H.R. 3387 — ETS Act

This section amends preseparation counseling requirements under 10 U.S.C. 1142 for members of the armed forces, including special operations forces, as follows: (1) requires minimum durations of not fewer than three days for members with post-separation employment or education plans and five days otherwise; (2) extends the commencement period for anticipated separations or retirements to 540 days before the date (from 365 days), with conforming changes; (3) prohibits delivery by retention personnel and requires in-person delivery to the extent practicable (remote if not); (4) authorizes waivers for reserve component members who request it, received counseling within the prior three years, and whose covered matters are unchanged; (5) authorizes commanding officers to provide counseling to reenlisting members and members to receive it a second time, both on a space-available basis; (6) expands elective spouse attendance to all counseling topics (previously limited to financial planning, relocation, and VA benefits); (7) requires at least one hour of financial planning counseling by an experienced individual, including general and individualized assistance on loans, debt, and investing; (8) standardizes transition pathways across the armed forces (by the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security), including one for reserve components, with assignment reasons noted in the member's service record; and (9) requires transmission of member contact information and DD Form 2648 to the Department of Veterans Affairs before separation and, for at-risk members, provision of Department of Veterans Affairs and Labor employee contacts (with follow-up by those employees within 60 days). (Preseparation counseling initiates the Transition Assistance Program to prepare separating or retiring service members—accepting all discharge types except those under 180 continuous active duty days (with exceptions)—for civilian life via personalized discussions of benefits, employment, education, and related topics.)

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This section directs the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study of the SkillBridge programs under 10 U.S.C. §1143(e) (i.e., Department of Defense internships allowing service members in their final 180 days of service to gain civilian work experience to ease transition to post-military employment). Not later than two years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General must submit a report on the study to the Senate and House Committees on Armed Services and Veterans' Affairs that includes observations and recommendations regarding (1) differences in participation criteria between the armed forces, (2) other differences in SkillBridge programs between the armed forces, (3) best practices across the armed forces including employer selection and contract development, and (4) the feasibility of uniform SkillBridge programs across the armed forces.

This section directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to maintain a publicly available website through which a veteran or dependent of a veteran may search by ZIP code for programs for veterans who recently separated from active military, naval, air, or space service, or dependents of such veterans.

This section expands the definition of "eligible person" under the veterans job counseling, training, and placement services program (38 U.S.C. ch. 41) to include members of the Armed Forces eligible for the Transition Assistance Program (i.e., pre-separation counseling and employment services for transitioning service members). (Thus, such members now qualify alongside spouses of deceased, missing, captured, or permanently disabled service-connected personnel.) It also revises outreach requirements (38 U.S.C. § 4103A(a)(1)) to expressly cover these eligible persons.

This section revises the Solid Start program (i.e., a VA program that proactively reaches out to recently separated veterans to inform them of VA benefits eligibility, including health care enrollment and crisis resources, and requires calling each such veteran three times within their first year post-separation) to enhance interaction with the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) by (1) specifying collection of up-to-date contact information during TAP classes or preseparation counseling (from transition classes or separation counseling); (2) requiring the furnishing of TAP materials to veterans; and (3) expanding data gathering and analysis to assess the effectiveness of both the Solid Start program and TAP. The section also strikes an optional program activity and adds definitions for TAP (i.e., the Transition Assistance Program under 10 U.S.C. §§1142, 1144), Vet Center (as defined in 38 U.S.C. §1712A(h)), and veterans service organization (as recognized under 38 U.S.C. §5902).