(a) Study Required.—
(1)
The Secretary shall enter into a contract with a non-government entity to conduct a longitudinal study of a statistically valid sample of each of the groups of individuals described in paragraph (2). The contract shall provide for the study of each such group over a period of at least 5 years.
(2) The groups of individuals described in this paragraph are the following:
(3) The study required by this subsection shall include the collection of the following information for each individual who participates in the study:
(D)
The average number of months such individual was employed during the year covered by the report.
(E)
The average annual starting and ending salaries of any such individual who was employed during the year covered by the report.
(J)
In the case of such an individual who received services under this chapter, whether the individual believes that any service provided by a disabled veterans’ outreach program specialist or local veterans’ employment representative helped the individual to become employed.
(K) In the case of such an individual who believes such a service helped the individual to become employed, whether—
(M)
Whether such individual has used any educational assistance to which the individual is entitled under this title.
(N)
Whether such individual has participated in a rehabilitation program under chapter 31 of this title.
(b) Annual Report.—
(1)
By not later than July 1 of each year covered by the study required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the outcomes of the study during the preceding year.
(2) The Secretary shall include in each report submitted under paragraph (1) the following:
(A) Information with respect to job fairs attended by One-Stop Career Center employees at which the employees had contact with a veteran, including, for the year preceding the year in which the report is submitted, the following:
(B)
Such information as the Secretary determines is necessary to determine the long-term outcomes of the individuals in the groups described in subsection (a)(2).