16 U.S.C. § 8505 — Career and volunteer opportunities for veterans

(a) Veteran hiring: The Secretaries who manage federal recreational lands and waters are strongly encouraged to hire veterans for jobs in that field. This is encouragement, not a requirement. (b) Pilot program: (1) Establishment: The Secretary of the Interior, working with the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans' Employment and Training and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, must set up a pilot program. It employs veterans in federal jobs tied to conserving and managing natural resources at the Department of the Interior. (2) Positions: The Secretary must find open Interior Department jobs that fit the pilot program, and fill them through the program whenever practical. (3) Application of civil service laws: A veteran hired under the pilot counts as a federal "employee" under section 2105 of title 5, so ordinary civil service rules apply to them. (4) Briefings and report: (A) Initial briefing: Within 60 days of January 4, 2025, the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary of Labor must jointly brief Congress on the pilot program. The briefing must explain how the program will help reduce veteran unemployment, and must include any recommendations for legislative actions to improve the pilot program. (B) Implementation briefing: Within one year after the pilot program starts, they must jointly brief Congress again, this time on how the program is being carried out. (C) Final report: Within 30 days after the pilot program ends, they must jointly send Congress a report covering: (i) how many veterans applied; (ii) how many were hired; (iii) how many of those later moved into full-time federal jobs; and (iv) any other information they think is useful for judging whether the program worked. (5) Duration: The pilot program's authority ends two years after it starts. (c) Appropriate congressional committees defined: In this section, "appropriate congressional committees" means the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the House Committee on Natural Resources, plus the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (d) Outdoor recreation program attendance: Each military department's Secretary is encouraged to let active-duty service members join programs about protecting the environment or guided outdoor recreation.