119-hr4105

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4105 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4105

To amend title 10, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Labor 
 to carry out a grant program to help certain members of the Armed 
 Forces, veterans, and their spouses, obtain employment in the energy 
 industry.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 June 24, 2025

 Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia (for herself, Ms. Houlahan, and Mr. Veasey) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
 the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To amend title 10, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Labor 
 to carry out a grant program to help certain members of the Armed 
 Forces, veterans, and their spouses, obtain employment in the energy 
 industry.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Energy Transition Act of 
2025'' or the ``VET Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM TO HELP CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE 
 ARMED FORCES, VETERANS, AND THEIR SPOUSES OBTAIN 
 EMPLOYMENT IN THE ENERGY INDUSTRY.

    (a) Repeal of Expired Authorities.--Sections 1152 and 1153 of title 
10, United States Code, are repealed.

    (b) Establishment.--Chapter 58 of such title is amended by 
inserting, after 

section 1151, the following new 

section 1152:
``

Sec. 1152. Assistance to separating members, veterans, and spouses to 
 obtain employment in the energy industry
 ``

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Labor, in consultation with 
the Transition Executive Committee, shall carry out a program to 
provide grants to eligible entities that hire covered individuals.
 ``

    (b) Covered Individuals.--

    (1) An covered individual under this 
section is--
 ``
        (A) a member of the Armed Forces eligible for preseparation 
counseling under 

section 1142 of this title;
 ``
        (B) a veteran; or
 ``
            (C) a spouse of such a member or veteran.
 ``

    (2) In the selection of covered individuals for assistance under 
a grant agreement under this section, preference shall be given to a 
covered individual (or the spouse of a covered individual) who--
 ``
        (A) is involuntarily separated, approved for separation 
 under 

section 1174a or 1175 of this title, or retires pursuant 
 to the authority provided in 

section 4403 of the Defense 
 Conversion, Reinvestment, and Transition Assistance Act of 1992 
 (division D of Public Law 102-484; 10 U.S.C. 1293 note);
 ``
        (B) has a military occupational specialty, training, or 
 experience related to energy production, construction, or 
 manufacturing, or meets other criteria prescribed by the 
 Secretary;
 ``
            (C) resides in a qualified opportunity zone; or
 ``
            (D) has a service-connected disability, is a homeless 
 veteran, or faces another significant barrier to employment.
 ``
            (c) Eligible Entities.--

    (1) An entity is eligible for a grant 
under this section if the primary function of such entity is any of the 
following:
 ``
        (A) The generation, transmission, storage, or 
 distribution of energy.
 ``
        (B) The manufacture or distribution of equipment and 
 components critical to the energy industry.
 ``

    (2) In the selection of eligible entities for a grant under this 
section, preference shall be given to an eligible entity that--
 ``
        (A) operates in a qualified opportunity zone; or
 ``
        (B) is a small business concern.
 ``
            (d) Grant Funds: Authorized Uses; Maximum Amounts.--

    (1) Grant 
funds awarded under this section shall be used to reimburse a grantee 
for costs incurred by such grantee in the course of hiring a covered 
individual. Such costs may include the following:
 ``
        (A) Costs for the relevant licensure, certification, 
 training, or education of the eligible employee.
 ``
        (B) Recruitment costs.
 ``
            (C) Orientation, administrative, and relocation costs.
 ``

    (2) In any fiscal year, a grantee may not be awarded--
 ``
        (A) more than $10,000 per covered individual hired by 
 such grantee; and
 ``
        (B) more than $500,000 under this section.
 ``

    (e) Terms.--As a condition of receiving a grant under this 
section, an eligible entity shall agree to--
 ``

    (1) submit to the Secretary a report for each fiscal year 
 in which the grantee receives funds under such grant that 
 includes information regarding--
 ``
        (A) use of grant funds;
 ``
        (B) whether a covered individual is still 
 employed by such eligible entity;
 ``
            (C) the rates of retention and employee 
 satisfaction of covered individuals employed by such 
 eligible entity; and
 ``
            (D) the salaries and benefits paid by such 
 eligible entity to covered individuals;
 ``

    (2) comply with an audit by the Inspector General of the 
 Department of Labor or the Comptroller General of the United 
 States; and
 ``

    (3) repay the Federal Government any grant funds used by 
 the eligible entity for any purpose not described in subsection
            (d) (1) .
 ``

    (f) Coordination With Existing Programs.--

    (1) The Secretary of 
Labor shall coordinate with the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans 
Affairs regarding the grant program under this section and other 
programs for members separating from active duty, including--
 ``
        (A) the Transition Assistance Program under sections 1142 
 and 144 of this title;
 ``
        (B) Skillbridge under 

section 1143

    (e) of this title; and
 ``
            (C) the Solid Start program under 

section 6320 of title 
 38.
 ``

    (2) In the course of such coordination, the Secretaries shall--
 ``
        (A) seek to avoid the duplication of services to covered 
 individuals under such programs;
 ``
        (B) promote the grant program under this section to 
 covered individuals; and
 ``
            (C) submit to the appropriate congressional committees, 
 not less than once each fiscal year in which the Secretary of 
 Labor carries out such grant program, a report regarding such 
 coordination.
 ``

    (g) Report.--Not later than September 30, 2030, the Secretary of 
Labor shall submit to Congress a report containing the evaluation of 
the Secretary of the grant program under this section. Such report 
shall include the recommendation of the Secretary whether to expand, 
extend, or otherwise amend the grant program.
 ``

    (h) Authorization of Appropriations; Administrative Costs.--

    (1) There is authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Labor, to 
carry out this section, $60,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 
through 2031.
 ``

    (2) In a fiscal year, the Secretary may not spend more than 15 
percent of the funds appropriated to carry out this section on 
administrative costs.
 ``
            (i) === Definitions. ===
-In this section:
 ``

    (1) The term `appropriate congressional committee' means 
 the following:
 ``
        (A) The Committee on Armed Services of the House 
 of Representatives.
 ``
        (B) The Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
 House of Representatives.
 ``
            (C) The Committee on Education and Workforce of 
 the House of Representatives.
 ``
            (D) The Committee on Armed Services of the 
 Senate.
 ``
        (E) The Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
 Senate.
 ``
        (F) The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
 and Pensions of the Senate.
 ``

    (2) The term `equipment and components critical to the 
 energy industry' includes the following:
 ``
        (A) Batteries.
 ``
        (B) Solar energy components.
 ``
            (C) Wind energy components.
 ``
            (D) Nuclear energy components.
 ``
        (E) Electronics.
 ``
        (F) Control systems.
 ``
        (G) Transformers.
 ``
        (H) Fuel cell technologies.
 ``
            (I) Advanced materials.
 ``

    (3) The term `homeless veteran' has the meaning given 
 such term in 

section 2002 of title 38.
 ``

    (4) The term `qualified opportunity zone' has the meaning 
 given such term in 

section 1400Z-1 of the Internal Revenue Code 
 of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 1400Z-1).
 ``

    (5) The terms `service-connected' and `veteran' have the 
 meanings given such terms in 

section 101 of title 38.
 ``

    (6) The term `small business concern' has the meaning 
 given such term in 

section 3 of the Small Business Act (Public 
 Law 85-536; 15 U.S.C. 632).
 ``

    (7) The term `Transition Executive Committee' means the 
 subordinate committee, established under 

section 320

    (b)

    (2) of 
 title 38, of the Veterans Affairs-Department of Defense Joint 
 Executive Committee.''.
            (c) Coordination Plans.--The Secretary of Labor shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees, as such term is defined in 
section
            (i) of 

section 1152 of such title, as added by this section, a 
report regarding--

    (1) the initial plan of the Secretary to coordinate under 
 subsection

    (f) of such section not later than 180 days after 
 the date of the enactment of this Act; and

    (2) the final such plan not later than one year after such 
 date.
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