Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-110

§8505 Career and Volunteer Opportunities for Veterans

Title 16 › CHAPTER 103 — EXPANDING PUBLIC LANDS OUTDOOR RECREATION EXPERIENCES › SUBCHAPTER II — ACCESS AMERICA › Part B — Military and Veterans in Parks › § 8505

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

Agencies are urged to hire veterans for jobs that manage federal recreational lands and waters. The Secretary of the Interior, working with the Labor Department’s veterans employment official and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, must set up a pilot program to hire veterans for conservation and resource‑management jobs at the Department of the Interior. The Secretary must find vacant jobs that fit the program and, when possible, fill them this way. Veterans in the pilot will count as federal employees under 5 U.S.C. 2105. The Secretary and the Labor official must give an initial briefing to Congress within 60 days after January 4, 2025, a progress briefing within 1 year after the pilot starts, and a final report within 30 days after the pilot ends. The final report must list how many veterans applied, how many were hired, how many moved into full‑time federal jobs afterward, and any other information they think is useful. The pilot ends 2 years after it begins. “Appropriate congressional committees” means House Veterans’ Affairs and House Natural Resources, and Senate Veterans’ Affairs and Senate Energy and Natural Resources. Each Secretary of a military department is also encouraged to let active duty service members join programs for environmental stewardship or guided outdoor recreation.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §8505

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Veteran hiring

The Secretaries are strongly encouraged to hire veterans in all positions related to the management of Federal recreational lands and waters.

(b)Pilot program

(1)Establishment

The Secretary, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall establish a pilot program under which veterans are employed by the Federal Government in positions that relate to the conservation and resource management activities of the Department of the Interior.

(2)Positions

The Secretary shall—

(A)identify vacant positions in the Department of the Interior that are appropriate to fill using the pilot program; and

(B)to the extent practicable, fill such positions using the pilot program.

(3)Application of civil service laws

A veteran employed under the pilot program shall be treated as an employee as defined by section 2105 of title 5.

(4)Briefings and report

(A)Initial briefing

Not later than 60 days after January 4, 2025, the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training shall jointly provide to the appropriate congressional committees a briefing on the pilot program under this subsection, which shall include—

(i)a description of how the pilot program will be carried out in a manner to reduce the unemployment of veterans; and

(ii)any recommendations for legislative actions to improve the pilot program.

(B)Implementation briefing

Not later than 1 year after the date on which the pilot program under subsection (a) commences, the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training shall jointly provide to the appropriate congressional committees a briefing on the implementation of the pilot program.

(C)Final report

Not later than 30 days after the date on which the pilot program under subsection (a) 1 terminates under paragraph (5), the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training shall jointly submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the pilot program that includes the following:

(i)The number of veterans who applied to participate in the pilot program.

(ii)The number of such veterans employed under the pilot program.

(iii)The number of veterans identified in clause (ii) who transitioned to full-time positions with the Federal Government after participating in the pilot program.

(iv)Any other information the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training determine appropriate with respect to measuring the effectiveness of the pilot program.

(5)Duration

The authority to carry out the pilot program under this subsection shall terminate on the date that is 2 years after the date on which the pilot program commences.

(c)Appropriate congressional committees defined

In this section, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means—

(1)the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; and

(2)the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate.

(d)Outdoor recreation program attendance

Each Secretary of a military department is encouraged to allow members of the Armed Forces on active duty status to participate in programs related to environmental stewardship or guided outdoor recreation.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 8505

Title 16, Conservation

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110