Transitioning Retiring and New Service Members to Port Ocean Rail and Truck Jobs Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. BARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3055) to direct the Secretary of Transportation to develop an action plan on members of the Armed Forces eligible for preseparation counseling and veterans becoming supply chain employees, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 3055
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Transitioning Retiring And New Service Members to Port Ocean Rail and Truck Jobs Act'' or the ``TRANSPORT Jobs Act''. SEC. 2. VETERAN TO SUPPLY CHAIN EMPLOYEE ACTION PLAN.
(a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and Secretary of Labor, shall develop and make public an action plan to be known as the ``Veteran to Supply Chain Employee Action Plan''.
(b) Contents.--In developing the Veteran to Supply Chain Action Plan, the Secretary of Transportation shall--
(1) identify--
(A) barriers members of the Armed Forces eligible for preseparation counseling under section 1142 of title 10, United States Code, and veterans face when searching for employment, during the hiring process, or in training to become supply chain employees;
(B) challenges supply chain employers face when recruiting, hiring, or retaining members of the Armed Forces eligible for preseparation counseling under section 1142 of title 10, United States Code, and veterans;
(C) regulatory burdens employers face in the hiring of supply chain employees, especially for employees that are members of the Armed Forces eligible for preseparation counseling under section 1142 of title 10, United States Code, or veterans;
(D) regions of the United States which have the greatest workforce need for supply chain employees; and
(E) barriers and industry trends that directly or indirectly discourage members of the Armed Forces eligible for preseparation counseling under section 1142 of title 10, United States Code, and veterans from pursuing, attaining, and remaining in supply chain careers;
(2) highlight--
(A) the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities members of the Armed Forces eligible for preseparation counseling under section 1142 of title 10, United States Code, and veterans possess that are critical for supply chain careers and any competency gaps that should be addressed;
(B) opportunities to expand or enhance existing initiatives for members of the Armed Forces eligible for preseparation counseling under section 1142 of title 10, United States Code, or veterans to become supply chain employees; and
(C) ways to improve supply chain employer outreach programs and enhance existing training, mentorship, education, and advancement programs that would increase the participation and engagement of members of the Armed Forces eligible for preseparation counseling under section 1142 of title 10, United States Code, and veterans in the supply chain workforce;
(3) recommend specific short- and long-term actions the Department of Transportation, the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the Department of Labor can take to help members of the Armed Forces eligible for preseparation counseling under section 1142 of title 10, United States Code, and veterans become supply chain employees; and
(4) consult with the transportation supply chain industry, modal transportation supply chain employers, and organizations representing modal transportation supply chain employees.
(c) Supply Chain Employee Defined.--In this section, the term ``supply chain employee'' means an individual directly employed in the facilitation of the movement of goods.
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Mr. BARRETT. 3055, as amended.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support my bill, H.R. 3055, the TRANSPORT Jobs Act.
This bill was introduced to address common barriers that veterans and members of the Armed Forces often face when transitioning to civilian occupations.
The bill requires the creation of a veteran to supply chain employee action plan, which will identify and match the skills, knowledge, and abilities of veterans and members of the Armed Forces with supply chain jobs.
We have all seen issues within the supply chain of unfilled jobs that are critical for the delivery of the ever-important goods and services moving throughout our economy and veterans who move home after their service looking for employment opportunities.
The Secretary of Transportation will develop the action plan in consultation with the Secretaries of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Labor.
This bill provides veterans and those soon-to-be-discharged from the armed services with the support that they deserve and addresses the continued labor shortages in our Nation's critical supply chains.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC, September 3, 2025. Hon. Sam Graves, Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Graves: I am writing to you concerning H.R 3055, the ``Transitioning Retiring and New Service Members to Port Ocean Rail and Truck Jobs Act'' or the ``TRANSPORT Jobs Act.'' As you know, there are provisions in this legislation that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed expeditiously to floor consideration of this legislation, I am willing to waive consideration of the bill by my Committee. I do so with the understanding that by waiving consideration of the bill, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill. I also request that you urge the Speaker to name members of this committee to any conference committee that may be established to consider such provisions.
Please place this letter in the committee report on H.R. 3055 and in the Congressional Record during consideration of this legislation on the House floor. Sincerely, Mike Bost, Chairman. ____ House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Washington, DC, September 4, 2025. Hon. Mike Bost, Chairman, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Bost: I write regarding H.R. 3055, the Transitioning Retiring And New Service Members to Port Ocean Rail and Truck Jobs Act or the TRANSPORT Jobs Act. The legislation was primarily referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, with additional referrals to the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Thank you for agreeing to waive consideration of the bill at the Committee of Veterans' Affairs, to allow it to proceed expeditiously to floor consideration. I agree that by waiving consideration, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs does not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this legislation. Further, I am pleased to support your request to name members of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs to any conference committee that may be established to consider such provisions.
I will place a copy of this letter exchange in the Committee bill report for H.R. 3055, as well as enter them into the Congressional Record during consideration of this legislation on the House floor. Sincerely, Sam Graves, Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. ____ House of Representatives, Committee on Armed Services, Washington DC, September 8, 2025. Hon. Sam Graves, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Graves: I write concerning H.R. 3055, the TRANSPORT Jobs Act. As a result of your having consulted with us on provisions within H.R. 3055 that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Armed Services, I agree to forego any further consideration of this resolution so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor for consideration.
The Committee on Armed Services takes this action with our mutual understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 3055 at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over subject matter contained in this or similar legislation and that our committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as this resolution or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues in our jurisdiction. This legislation contains provisions that may require further modification prior to final consideration to ensure the support of the House Committee on Armed Services.
Finally, I ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included by House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the Congressional Record during floor consideration, to memorialize our understanding. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our respective committees. Sincerely, Michael D. Rogers, Chairman, House Committee on Armed Services. ____ House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Washington, DC, Septmeber 8, 2025. Hon. Michael D. Rogers, Chairman, House Committee on Armed Services, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Rogers: Thank you for your correspondence regarding H.R. 3055, the TRANSPORT Jobs Act, and for your Committee's willingness to forego formal consideration of the legislation in order to allow it to proceed to the House floor in a timely manner.
I appreciate your recognition that the Committee on Armed Services does not waive any future jurisdiction over subject matter contained in this or similar legislation. I also fully affirm our mutual understanding that your Committee will continue to be consulted and appropriately involved as this legislation advances through the legislative process, particularly with respect to provisions falling within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Armed Services.
As requested, I will ensure that a copy of our exchange of letters is included in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of H.R. 3055, to reflect our understanding and ongoing collaboration. I am grateful for the cooperative working relationship between our committees and look forward to continuing our productive engagement on this and other matters of shared interest. Sincerely, Sam Graves, Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Ms. Scholten, for introducing this legislation with me in support of our Nation's servicemen and -women.
I was glad the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure favorably reported this measure and look forward to the House passing this legislation.
H.R. 3055 is one small step that we can take to ensure we provide our servicemembers with the resources they need as they transition back to the civilian workforce, many of whom have never worked in the civilian workforce before joining the military.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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