Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Congressman Ryan Costello (R-Pa.) want to give states, not the Department of Labor in Washington, more flexibility to help veterans find employment.
The bipartisan bill, introduced by Sen. Toomey in the Senate and Rep. Costello in the House, would cost the taxpayer nothing, but would give governors more flexibility in using federal funds from the U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Services Program to better help connect veterans with good jobs.
"We must help veterans to find good jobs, especially as the economy continues to stumble along," said Sen. Toomey. "The courageous men and women who serve in our armed forces deserve to return home to a steady job, a paycheck, and a promising future. Employers across the nation need workers with the technical and leadership skills that come from military service. Let's allow folks in the states and on the ground, rather than bureaucrats in Washington, use their best judgment about how to help veterans connect with employers."
"The SOLVE Act is commonsense legislation that will allow states to better assist veterans in finding sustainable employment. Through state flexibility, the legislation will result in Pennsylvania veterans getting the assistance they need to find a good job," Congressman Costello said. "After giving so much for our country, we must do everything we can to empower our veterans looking for employment. I commend Senator Toomey for his leadership on the SOLVE Act and I am proud to be introducing it in the House."
Under the Toomey-Costello proposal, entitled the State Outreach for Local Veterans Employment (SOLVE) Act, governors would have the ability to change which agency within its state administers the federal funds. For example, a state could move funds from its labor department to its veterans agency to improve coordination and more efficiently use resources to help veterans find jobs.
The Department of Labor now administers the Veterans Employment and Training Services Program, which distributes Jobs for Veterans State Grants. In order to obtain the grant money, governors must submit an annual plan that the Labor Department can accept or reject in full. Sen. Toomey, a member of the Senate Veterans Jobs Caucus, also proposed in this bill to allow the Department of Labor to approve and disapprove of some parts of the state plans rather than rejecting the entire plan, and ensure states are given a full explanation for any part of the plan that is rejected.
The SOLVE Act is supported by The American Legion, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and the National Guard Association of the U.S.
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