S. 700: Troop Talent Act of 2013

113th Congress · introduced 2013-04-10 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2013-04-10 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Troop Talent Act of 2013

Plain summary

Troop Talent Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretaries of the military departments, to the maximum extent practicable, to make information on civilian credentialing opportunities available to members of the Armed Forces (members) beginning with, and at every stage of, their training for military occupational specialities, in order to permit such members to: (1) evaluate the extent to which such training correlates with skills and training required for various civilian certifications and licenses, and (2) assess the suitability of such training for obtaining and pursuing such certifications and licenses. Requires the information made available to: (1) be consistent with the Transition Goals Plans Success program, and (2) include information on the civilian occupational equivalents of military occupational specialties. Requires such Secretaries to make available to civilian credentialing agencies specified information on the content of military training provided to members. Allows members or veterans to use educational assistance provided through the Department of Defense (DOD) or the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in pursuit of a civilian certification or license only if the successful completion of a curriculum fully qualifies such student to take the appropriate examination and be certified or licensed to meet any other academic conditions required for entry into that occupation or profession. Requires the military occupational specialties designated for a military skills to civilian credentialing pilot program under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 to include those specialties relating to the military information technology workforce. Directs the VA Secretary to reestablish the Professional Certification and Licensure Advisory Committee (under current law, terminated on December 31, 2006). Provides additional Committee duties, including the development of: (1) guidance for audits of licensure and certification programs in order to ensure high-quality education to members and veterans, and (2) a plan to improve outreach to members and veterans on the importance of licensing and certification and the availability of educational benefits.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Troop Talent Act of 2013

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] · 18 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] reported raising $903,436 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Fiscal year: The 12-month period a government uses for its budget. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is named for the calendar year in which it ends. Most states use July 1 to June 30.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-113s700.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/113/s>

Record fed-us-cong113-s700 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113