Employment Legislation

TAP Modernization Act of 2012 

This bill extends the TAP program to facilities outside military bases. It will allow veterans to re-take TAP and access additional training such as the new expanded entrepreneurship boot camp after they have left service, or completed school.

S. 2246 - Sen. John Boozman [R-AR]
Cosponsors: Sen. Marco Rubio [R-FL], Sen. Mark Begich [D-AK], Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand [D-NY]

H.R. 4051 - Rep. Marlin Stutzman [R-IN03]
Cosponsors: Rep. Colleen Hanabusa [D-HI01], Rep. Tim Griffin [R-AR02], Rep. Michael Michaud [D-ME02], Rep. Carolyn McCarthy [D-NY04], Rep. Richard Nugent [R-FL05]

Servicemembers Access to Justice Act of 2012

Currently, it is incredibly hard to enforce USERRA enforcement because the laws lack teeth.  This bill makes huge strides forward in the law that will finally make enforcement of USERRA viable and worthwhile, particularly for individuals seeking redress by removing sovereign immunity as a defense, removing USERRA claims from arbitration, enhancing the remedies for USERRA violations by including mandatory recovery of legal fees, making notice of USERRA compliance a contractual obligation for contractors, requiring equitable relief and granting the right to a jury trial.

S. 3233 - Sen. Robert Casey [D-PA]
Cosponsors: Sen. Mark Begich [D-AK], Sen. Ron Wyden [D-OR]

Servicemember Employment Protection Act of 2012

This legislation addresses some substantial areas where USERRA protections are lacking and adds some powerful incentives for USERRA compliance and penalties for USERRA violations. By removing USERRA complaints from arbitration, expanding USERRA to protect servicemembers undergoing medical treatment for deployment related injuries and disbarring government contractors who violate USERRA, the scope of USERRA coverage is increased in significant ways.

S. 3236 - Sen. Mark Pryor [D-AR]
Cosponsors: Sen. Mark Begich [D-AK], Sen. Saxby Chambliss [R-GA], Sen. John Kerry [D-MA], Sen. Barbara Mikulski [D-MD]

Consolidating Veterans Employment Services for Improved Performance Act of 2012

This bill transfers the Department of Labor Veterans Employment and Training Service (DOL VETS) to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA).VETS will remain well-funded and remain at the organizational rank at VA that it currently occupies at DoL. Under the current system, DoL VETS receives funding from DoL to execute VA priorities. Aligning the resources of VETS with the veteran-centric mission of the VA results is an obvious streamlining of control, communication and resources. By bringing the DoL VETS into the VA, duplication of effort will be minimized.

H.R. 4072 - Rep. Jeff Miller [R-FL01]
Cosponsors: Rep. Bill Johnson [R-OH06], Rep. Cliff Sterans [R-FL06], Rep. Marlin Stutzman [R-IN03], Rep. Glenn Thompson [R-PA05]