((a)) ** .—** Subject to approval by the Secretary, a State shall employ such full- and part-time local veterans’ employment representatives as the State determines appropriate and efficient to carry out employment, training, and placement services under this chapter.

((b)) ** .—** As principal duties, local veterans’ employment representatives shall—

((1)) conduct outreach to employers in the area to assist veterans in gaining employment, including conducting seminars for employers and, in conjunction with employers, conducting job search workshops and establishing job search groups; and

((2)) facilitate employment, training, and placement services furnished to veterans in a State under the applicable State employment service delivery systems.

((c)) ** .—** A State shall, to the maximum extent practicable, employ qualified veterans or eligible persons to carry out the services referred to in subsection (a). Preference shall be accorded in the following order:

((1)) To qualified service-connected disabled veterans.

((2)) If no veteran described in paragraph (1) is available, to qualified eligible veterans.

((3)) If no veteran described in paragraph (1) or (2) is available, then to qualified eligible persons.

((d)) ** .—** A part-time local veterans’ employment representative shall perform the functions of a local veterans’ employment representative under this section on a half-time basis.

((e)) ** .—**

((1)) A full-time local veterans’ employment representative shall perform only duties related to the employment, training, and placement services under this chapter, and shall not perform other non-veteran-related duties that detract from the representative’s ability to perform the representative’s duties related to employment, training, and placement services under this chapter.

((2)) The Secretary shall conduct regular audits to ensure compliance with paragraph (1). If, on the basis of such an audit, the Secretary determines that a State is not in compliance with paragraph (1), the Secretary may reduce the amount of a grant made to the State under .

((f)) ** .—** Each local veterans’ employment representative shall be administratively responsible to the manager of the employment service delivery system and shall provide reports, not less frequently than quarterly, to the manager of such office and to the Director for Veterans’ Employment and Training for the State regarding compliance with Federal law and regulations with respect to special services and priorities for eligible veterans and eligible persons.