I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2297

To amend title 38, United States Code, to modify and improve certain 

benefits for veterans, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 2, 2003

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. EVANS, Mr. BROWN of South 

Carolina, and Mr. MICHAUD) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to modify and 

improve certain benefits for veterans, and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. EXPANSION OF MONTGOMERY GI BILL EDU4 CATION BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN SELF-EM5 PLOYMENT TRAINING. 

6 (a) SELF-EMPLOYMENT TRAINING.—Subparagraph 

7 (B) of section 3002(3) of title 38, United States Code, 

8 is amended—

9 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of clause (i); 

10 and 
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1 (2) by adding at the end the following new 

2 clause: 

3 ‘‘(iii) a program of self-employment 

4 on-job training approved as provided in 

5 section 3677(d) of this title; and’’. 

6 (b) PROGRAM APPROVAL.—Section 3677 of such title 

7 is amended—

8 (1) in subsections (a) and (c), by inserting 

9 ‘‘self-employment on-job training or’’ after ‘‘(other 

10 than a program of’’; 

11 (2) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting ‘‘described 

12 in subsection (a)’’ after ‘‘offering training’’; and 

13 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub14 section: 

15 ‘‘(d)(1) Any State approving agency may approve a 

16 program of self-employment on-job training for purposes 

17 of chapter 30 of this title only when the agency finds that 

18 the training is generally recognized as needed or accepted 

19 for purposes of obtaining licensure to engage in a self20 employment occupation or is required for ownership and 

21 operation of a franchise that is the objective of the train22 ing. 

23 ‘‘(2) The training entity offering the training for 

24 which approval is sought under this chapter must submit 

25 to the State approving agency a written application for 
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1 approval, in such form and with such content as the Sec2 retary may specify, including such information as is re3 quired by the State approving agency. 

4 ‘‘(3) As a condition for approving a program of self5 employment on-job training, the State approving agency 

6 must find that the following criteria are met: 

7 ‘‘(A) The training content is adequate to qual8 ify the eligible individual for the self-employment oc9 cupation that is the objective of the training. 

10 ‘‘(B) The training consists of full-time training 

11 for a period of less than six months. 

12 ‘‘(C) The length of the training period is not 

13 longer than that customarily required to obtain the 

14 knowledge, skills, and experience needed to success15 fully engage in the particular self-employment occu16 pation that is the objective of the training. 

17 ‘‘(D) The training entity has adequate instruc18 tional space, equipment, materials, and personnel to 

19 provide satisfactory training on the job. 

20 ‘‘(E) The training entity maintains adequate 

21 records of each trainee’s progress toward the self22 employment objective and, at the successful comple23 tion of the training, issues a license, certificate, or 

24 other document recording the individual’s successful 

25 completion of the training program. 
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1 ‘‘(F) The training entity and the self-employ2 ment on-job training program meet such other cri3 teria as the Secretary may prescribe and as the 

4 State approving agency, with the approval of the 

5 Secretary, may establish.’’. 

6 (c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Paragraph (2) of 

7 section 3687(a) of such title is amended by inserting ‘‘sub8 sections (a), (b), and (c) of’’ before ‘‘section 3677’’. 

9 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

10 this section shall take effect on the date that is 6 months 

11 after the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall apply 

12 to self-employment on-job training approved and pursued 

13 on or after that date.

14 SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF VETERANS’ ADVISORY COMMITTEE 

15 ON EDUCATION. 

16 (a) EXTENSION.—Subsection (c) of section 3692 of 

17 title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘De18 cember 31, 2003’’ and inserting ‘‘December 31, 2009’’. 

19 (b) MODIFICATION OF MEMBERSHIP REQUIRE20 MENTS.—The second sentence of subsection (a) of such 

21 section is amended by striking ‘‘World War II, the Korean 

22 conflict era, the post-Korean conflict era,’’. 

23 (c) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—Such section is fur24 ther amended by striking ‘‘chapter 106’’ each place it ap25 pears and inserting ‘‘chapter 1606’’. 
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1 SEC. 3. REPEAL OF EDUCATION LOAN PROGRAM. 

2 (a) TERMINATION OF PROGRAM.—No loans shall be 

3 made under subchapter III of chapter 36 of title 38, 

4 United States Code, after the date of the enactment of 

5 this Act, and such subchapter shall be repealed 90 days 

6 after such date of enactment. 

7 (b) CLOSING OF LOAN FUND.—All monies in the re8 volving fund established in the Treasury of the United 

9 States of America known as the ‘‘Department of Veterans 

10 Affairs Education Loan Fund’’ (the ‘‘Fund’’) on the day 

11 before the date of repeal of such subchapter III shall be 

12 transferred to the Department of Veterans Affairs Read13 justment Benefits Account, and the Fund shall be closed. 

14 (c) DISCHARGE OF LIABILITY.—The liability on any 

15 education loan debt outstanding under such subchapter 

16 III shall be discharged, and any overpayments declared 

17 under section 3698(e)(1) of that subchapter shall be 

18 waived without further process on the date funds are 

19 transferred as referred to in subsection (b) of this section. 

20 (d) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—On the date of repeal 

21 of such subchapter III, as provided herein, the table of 

22 sections at the beginning of chapter 36 shall be amended 

23 by striking the items relating to subchapter III. 

24 (e) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—(1) Section 

25 3462(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 

26 striking paragraph (2). 
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1 (2) Section 3485(e)(1) of such title is amended by 

2 striking ‘‘(other than an education loan under subchapter 

3 III)’’. 

4 (3) Section 3512 of such title is amended by striking 

5 out subsection (f). 

6 (4) The amendments made by paragraphs (2) and (3) 

7 shall take effect 90 days after the date of the enactment 

8 of this Act. 

9 SEC. 4. PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR STATE CEMETERY 

10 GRANTS. 

11 Paragraph (2) of section 2408(a) of title 38, United 

12 States Code, is amended—

13 (1) by striking ‘‘through fiscal year 2004’’; and 

14 (2) by adding at the end ‘‘Funds appropriated 

15 under the preceding sentence shall remain available 

16 until expended.’’. 

17 SEC. 5. FORFEITURE OF BENEFITS FOR SUBVERSIVE AC18 TIVITIES. 

19 (a) ADDITION OF CERTAIN OFFENSES.—Paragraph 

20 (2) of section 6105(b) of title 38, United States Code, is 

21 amended—

22 (1) by inserting ‘‘175, 229,’’ after ‘‘sections’’; 

23 and 

24 (2) by inserting ‘‘831, 1091, 2332a, 2332b,’’ 

25 after ‘‘798,’’. 
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1 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

2 subsection (a) shall apply to claims filed after the date 

3 of the enactment of this Act. 

4 SEC. 6. EXTENSION OF MAINTENANCE REGIONAL OFFICE 

5 IN THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES. 

6 Section 315(b) of title 38, United States Code, is 

7 amended by striking ‘‘December 31, 2003’’ and inserting 

8 ‘‘December 31, 2005’’.

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