Next Mission Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9411 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9411

 To direct the Secretary of Defense to provide grants to entities that
 provide services that supplement the Transition Assistance Program of
           the Department of Defense, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 23, 2026

Mr. Mannion (for himself and Mr. LaLota) introduced the following bill;
         which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To direct the Secretary of Defense to provide grants to entities that
 provide services that supplement the Transition Assistance Program of
           the Department of Defense, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Next Mission Act''.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM TO SUPPLEMENT THE TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
              OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall carry out a
program to award multiyear grants to entities described in subsection
(b) that provide to covered individuals the services described in
subsection (c).
    (b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under the pilot
program, an entity shall--
            (1) be a private, nonprofit organization;
            (2) have a record of successfully providing career services
        (including job placement) or job training;
            (3) have rigorous evaluation practices that indicate
        efficiency;
            (4) have partnerships with entities (such as employers,
        governmental agencies, and nonprofit entities) to provide
        services described in subsection (c); and
            (5) be able to train online to reach rural participants and
        reduce costs.
    (c) Services.--Grants awarded under this section shall be used to
provide, at no cost to a covered individual, the following services:
            (1) Assessment of education, work history, and employment
        goals, to determine appropriate employment services.
            (2) Preparation for civilian employment, including mock
        interviews, salary negotiation training, use of professional
        networking platforms, or company research.
            (3) Providing industry-specific learning pathways that--
                    (A) focus on stable, high-demand fields as
                determined by labor market information;
                    (B) help a covered individual choose a career
                pathway and navigate training requirements;
                    (C) help a covered individual apply skills acquired
                in the Armed Forces to a civilian career;
                    (D) include one-on-one assistance from a career
                services professional or academic advisor; and
                    (E) include coursework or other forms of education
                and training required for industry-recognized
                credentials and certifications.
            (4) Job placement.
    (d) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary
shall give priority to an entity whose program outcomes have been
independently verified by a third-party.
    (e) Consultation.--In carrying out this program, the Secretary of
Defense shall consult with other Federal entities, including--
            (1) the Office of Transition and Economic Development of
        the Department of Veterans Affairs; and
            (2) the Veterans Employment and Training Service of the
        Department of Labor.
    (f) Performance Metrics.--The Secretary of Defense shall establish
metrics for the pilot program, including--
            (1) the number of covered individuals who receive and
        complete skills training;
            (2) the number of covered individuals who secure
        employment;
            (3) the job retention rate for covered individuals
        described in paragraph (2); and
            (4) the median salary of covered individuals described in
        paragraph (2).
    (g) Assessment of Possible Expansion.--Each grantee under this
section shall submit to the Secretary an assessment of the feasibility
of expanding the services offered under the grant program to--
            (1) members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces;
        and
            (2) covered individuals located outside the United States.
    (h) Termination.--The authority to provide a grant under this
section shall terminate on the date that is three years after the date
on which the Secretary implements the grant program under this section.
    (i) Report.--Not later than six months after the termination of the
pilot program, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the
congressional defense committees a report that includes--
            (1) a description of specific activities carried out under
        this section;
            (2) the metrics and evaluations used to assess the
        effectiveness of the grant program; and
            (3) a summary of the assessments submitted to the Secretary
        under subsection (g).
    (j) Covered Individual Defined.--In this section, the term
``covered individual'' means--
            (1) a member of the Armed Forces participating in the
        Transition Assistance Program of the Department of Defense
        under sections 1142 and 1144 of title 10, United States Code;
        or
            (2) a spouse of a member described in subparagraph (A).
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