Federal Administration

What this funds

The Federal Administration - USERRA Enforcement program activity funding provides for the salary and benefits, travel, and training for all of VETS' current staff in the national office, six regional offices, and offices in each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. This activity provides overall leadership, support, and direction for agency operations and develops operating plans to execute the Administration's vision. The VETS National Office consists of the Assistant Secretary's Office, the executive management team, and programming and operational staff. These staff members oversee VETS' programs, offer technical guidance, and handle administrative tasks, outreach, policy, and research. The regional offices manage programs and oversee grant activities and compliance investigations. VETS is responsible for administering, interpreting, and enforcing the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), 38 U.S.C. 4301-4335, VETS staff conduct formal investigations into complaints received from individuals who believe their employment or reemployment rights were violated. Upon completion of an investigation, if the evidence supports the allegations raised in the complaint, VETS works with both the employer and complainant to obtain the appropriate relief under the law. If the complainant is dissatisfied with the results of the investigation, he or she may request that the case be referred to either the U.S. Department of Justice for non-federal cases, or to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel for federal cases for consideration of representation in either U.S. District Court or before the Merit Systems Protection Board, as appropriate. In-depth summaries of VETS' USERRA enforcement activities, including data on cases opened during the last fiscal year, are provided in the Department's USERRA Annual Report to Congress. VETS also conducts public outreach to educate service members, employers, and others on their rights and responsibilities under USERRA. VETS provides an online USERRA advisory tool to assist veterans in understanding employee eligibility, job entitlements, and obligations, as well as benefits, remedies, and employer obligations under USERRA. This electronic advisory tool helps veterans determine the types of preferences and benefits to which they may be entitled, explains the process for filing a complaint, and provides an electronic claim form. VETS - 31 FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION - USERRA ENFORCEMENT VETS is also responsible for investigating complaints received from preference-eligible veterans who allege that their veterans' preference rights in federal employment were violated, pursuant to the Veterans' Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA), 5 U.S.C. 3330a, et seq. VETS conducted 191 VP/VEOA investigations in 2025. Pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 4212, VETS receives and maintains a database of reports received from federal contractors who must report on the number of eligible service members and veterans they employ, and their efforts to hire those individuals each calendar year. VETS staff are also responsible for: Grant administration for JVSG and HVRP, including reviewing financial statements and grant modifications; conducting formal compliance assessments; and performing on-site monitoring trips, desk audits, and regular performance reviews of grants under their purview; TAP and NVTI management, oversight, and program administration; Outreach and engagement with Federal, state, and local governments; private sector employers and trade associations; institutions of higher learning; non-profit organizations; and Veteran Service Organizations to help service members, returning veterans, and families reintegrate into the workforce; and Executive management, administration, research, program evaluation, and policy development in support of all VETS programs and government mandates and regulations. The Federal Administration-USERRA Enforcement budget activity also supports the Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans (HIRE Vets Act). This program was established as a fee-based funded activity, authorized to solicit voluntary information from employers to recognize employer efforts to recruit, employ, and retain veterans. Employers meeting established criteria may receive a Platinum or Gold HIRE Vets Medallion Award for small, medium, and large employer categories as set forth in 20 CFR 1011, 82 FR 52186. VETS received 888 paid applications for the HIRE Vets Medallion Award in 2025. This budget submission reflected an estimated $170,000 in fees to be collected in FY 2026, and an estimated $191,000 to be collected in FY 2027. The Federal Administration- USERRA Enforcement budget activity is authorized to support this program with up to $500,000 until it becomes self-sufficient.

Extracted from Veterans' Employment and Training Service, p. 11. Verbatim; nothing here is paraphrased.

Ask this budget line

Answers come from the figures on this page and nothing else. These dollars are parsed from Labor's Congressional Justification and are approximate — confirm anything that matters against the cited page.