Veterans training bill headed to House

BENTON COUNTY — The Veterans Affairs Committee passed the Veterans Retraining Act of 2009, introduced in February by U.S. Rep. John Boozman, R-Ark.

The legislation, H.R. 1168, would authorize the U.S. Department of Labor to pay for training assistance for veterans who have been unemployed for at least four months.

“These are people that are just having a difficult time finding a job. Many of these individuals, even though we have this new GI Plan that is very, very good - their benefits have expired, so they don’t have an opportunity to get training,” Boozman said.

The U.S. Department of Labor reports an 8.3 percent nationwide unemployment rate for veterans.

Also, the bill would provide a housing stipend -from $785 to more than $2,800 per month for up to six months - to veterans who are participating in a retraining program; and up to $5,000 for moving expenses for veterans who complete the training to relocate to a part of the country that has jobs that fit a veteran’s new skill.

“This is an important piece of legislation that represents what Congress needs to focus on: creating jobs. We need to put hard-working Americans back to work, and this can be accomplished through job-training assistance programs like this,” Boozman said. “I am committed to providing opportunities forour veterans to get the training and resources they need to provide for themselves and their families.”

He hopes the bill will soon be considered on the House floor, Boozman said.