# 114-hr-1978: Veterans Conservation Corps Act of 2015

114-hr-1978, Veterans Conservation Corps Act of 2015, is a 114th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Polis, Jared [D-CO-2] (D-CO); status Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-1978
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 114-hr-1978
- Congress: 114
- Title: Veterans Conservation Corps Act of 2015
- Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment.
- Introduced: 2015-04-22
- Sponsor: Rep. Polis, Jared [D-CO-2] (D-CO)
- Cosponsors: 31
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Veterans Conservation Corps Act of 2015 Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a veterans conservation corps to assist unemployed veterans in the transition from service in the Armed Forces to civilian life and to employ such veterans: (1) in conservation, resource management, firefighting, law enforcement, and historic preservation projects on public lands; (2) in maintenance and improvement projects for cemeteries under the jurisdiction of the National Cemetery Administration; and (3) as firefighters, law enforcement officers, and disaster relief personnel. Requires priority to be given to the employment of veterans who served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001. Requires, as part of the veterans conservation corps: (1) the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to award grants under the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to hire veterans as firefighters, (2) the Attorney General to award grants under the public safety and community policing grant program (COPS ON THE BEAT grant program) under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to hire veterans as law enforcement officers, and (3) the DHS Secretary to provide funds to increase participation by veterans in the Federal Emergency Management Agency Corps program. Authorizes the VA Secretary to transfer amounts to carry out the corps to the Attorney General, the Chief of Engineers, the Corporation for National and Community Service, and the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, DHS, and the Interior. Directs the VA Secretary to establish a steering committee to establish selection criteria for, and provide advice to the VA Secretary on, the awarding of assistance under this Act.

## Cosponsors (31)

- Rep. Cárdenas, Tony [D-CA-29] (D-CA), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Grayson, Alan [D-FL-9] (D-FL), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hastings, Alcee L. [D-FL-20] (D-FL), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lowenthal, Alan S. [D-CA-47] (D-CA), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Napolitano, Grace F. [D-CA-31] (D-CA), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- CHARLES RANGEL (D-NY), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33] (D-TX), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cartwright, Matt [D-PA-8] (D-PA), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- STEVE ISRAEL (D-NY), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sarbanes, John P. [D-MD-3] (D-MD), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sires, Albio [D-NJ-8] (D-NJ), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3] (D-CT), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bustos, Cheri [D-IL-17] (D-IL), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Deutch, Theodore E. [D-FL-22] (D-FL), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Walz, Timothy J. [D-MN-1] (D-MN), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kaptur, Marcy [D-OH-9] (D-OH), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-25] (D-CA), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Murphy, Patrick [D-FL-18] (D-FL), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5] (D-MO), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- JOHN CONYERS (D-MI), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-8] (D-CA), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2] (D-MA), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Speier, Jackie [D-CA-14] (D-CA), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- RICHARD NOLAN (D-MN), 2015-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lee, Barbara [D-CA-12] (D-CA), 2015-05-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36] (D-CA), 2015-05-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] (D-WI), 2015-06-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kilmer, Derek [D-WA-6] (D-WA), 2015-07-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2] (D-CA), 2015-10-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kildee, Daniel T. [D-MI-8] (D-MI), 2015-11-16T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 114-hr-5044: Making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2016 to respond to Zika virus.
- 114-hr-4592: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act
- 114-hr-4479: Families of Flint Act
- 114-hr-3268: PAST Act
- 114-hr-3185: Equality Act
- 114-hr-2150: Raise the Wage Act

## Sources
- [114-hr-1978 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1978)

## Related
- [114-hr-5044: Making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2016 to respond to Zika viru…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-5044)
- [114-hr-4592: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-4592)
- [114-hr-4479: Families of Flint Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-4479)
- [114-hr-3268: PAST Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-3268)
- [114-hr-3185: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-3185)
- [114-hr-2150: Raise the Wage Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-2150)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-1978 (as of 2025-11-18).