text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.
  
      (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Collaborating for 
  Economic Reintegration of Troops Act'' or the ``CERT Act''.
      (b) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
              (1) One of the greatest challenges facing transitioning 
          members of the Armed Forces and their spouses is finding 
          civilian employment.
              (2) Veterans report that employment is the top challenge 
          upon separation or retirement from the Armed Forces, with as 
          many as 80 percent of members leaving the Armed Forces without 
          civilian employment in hand and one in four reporting being 
          underemployed and earning below-poverty wages.
              (3) Military training correlates to approximately 962 
          civilian professions, yet even with their military education 
          and experience, veterans must duplicate their training to meet 
          various State specific certification guidelines.
              (4) Veteran transition can be aided by establishing a 
          commission to examine licensing and certification challenges 
          confronting members of the Armed Forces upon post-service entry 
          into the civilian workforce.
              (5) This commission will identify where there are gaps 
          between military training and civilian credentials' training 
          requirements and can identify opportunities for military 
          training to be reformed to address such gaps and for transition 
          to be improved by increased recognition of military training as 
          equivalent through a ``Blue Star certification''.
              (6) The Blue Star certification initiative would set 
          sufficient standards for entry into certain licensed 
          professions. States could adopt Blue Star certifications as 
          equivalent to entry into certain licensed professions. The 
          Armed Forces, in their training process, would ensure members 
          reach Blue Star proficiency so that upon leaving service they 
          could swiftly transition to civilian employment.
              (7) Operation Certification would allow for members of the 
          Armed Forces to directly and immediately apply their training 
          and experience to the private sector. States that adopt the 
          Blue Star credential will attract and retain talented and civic 
          minded veterans. Furthermore, this would modernize military 
          training within Blue Star occupational specialties to ensure 
          that members are well trained and prepared to meet any 
          challenge upon separation.
  
  SEC. 2. COMMISSION ON VETERAN CERTIFICATION STANDARDS.
  
      (a) Establishment.--There is established an advisory commission to 
  be known as the Commission on Veteran Certification Standards (in this 
  Act referred to as the ``Commission'').
      (b) Membership.--
              (1) Number and appointment.--The Commission shall be 
          composed of 16 members appointed as follows:
                      (A) The Majority Leader of the Senate shall appoint 
                  one member.
                      (B) The Minority Leader of the Senate shall appoint 
                  one member.
                      (C) The Speaker of the House of Representatives 
                  shall appoint one member.
                      (D) The Minority Leader of the House of 
                  Representatives shall appoint one member.
                      (E) The Chairman of the Committee on Armed Services 
                  of the Senate shall appoint one member.
                      (F) The Ranking Member of the Committee on Armed 
                  Services of the Senate shall appoint one member.
                      (G) The Chairman of the Committee on Armed Services 
                  of the House of Representatives shall appoint one 
                  member.
                      (H) The Ranking Member of the Committee on Armed 
                  Services of the House of Representatives shall appoint 
                  one member.
                      (I) The Chairman of the Committee on Veterans' 
                  Affairs of the Senate shall appoint one member.
                      (J) The Ranking Member of the Committee on 
                  Veterans' Affairs of the Senate shall appoint one 
                  member.
                      (K) The Chairman of the Committee on Veterans' 
                  Affairs of the House of Representatives shall appoint 
                  one member.
                      (L) The Ranking Member of the Committee on 
                  Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives shall 
                  appoint one member.
                      (M) The Chairman of the Committee on Health, 
                  Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate shall 
                  appoint one member.
                      (N) The Ranking Member of the Committee on Health, 
                  Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate shall 
                  appoint one member.
                      (O) The Chairman of the Committee on Education and 
                  the Workforce of the House of Representatives shall 
                  appoint one member.
                      (P) The Ranking Member of the Committee on 
                  Education and the Workforce of the House of 
                  Representatives shall appoint one member.
              (2) Deadline for appointment.--Members shall be appointed 
          to the Commission under paragraph (1) not later than 45 days 
          after the date of the enactment of this Act.
      (c) Chair and Vice Chair.--The Commission shall elect a Chair and 
  Vice Chair from among its members.
      (d) Terms.--Members shall be appointed for the life of the 
  Commission. A vacancy in the Commission shall not affect its powers, 
  and shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment was 
  made.
      (e) Compensation for Members of the Commission.--Members of the 
  Commission will not receive wages or compensation on account of their 
  services on the Commission, but will be allowed travel expenses, 
  including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for 
  employees under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 
  Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the 
  performance of services for the Commission.
      (f) Use of Government Information.--The Commission may secure 
  directly from any department or agency of the Federal Government such 
  information as the Commission considers necessary to carry out its 
  duties. Upon such request of the Chair of the Commission, the head of 
  such department or agency shall furnish such information to the 
  Commission.
      (g) Postal Services.--The Commission may use the United States 
  mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as departments 
  and agencies of the United States.
      (h) Personal Services.--
              (1) Authority to procure.--The Commission may--
                      (A) procure the services of experts or consultants 
                  (or of organizations of experts or consultants) in 
                  accordance with the provisions of section 3109 of title 
                  5, United States Code; and
                      (B) pay in connection with such services travel 
                  expenses of individuals, including transportation and 
                  per diem in lieu of subsistence, while such individuals 
                  are traveling from their homes or places of business to 
                  duty stations.
              (2) Maximum daily pay rates.--The daily rate paid an expert 
          or consultant procured pursuant to paragraph (1) may not exceed 
          the daily rate paid a person occupying a position at level IV 
          of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United 
          States Code.
  
  SEC. 3. COMMISSION HEARINGS AND MEETINGS.
  
      (a) In General.--The Commission shall conduct hearings on the 
  recommendations it is taking under consideration. Any such hearing, 
  except a hearing in which classified information is to be considered, 
  shall be open to the public. Any hearing open to the public shall be 
  announced on a Federal website at least 14 days in advance. For all 
  hearings open to the public, the Commission shall release an agenda and 
  a listing of materials relevant to the topics to be discussed. The 
  Commission is authorized and encouraged to hold hearings and meetings 
  in various locations throughout the country to provide maximum 
  opportunity for public comment and participation in the Commission's 
  execution of its duties.
      (b) Meetings.--
              (1) Initial meeting.--The Commission shall hold its initial 
          meeting not later than 60 days after the date as of which all 
          members have been appointed.
              (2) Subsequent meetings.--After its initial meeting, the 
          Commission shall meet upon the call of the Chair or a majority 
          of its members.
              (3) Public meetings.--Each meeting of the Commission shall 
          be held in public unless any member objects or classified 
          information is to be considered.
      (c) Quorum.--Nine members of the Commission shall constitute a 
  quorum, but a lesser number may hold hearings or meetings.
      (d) Public Comments.--The Commission shall seek written comments 
  from the general public and interested parties on matters of the 
  Commission's review under this Act. Comments shall be requested through 
  a solicitation in the Federal Register and announcement on the Internet 
  website of the Commission.
      (e) Space for Use of Commission.--Not later than 90 days after the 
  date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of General 
  Services, in consultation with the Secretary, shall identify and make 
  available suitable excess space within the Federal space inventory to 
  house the operations of the Commission. If the Administrator is not 
  able to make such suitable excess space available within such 90-day 
  period, the Commission may lease space to the extent the funds are 
  available.
      (f) Contracting Authority.--The Commission may acquire 
  administrative supplies and equipment for Commission use to the extent 
  funds are available.
  
  SEC. 4. COMMISSION DUTIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
  
      (a) Duties.--The Commission shall perform the following duties:
              (1) Examine the unique challenges that confront members of 
          the Armed Forces and their spouses upon post-service entry into 
          the civilian workforce.
              (2) Determine best practices and evaluate efforts that have 
          been undertaken by the States and the executive branch, 
          including the program required by section 2015 of title 10, 
          United States Code, to assist members of the Armed Forces in 
          obtaining professional credentials, to facilitate the transfer 
          of skills and certifications from the military to civilian 
          settings.
              (3) Identify industries and jobs that can most benefit from 
          military experience and training and identify military 
          specialties that can readily transfer to high-demand jobs.
              (4) Develop recommended Blue Star credentialing standards 
          for select professions in order to simplify and streamline 
          training and transition efforts for members of the Armed Forces 
          and their spouses upon post-service entry into the civilian 
          workforce.
              (5) Design an evaluation criteria that the Secretary of 
          Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs can use to 
          evaluate the extent to which States and territories adopt and 
          utilize the Blue Star credentialing standards.
      (b) Development of Commission Recommendations.--The Commission 
  shall develop recommendations on the matters subject to its review 
  under subsection (a).
      (c) Commission Report and Recommendations.--
              (1) Report.--Not later than one year after the date on 
          which the Commission is established, the Commission shall 
          transmit to the President and Congress a report containing the 
          findings and conclusions of the Commission, together with the 
          recommendations of the Commission regarding the matters 
          described in subsection (a). The Commission shall include in 
          the report legislative language and recommendations for 
          administrative action to implement the recommendations of the 
          Commission.
              (2) Requirement for approval.--The recommendations of the 
          Commission must be approved by a majority of the members of the 
          Commission before the recommendations may be transmitted to the 
          President and Congress under paragraph (1).
              (3) Public availability.--The Commission shall publish a 
          copy of the report required by paragraph (1) on an Internet 
          website available to the public on the same date on which it 
          transmits that report to the President and Congress under that 
          paragraph.
  
  SEC. 5. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND STAFF.
  
      (a) Executive Director.--The Commission shall appoint and fix the 
  rate of basic pay for an Executive Director in accordance with section 
  3161 of title 5, United States Code.
      (b) Staff.--The Executive Director, with the approval of the 
  Commission, may appoint and fix the rate of basic pay for additional 
  personnel as staff of the Commission in accordance with section 3161 of 
  title 5, United States Code.
  
  SEC. 6. TERMINATION OF COMMISSION.
  
      The Commission shall terminate 90 days after the date of the 
  submission of the report under section 4.
target: Collaborating for Economic Reintegration of Troops Act or the CERT Act This bill establishes the Commission on Veteran Certification Standards which shall:   examine the challenges confronting members of the Armed Forces and their spouses upon post-service entry into the civilian workforce;  determine best state practices and evaluate efforts to assist members of the Armed Forces in obtaining professional credentials to facilitate the transfer of military skills and certifications to civilian settings;  identify industries and jobs that can most benefit from military experience;  develop recommended Blue Star credentialing standards and design evaluation criteria that the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs can use to evaluate state and territory utilization of such standards; and  develop related administrative recommendations.
feat_title: CERT Act