and inserting “certain”;

(2) in subsection (a)—

(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting “(regardless of character of discharge)” after “discharge”;

(B) in paragraph (3)(A)—

(i) by inserting “or other separation” after “anticipated retirement” each place it appears;

(ii) by striking the second sentence;

(iii) by striking “90 days” and inserting “365 days”; and

(iv) by striking “discharge or release” and inserting “retirement or other separation”; and

(C) in paragraph (3)(B)—

(i) by striking “90” and inserting “365”; and

(ii) by striking “90-day” and inserting “365-day”;

(3) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d);

(4) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new subsection (c):

“(c) Counseling pathways.— (1) Each Secretary concerned, in consultation with the Secretaries of Labor and Veterans Affairs, shall establish at least three pathways for members of the military department concerned receiving individualized counseling under this section. The Secretaries shall design the pathways to address the needs of members, based on the following factors:

“(A) Rank.

“(B) Term of service.

“(C) Gender.

“(D) Whether the member was a member of a regular or reserve component of an armed force.

“(E) Disability.

“(F) Character of discharge (including expedited discharge and discharge under conditions other than honorable).

“(G) Health (including mental health).

“(H) Military occupational specialty.

“(I) Whether the member intends, after separation, retirement, or discharge, to—

“(i) seek employment;

“(ii) enroll in a program of higher education;

“(iii) enroll in a program of vocational training; or

“(iv) become an entrepreneur.

“(J) The educational history of the member.

“(K) The employment history of the member.

“(L) Whether the member has secured—

“(i) employment;

“(ii) enrollment in a program of education; or

“(iii) enrollment in a program of vocational training.

“(M) Other factors the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretaries of Labor and Veterans Affairs, determine appropriate.

“(2) Each member described in subsection (a) shall meet in person or by video conference with a counselor before beginning counseling under this section to—

“(A) take a self-assessment designed by the Secretary concerned (in consultation with the Secretaries of Labor and Veterans Affairs) to ensure that the Secretary concerned places the member in the appropriate pathway under this subsection; and

“(B) receive information from the counselor regarding reenlistment in the armed forces; and

“(C) receive information from the counselor regarding resources—

“(i) for members of the armed forces separated, retired, or discharged;

“(ii) located in the community in which the member will reside after separation, retirement, or discharge.

“(3) At the meeting under paragraph (2), the member may elect to have the Secretary concerned (in consultation with the Secretaries of Labor and Veterans Affairs) provide the contact information of the member to the resources described in paragraph (2)(B).”; and

(5) by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(e) Joint service transcript.— (1) The Secretary concerned shall provide a copy of the joint service transcript of a member described in subsection (a) to—

“(A) that member—

“(i) at the meeting with a counselor under subsection (c)(2); and

“(ii) on the day the member separates, retires, or is discharged; and

“(B) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on the day the member separates, retires, or is discharged.

“(2) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that a member who has separated, retired, or is discharged may access the joint service transcript of that member from a website of the Department of Veterans Affairs not later than one year after the day the member separates, retires, or is discharged.”.

(b) Deadline.—Each Secretary concerned shall carry out subsection (c) of such section, as amended by subsection (a), not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(c) GAO study.—Not later than one year after the Secretaries concerned carry out subsection (c) of such section, as amended by subsection (a), the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a review of the pathways for the Transition Assistance Program established under such subsection (c).

(a) In general.—Section 1144 of title 10, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in subsection (a), by striking “Such services” and inserting “Subject to subsection (f)(2), such services”; and

(2) by amending subsection (f) to read as follows:

“(f) Program contents.— (1) The program carried out under this section shall consist of at least five days of instruction as follows:

“(A) One day of preseparation training specific to the armed force concerned, as determined by the Secretary concerned.

“(B) One day of instruction regarding—

“(i) benefits under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; and

“(ii) other subjects determined by the Secretary concerned.

“(C) One day of instruction regarding preparation for employment.

“(D) Two days of instruction regarding a topic selected by the member from the following subjects:

“(i) Preparation for employment.

“(ii) Preparation for education.

“(iii) Preparation for vocational training.

“(iv) Preparation for entrepreneurship.

“(v) Other options determined by the Secretary concerned.

“(2) The Secretary concerned may permit a member to attend training and instruction under the program established under this section—

“(A) before the time periods established under section 1142(a)(3) of this title;

“(B) in addition to such training and instruction required during such time periods.”.

(b) Deadline.—TAP shall comply with the requirements of subsection (f) of such section, as amended by subsection (a)(2), not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(c) Report.—On the date that is two years after the date of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter for the subsequent four years, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services and Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report regarding members of the Armed Forces who have attended TAP counseling during the preceding year. The report shall detail the following:

(1) The total number of members who attended TAP counseling.

(2) The number of members who attended TAP counseling under paragraph (1) of section 1142(f) of title 10, as amended by subsection (a).

(3) The number of members who attended TAP counseling under paragraph (2) of such section.

(4) The number of members who elected to attend each two-day instruction under paragraph (1)(D) of such section.

Section 453A(h) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 653a(h)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(4) VETERAN EMPLOYMENT.—The Secretaries of Labor and of Veterans Affairs shall have access to information reported by employers pursuant to subsection (b) of this section for purposes of tracking employment of veterans.”.

(a) Extension of pilot program.—Subsection (a) of section 301 of the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2012 (Public Law 112–260; 10 U.S.C. 1144 note) is amended—

(1) by striking “During the two-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the” and inserting “During the five-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of the Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer William “Bill” Mulder (Ret.) Transition Improvement Act of 2018, the”; and

(2) by striking “to assess the feasibility and advisability of providing such program to eligible individuals at locations other than military installations”.

(b) Locations.—Subsection (c) of such section is amended—

(1) in paragraph (1), by striking “not less than three and not more than five States” and inserting “not less than 50 locations in States (as defined in section 101(20) of title 38, United States Code)”; and

(2) in paragraph (2), by striking “at least two” and inserting “at least 20”.

(c) Conforming repeal.—Subsection (f) of such section is repealed.

(a) 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 separated, retired, or discharged from the Armed Forces, and spouses of such members.

(b) 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 (a) resume assistance, interview training, job recruitment training, and related services leading directly to successful transition, as determined by the Secretary.

(c) Eligible organizations.—To be eligible for a grant under this section, an organization shall submit to the Secretary an application containing such information and assurances as the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, may require.

(d) Priority for hubs of services.—In making grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to an organization that provides multiple forms of services described in subsection (b).

(e) Inclusion in TAP counseling.—The Secretary of the military department concerned shall include in the information provided to a member of the Armed Forces during TAP counseling under section 1142(c)(2)(B) of title 10, United States Code, as amended by section 101 of this Act, information regarding any recipient of a grant under this section that is located in the community in which that member will reside after separation, retirement, or discharge from the Armed Forces.

(f) Amount of grant.—A grant under this section shall be in an amount that does not exceed 50 percent of the amount required by the organization to provide the services described in subsection (b).

(g) Deadline.—The Secretary shall carry out this section not later than six months after the effective date of this Act.

(h) Termination.—The authority to provide a grant under this section shall terminate on the date that is five years after the date on which the Secretary implements the grant program under this section.

(i) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 to carry out this section.

(a) Study.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with State entities that serve members of the Armed Forces who are retired, separated, or discharged from the Armed Forces, shall enter into an agreement with an appropriate non-Federal entity to carry out a study to identify community-based programs—

(1) that provide transition assistance to such members; and

(2) operated by nonprofit entities.

(b) Transmission to members.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall transmit the list of programs identified under this section to the Secretary of Defense so the Secretaries of the military departments may carry out section 1142(c)(2)(B) of title 10, United States Code, as amended by section 101 of this Act.

(c) Online publication.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall publish the most recent version of the list of programs identified under this section on a public website of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

(a) Independent assessment.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the covered officials, shall enter into an agreement with an appropriate entity with experience in adult education to carry out a one-year independent assessment of TAP, including—

(1) the effectiveness of TAP for members of each military department during the entire military life cycle;

(2) the appropriateness of the TAP career readiness standards;

(3) a review of information that is provided to the Department of Veterans Affairs under TAP, including mental health data;

(4) whether TAP effectively addresses the challenges veterans face entering the civilian workforce and in translating experience and skills from military service to the job market;

(5) whether TAP effectively addresses the challenges faced by the families of veterans making the transition to civilian life;

(6) appropriate metrics regarding TAP outcomes for members of the Armed Forces one year after separation, retirement, or discharge from the Armed Forces;

(7) what the Secretary, in consultation with the covered officials, veterans service organizations, and organizations described in section 203(a) of this Act, determine to be successful outcomes for TAP;

(8) whether members of the Armed Forces achieve successful outcomes for TAP, as determined under paragraph (7);

(9) how the Secretary and the covered officials provide feedback to each other regarding such outcomes;

(10) recommendations for the Secretaries of the military departments regarding how to improve outcomes for members of the Armed Forces after separation, retirement, and discharge; and

(11) other topics the Secretary and the covered officials determine would aid members of the Armed Forces as they transition to civilian life.

(b) Report.—Not later than 90 days after the completion of the independent assessment under subsection (a), the Secretary and the covered officials, 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—

(1) the findings and recommendations (including recommended legislation) of the independent assessment prepared by the entity described in subsection (a); and

(2) responses of the Secretary and the covered officials to the findings and recommendations described in paragraph (1).

(c) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) The term “covered officials” is comprised of—

(A) the Secretary of Defense;

(B) the Secretary of Labor;

(C) the Administrator of the Small Business Administration; and

(D) the Secretaries of the military departments.

(2) The term “military departments” has the meaning given such term in section 101(8) of title 10, United States Code.

(a) Study.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Secretaries of Defense and Labor and the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, shall conduct a five-year longitudinal study regarding TAP on three separate cohorts of members of the Armed Forces who have separated from the Armed Forces, including—

(1) a cohort that has attended TAP counseling as implemented on the date of the enactment of this Act;

(2) a cohort that attends TAP counseling after the Secretaries of Defense and Labor implement changes recommended in the report under section 205(b) of this Act; and

(3) a cohort that has not attended TAP counseling.

(b) Progress reports.—Not later than 90 days after the day that is one year after the date of the initiation of the study under subsection (a) and annually thereafter for the three subsequent years, the Secretaries of Veterans Affairs, Defense, and Labor, and the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, 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 year.

(c) Final report.—Not later than 180 days after the completion of the study under subsection (a), the Secretaries of Veterans Affairs, Defense, and Labor, and the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, 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 study.

(d) Elements.—The final report under subsection (c) shall include information regarding the following:

(1) The percentage of each cohort that received unemployment benefits during the study.

(2) The numbers of months members of each cohort were employed during the study.

(3) Annual starting and ending salaries of members of each cohort who were employed during the study.

(4) How many members of each cohort enrolled in an institution of higher learning, as that term is defined in section 3452(f) of title 38, United States Code.

(5) The academic credit hours, degrees, and certificates obtained by members of each cohort during the study.

(6) The annual income of members of each cohort.

(7) The total household income of members of each cohort.

(8) How many members of each cohort own their principal residences.

(9) How many dependents that members of each cohort have.

(10) The percentage of each cohort that achieves a successful outcome for TAP, as determined under section 205(a)(6) of this Act.

(11) Other criteria the Secretaries and the Administrator of the Small Business Administration determine appropriate.