Collapse to view only § 4212. Veterans’ employment emphasis under Federal contracts
- § 4211. Definitions
- § 4212. Veterans’ employment emphasis under Federal contracts
- § 4213. Eligibility requirements for veterans under Federal employment and training programs
- § 4214. Employment within the Federal Government
- § 4215. Priority of service for veterans in Department of Labor job training programs
§ 4211. DefinitionsAs used in this chapter—
(1) The term “special disabled veteran” means—
(A) a veteran who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary for a disability (i) rated at 30 percent or more, or (ii) rated at 10 or 20 percent in the case of a veteran who has been determined under section 3106 of this title to have a serious employment handicap; or
(B) a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of service-connected disability.
(2) The term “veteran of the Vietnam era” means an eligible veteran any part of whose active military, naval, or air service was during the Vietnam era.
(3) The term “disabled veteran” means (A) a veteran who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary, or (B) a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.
(4) The term “eligible veteran” means a person who—
(A) served on active duty for a period of more than 180 days and was discharged or released therefrom with other than a dishonorable discharge;
(B) was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability;
(C) as a member of a reserve component under an order to active duty pursuant to section 12301(a), (d), or (g), 12302, or 12304 of title 10, served on active duty during a period of war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge is authorized and was discharged or released from such duty with other than a dishonorable discharge; or
(D) was discharged or released from active duty by reason of a sole survivorship discharge (as that term is defined in section 1174(i) of title 10).
(5) The term “department or agency” means any agency of the Federal Government or the District of Columbia, including any Executive agency as defined in section 105 of title 5 and the United States Postal Service and the Postal Regulatory Commission, and the term “department, agency, or instrumentality in the executive branch” includes the United States Postal Service and the Postal Regulatory Commission.
(6) The term “recently separated veteran” means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran’s discharge or release from active duty.
(Added Pub. L. 92–540, title V, § 503(a), Oct. 24, 1972, 86 Stat. 1097, § 2011; amended Pub. L. 94–502, title VI, § 607(1), Oct. 15, 1976, 90 Stat. 2405; Pub. L. 96–466, title V, § 508, Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2206; Pub. L. 97–306, title III, § 309, Oct. 14, 1982, 96 Stat. 1441; Pub. L. 98–223, title II, § 206, Mar. 2, 1984, 98 Stat. 43; Pub. L. 101–237, title IV, § 407(a)(2), Dec. 18, 1989, 103 Stat. 2082; Pub. L. 102–16, § 1, Mar. 22, 1991, 105 Stat. 48; Pub. L. 102–54, § 14(c)(9), June 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 285; renumbered § 4211 and amended Pub. L. 102–83, §§ 4(a)(1), 5(a), (c)(1), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 403, 406; Pub. L. 102–127, § 5, Oct. 10, 1991, 105 Stat. 622; Pub. L. 102–568, title V, § 502, Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4340; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title XV, § 1501(e)(2)(D), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 501; Pub. L. 106–419, title III, § 322(c), Nov. 1, 2000, 114 Stat. 1855; Pub. L. 107–288, § 2(b)(2)(D), Nov. 7, 2002, 116 Stat. 2036; Pub. L. 109–435, title VI, § 604(f), Dec. 20, 2006, 120 Stat. 3242; Pub. L. 110–317, § 6(b), Aug. 29, 2008, 122 Stat. 3528.)
§ 4212. Veterans’ employment emphasis under Federal contracts
(a)
(1) Any contract in the amount of $100,000 or more entered into by any department or agency of the United States for the procurement of personal property and nonpersonal services (including construction) for the United States, shall contain a provision requiring that the party contracting with the United States take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified covered veterans. This section applies to any subcontract in the amount of $100,000 or more entered into by a prime contractor in carrying out any such contract.
(2) In addition to requiring affirmative action to employ such qualified covered veterans under such contracts and subcontracts and in order to promote the implementation of such requirement, the Secretary of Labor shall prescribe regulations requiring that—
(A) each such contractor for each such contract shall immediately list all of its employment openings with the appropriate employment service delivery system (as defined in section 4101(7) of this title), and may also list such openings with one-stop career centers under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998,1
1 See References in Text note below.
other appropriate service delivery points, or America’s Job Bank (or any additional or subsequent national electronic job bank established by the Department of Labor), except that the contractor may exclude openings for executive and senior management positions and positions which are to be filled from within the contractor’s organization and positions lasting three days or less;(B) each such employment service delivery system shall give such qualified covered veterans priority in referral to such employment openings; and
(C) each such employment service delivery system shall provide a list of such employment openings to States, political subdivisions of States, or any private entities or organizations under contract to carry out employment, training, and placement services under chapter 41 of this title.
(3) In this section:
(A) The term “covered veteran” means any of the following veterans:
(i) Disabled veterans.
(ii) Veterans who served on active duty in the Armed Forces during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized.
(iii) Veterans who, while serving on active duty in the Armed Forces, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order No. 12985 (61 Fed. Reg. 1209).
(iv) Recently separated veterans.
(B) The term “qualified”, with respect to an employment position, means having the ability to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation for an individual with a disability.
(b) If any veteran covered by the first sentence of subsection (a) believes any contractor of the United States has failed to comply or refuses to comply with the provisions of the contractor’s contract relating to the employment of veterans, the veteran may file a complaint with the Secretary of Labor, who shall promptly investigate such complaint and take appropriate action in accordance with the terms of the contract and applicable laws and regulations.
(c) The Secretary of Labor shall include as part of the annual report required by section 4107(c) of this title the number of complaints filed pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, the actions taken thereon and the resolutions thereof. Such report shall also include the number of contractors listing employment openings, the nature, types, and number of positions listed and the number of veterans receiving priority pursuant to subsection (a)(2)(B).
(d)
(1) Each contractor to whom subsection (a) applies shall, in accordance with regulations which the Secretary of Labor shall prescribe, report at least annually to the Secretary of Labor on—
(A) the number of employees in the workforce of such contractor, by job category and hiring location, and the number of such employees, by job category and hiring location, who are qualified covered veterans;
(B) the total number of new employees hired by the contractor during the period covered by the report and the number of such employees who are qualified covered veterans; and
(C) the maximum number and the minimum number of employees of such contractor during the period covered by the report.
(2) The Secretary of Labor shall ensure that the administration of the reporting requirement under paragraph (1) is coordinated with respect to any requirement for the contractor to make any other report to the Secretary of Labor.
(3) The Secretary of Labor shall establish and maintain an Internet website on which the Secretary of Labor shall publicly disclose the information reported to the Secretary of Labor by contractors under paragraph (1).
(Added Pub. L. 92–540, title V, § 503(a), Oct. 24, 1972, 86 Stat. 1097, § 2012; amended Pub. L. 93–508, title IV, § 402, Dec. 3, 1974, 88 Stat. 1593; Pub. L. 94–502, title VI, §§ 605, 607(2), Oct. 15, 1976, 90 Stat. 2405; Pub. L. 95–520, § 6(a), Oct. 26, 1978, 92 Stat. 1821; Pub. L. 96–466, title V, § 509, title VIII, § 801(j), Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2206, 2217; Pub. L. 97–306, title III, § 310(a), Oct. 14, 1982, 96 Stat. 1442; renumbered § 4212 and amended Pub. L. 102–83, §§ 4(b)(8), 5(a), (c)(1), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 405, 406; Pub. L. 103–446, title VII, § 702(a), Nov. 2, 1994, 108 Stat. 4674; Pub. L. 105–339, §§ 7(a), 8, Oct. 31, 1998, 112 Stat. 3188, 3189; Pub. L. 106–419, title III, § 322(a), (b), Nov. 1, 2000, 114 Stat. 1855; Pub. L. 107–288, § 2(b)(1), (2)(A)–(C), Nov. 7, 2002, 116 Stat. 2034, 2035; Pub. L. 112–154, title VII, § 708, Aug. 6, 2012, 126 Stat. 1207.)
§ 4213. Eligibility requirements for veterans under Federal employment and training programs
(a) Amounts and periods of time specified in subsection (b) shall be disregarded in determining eligibility under any of the following:
(1) Any public service employment program.
(2) Any emergency employment program.
(3) Any job training program assisted under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964.
(4) Any employment or training program carried out under title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
(5) Any other employment or training (or related) program financed in whole or in part with Federal funds.
(b) Subsection (a) applies with respect to the following amounts and periods of time:
(1) Any amount received as pay or allowances by any person while serving on active duty.
(2) Any period of time during which such person served on active duty.
(3) Any amount received under chapters 11, 13, 30, 31, 32, and 36 of this title by an eligible veteran.
(4) Any amount received by an eligible person under chapters 13 and 35 of this title.
(5) Any amount received by an eligible member under chapter 106 of title 10.
(Added Pub. L. 92–540, title V, § 503(a), Oct. 24, 1972, 86 Stat. 1098, § 2013; amended Pub. L. 96–466, title VIII, § 801(k)(1), (2)(A), Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2217; Pub. L. 102–54, § 14(c)(10), June 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 285; renumbered § 4213, Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 406; Pub. L. 103–446, title VII, § 702(b), Nov. 2, 1994, 108 Stat. 4675; Pub. L. 105–277, div. A, § 101(f) [title VIII, § 405(d)(29)(C), (f)(21)(C)], Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–337, 2681–424, 2681–432; Pub. L. 106–419, title IV, § 404(a)(9), Nov. 1, 2000, 114 Stat. 1865; Pub. L. 113–128, title V, § 512(gg)(5), July 22, 2014, 128 Stat. 1720.)
§ 4214. Employment within the Federal Government
(a)
(1) The United States has an obligation to assist veterans of the Armed Forces in readjusting to civilian life. The Federal Government is also continuously concerned with building an effective work force, and veterans constitute a uniquely qualified recruiting source. It is, therefore, the policy of the United States and the purpose of this section to promote the maximum of employment and job advancement opportunities within the Federal Government for qualified covered veterans (as defined in paragraph (2)(B)) who are qualified for such employment and advancement.
(2) In this section:
(A) The term “agency” has the meaning given the term “department or agency” in section 4211(5) of this title.
(B) The term “qualified covered veteran” means a veteran described in section 4212(a)(3) of this title.
(b)
(1) To further the policy stated in subsection (a) of this section, veterans referred to in paragraph (2) of this subsection shall be eligible, in accordance with regulations which the Office of Personnel Management shall prescribe, for veterans recruitment appointments, and for subsequent career-conditional appointments, under the terms and conditions specified in Executive Order Numbered 11521 (March 26, 1970), except that—
(A) such an appointment may be made up to and including the level GS–11 or its equivalent;
(B) a veteran shall be eligible for such an appointment without regard to the number of years of education completed by such veteran;
(C) a veteran who is entitled to disability compensation under the laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs or whose discharge or release from active duty was for a disability incurred or aggravated in line of duty shall be given a preference for such an appointment over other veterans;
(D) a veteran receiving such an appointment shall—
(i) in the case of a veteran with less than 15 years of education, receive training or education; and
(ii) upon successful completion of the prescribed probationary period, acquire a competitive status; and
(E) a veteran given an appointment under the authority of this subsection whose employment under the appointment is terminated within one year after the date of such appointment shall have the same right to appeal that termination to the Merit Systems Protection Board as a career or career-conditional employee has during the first year of employment.
(2) This subsection applies to qualified covered veterans.
(3) A qualified covered veteran may receive such an appointment at any time.
(c) Each agency shall include in its affirmative action plan for the hiring, placement, and advancement of handicapped individuals in such agency as required by section 501(b) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 791(b)), a separate specification of plans (in accordance with regulations which the Office of Personnel Management shall prescribe in consultation with the Secretary, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, consistent with the purposes, provisions, and priorities of such Act) to promote and carry out such affirmative action with respect to disabled veterans in order to achieve the purpose of this section.
(d) The Office of Personnel Management shall be responsible for the review and evaluation of the implementation of this section and the activities of each agency to carry out the purpose and provisions of this section. The Office shall periodically obtain (on at least an annual basis) information on the implementation of this section by each agency and on the activities of each agency to carry out the purpose and provisions of this section. The information obtained shall include specification of the use and extent of appointments made by each agency under subsection (b) of this section and the results of the plans required under subsection (c) of this section.
(e)
(1) The Office of Personnel Management shall submit to the Congress annually a report on activities carried out under this section. Each such report shall include the following information with respect to each agency:
(A) The number of appointments made under subsection (b) of this section since the last such report and the grade levels in which such appointments were made.
(B) The number of individuals receiving appointments under such subsection whose appointments were converted to career or career-conditional appointments, or whose employment under such an appointment has terminated, since the last such report, together with a complete listing of categories of causes of appointment terminations and the number of such individuals whose employment has terminated falling into each such category.
(C) The number of such terminations since the last such report that were initiated by the agency involved and the number of such terminations since the last such report that were initiated by the individual involved.
(D) A description of the education and training programs in which individuals appointed under such subsection are participating at the time of such report.
(2) Information shown for an agency under clauses (A) through (D) of paragraph (1) of this subsection—
(A) shall be shown for all veterans; and
(B) shall be shown separately (i) for veterans who are entitled to disability compensation under the laws administered by the Secretary or whose discharge or release from active duty was for a disability incurred or aggravated in line of duty, and (ii) for other veterans.
(f) Notwithstanding section 4211 of this title, the terms “veteran” and “disabled veteran” as used in subsection (a) of this section shall have the meaning provided for under generally applicable civil service law and regulations.
(g) To further the policy stated in subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary may give preference to qualified covered veterans for employment in the Department as veterans’ benefits counselors and veterans’ claims examiners and in positions to provide the outreach services required under section 6303 of this title, to serve as veterans’ representatives at certain educational institutions as provided in section 6305 of this title, or to provide readjustment counseling under section 1712A of this title.
(Added Pub. L. 93–508, title IV, § 403(a), Dec. 3, 1974, 88 Stat. 1593, § 2014; amended Pub. L. 95–202, title III, § 308, Nov. 23, 1977, 91 Stat. 1445; Pub. L. 95–520, § 6(b), Oct. 26, 1978, 92 Stat. 1821; Pub. L. 96–466, title V, § 510, title VIII, § 801(l), Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2207, 2217; Pub. L. 97–72, title II, § 202(a), Nov. 3, 1981, 95 Stat. 1054; Pub. L. 97–295, § 4(95)(A), Oct. 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1313; Pub. L. 98–543, title II, § 211, Oct. 24, 1984, 98 Stat. 2743; Pub. L. 99–576, title III, § 332, Oct. 28, 1986, 100 Stat. 3279; Pub. L. 101–237, title IV, § 407(a)(1), (b), Dec. 18, 1989, 103 Stat. 2082; Pub. L. 102–16, § 9(a), (b), Mar. 22, 1991, 105 Stat. 54; renumbered § 4214 and amended Pub. L. 102–83, §§ 2(c)(5), 4(a)(1), (3), (4), (b)(1), (2)(E), 5(a), (c)(1), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 402–406; Pub. L. 102–127, § 4, Oct. 10, 1991, 105 Stat. 622; Pub. L. 102–568, title V, § 505, Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4340; Pub. L. 107–288, § 2(c)(1)–(3), Nov. 7, 2002, 116 Stat. 2036; Pub. L. 109–233, title IV, § 402(e)(3), June 15, 2006, 120 Stat. 411.)
§ 4215. Priority of service for veterans in Department of Labor job training programs
(a)Definitions.—In this section:
(1) The term “covered person” means any of the following individuals:
(A) A veteran.
(B) The spouse of any of the following individuals:
(i) Any veteran who died of a service-connected disability.
(ii) Any member of the Armed Forces serving on active duty who, at the time of application for assistance under this section, is listed, pursuant to section 556 of title 37 and regulations issued thereunder, by the Secretary concerned in one or more of the following categories and has been so listed for a total of more than 90 days: (I) missing in action, (II) captured in line of duty by a hostile force, or (III) forcibly detained or interned in line of duty by a foreign government or power.
(iii) Any veteran who has a total disability resulting from a service-connected disability.
(iv) Any veteran who died while a disability so evaluated was in existence.
(2) The term “qualified job training program” means any workforce preparation, development, or delivery program or service that is directly funded, in whole or in part, by the Department of Labor and includes the following:
(A) Any such program or service that uses technology to assist individuals to access workforce development programs (such as job and training opportunities, labor market information, career assessment tools, and related support services).
(B) Any such program or service under the public employment service system, one-stop career centers, the Workforce Investment Act of 1998,1
1 See References in Text note below.
a demonstration or other temporary program, and those programs implemented by States or local service providers based on Federal block grants administered by the Department of Labor.(C) Any such program or service that is a workforce development program targeted to specific groups.
(3) The term “priority of service” means, with respect to any qualified job training program, that a covered person shall be given priority over nonveterans for the receipt of employment, training, and placement services provided under that program, notwithstanding any other provision of law. Such priority includes giving access to such services to a covered person before a non-covered person or, if resources are limited, giving access to such services to a covered person instead of a non-covered person.
(b)Entitlement to Priority of Service.—
(1) A covered person is entitled to priority of service under any qualified job training program if the person otherwise meets the eligibility requirements for participation in such program.
(2) The Secretary of Labor may establish priorities among covered persons for purposes of this section to take into account the needs of disabled veterans and special disabled veterans, and such other factors as the Secretary determines appropriate.
(c)Administration of Programs at State and Local Levels.—
(1) provide information and priority of service to covered persons regarding benefits and services that may be obtained through other entities or service providers; and
(2) ensure that each covered person who applies to or who is assisted by such a program is informed of the employment-related rights and benefits to which the person is entitled under this section.
(d)Addition to Annual Report.—
(1) In the annual report required under section 4107(c) of this title for the program year beginning in 2003 and each subsequent program year, the Secretary of Labor shall evaluate whether covered persons are receiving priority of service and are being fully served by qualified job training programs. Such evaluation shall include—
(A) an analysis of the implementation of providing such priority at the local level;
(B) whether the representation of veterans in such programs is in proportion to the incidence of representation of veterans in the labor market, including within groups that the Secretary may designate for priority under such programs, if any; and
(C) performance measures, as determined by the Secretary, to determine whether veterans are receiving priority of service and are being fully served by qualified job training programs.
(2) The Secretary may not use the proportion of representation of veterans described in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) as the basis for determining under such paragraph whether veterans are receiving priority of service and are being fully served by qualified job training programs.
(Added Pub. L. 107–288, § 2(a)(1), Nov. 7, 2002, 116 Stat. 2033; amended Pub. L. 112–56, title II, § 239, Nov. 21, 2011, 125 Stat. 727.)