H.R. 4105 — VET Act of 2025

This section repeals expired authorities at 10 U.S.C. §§1152 and 1153 and establishes a grant program, to be carried out by the Secretary of Labor in consultation with the Transition Executive Committee, under new 10 U.S.C. §1152 to reimburse eligible energy industry entities for hiring costs associated with covered individuals (i.e., members of the Armed Forces eligible for preseparation counseling under 10 U.S.C. §1142, veterans, or their spouses). (1) Preferences in grant selection prioritize covered individuals (or their spouses) who are involuntarily separated, approved for separation under 10 U.S.C. §§1174a or 1175, retire under section 4403 of the Defense Conversion, Reinvestment, and Transition Assistance Act of 1992 (10 U.S.C. 1293 note), have relevant military occupational specialties or experience in energy production/construction/manufacturing, reside in a qualified opportunity zone, or face employment barriers (e.g., service-connected disability or homeless veteran status); eligible entities (i.e., those primarily engaged in energy generation/transmission/storage/distribution or manufacturing/distributing critical equipment such as batteries or solar components) operating in opportunity zones or qualifying as small business concerns also receive hiring preference. (2) Reimbursable costs include licensure/certification/training/education, recruitment, orientation, administrative, and relocation expenses, capped at $10,000 per covered individual hired and $500,000 per grantee in any fiscal year. (3) Grantees must submit annual reports on fund use/retention/satisfaction/salaries, comply with audits, and repay misused funds. The section requires coordination with the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to avoid duplicating services in programs such as the Transition Assistance Program (10 U.S.C. §§1142, 144), SkillBridge (10 U.S.C. §1143(e)), and Solid Start (38 U.S.C. §6320); annual coordination reports to specified congressional committees; and a program evaluation report to Congress by September 30, 2030, including recommendations on future changes. It authorizes $60 million annually for FY2026 through FY2031, with no more than 15% for administrative costs.