I 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4057 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs to develop a comprehensive policy to improve outreach and transparency to veterans and members of the Armed Forces through the 

provision of information on institutions of higher learning, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 16, 2012 

Mr. BILIRAKIS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop a comprehensive 

policy to improve outreach and transparency to veterans 

and members of the Armed Forces through the provision 

of information on institutions of higher learning, 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. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving Trans5 parency of Education Opportunities for Veterans Act of 

6 2012’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. COMPREHENSIVE POLICY ON PROVIDING EDU2 CATION INFORMATION TO VETERANS. 

3 (a) COMPREHENSIVE POLICY REQUIRED.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 36 of title 38, 

5 United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

6 end the following new section: 

7 ‘‘§ 3698. Comprehensive policy on providing edu8 cation information to veterans 

9 ‘‘(a) COMPREHENSIVE POLICY REQUIRED.—The Sec10 retary shall develop a comprehensive policy to improve out11 reach and transparency to veterans and members of the 

12 Armed Forces through the provision of information on in13 stitutions of higher learning. 

14 ‘‘(b) SCOPE.—In developing the policy required by 

15 subsection (a), the Secretary shall include each of the fol16 lowing elements: 

17 ‘‘(1) The most effective way to inform individ18 uals of the educational and vocational counseling 

19 provided under section 3697A of this title. 

20 ‘‘(2) A centralized way to track and publish 

21 feedback from students and State approving agen22 cies regarding the quality of instruction and accredi23 tation, recruiting practices, and post-graduation em24 ployment placement of institutions of higher learn25 ing. 


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1 ‘‘(3) The merit of and the manner in which a 

2 State approving agency shares with an accrediting 

3 agency recognized by the Department of Education 

4 information regarding the State approving agency’s 

5 evaluation of an institution of higher learning. 

6 ‘‘(4) The manner in which information regard7 ing institutions of higher learning is provided to in8 dividuals participating in the Transition Assistance 

9 Program under section 1144 of title 10. 

10 ‘‘(5) The most effective way to provide veterans 

11 and members of the Armed Forces with information 

12 regarding postsecondary education and training op13 portunities available to the veteran or member. 

14 ‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

15 ‘‘(1) The term ‘institution of higher learning’ 

16 has the meaning given that term in section 3452(f) 

17 of this title. 

18 ‘‘(2) The term ‘postsecondary education and 

19 training opportunities’ means any postsecondary 

20 program of education, including apprenticeships and 

21 on-job training, for which the Secretary of Veterans 

22 Affairs provides assistance to a veteran or member 

23 of the Armed Forces.’’. 

24 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec25 tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 


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1 by adding after the item relating to section 3697A 

2 the following new item: 

‘‘3698. Comprehensive policy on providing education information to veterans.’’. 

3 (b) SURVEY.—In developing the policy required by 

4 section 3698(a) of title 38, United States Code, as added 

5 by subsection (a), the Secretary shall conduct a market 

6 survey to determine the availability of the following: 

7 (1) A commercially available off-the-shelf online 

8 tool that allows a veteran or member of the Armed 

9 Forces to assess whether the veteran or member is 

10 academically ready to engage in postsecondary edu11 cation and training opportunities and whether the 

12 veteran or member would need any remedial prepa13 ration before beginning such opportunities. 

14 (2) A commercially available off-the-shelf online 

15 tool that provides a veteran or member of the Armed 

16 Forces with a list of providers of postsecondary edu17 cation and training opportunities based on criteria 

18 selected by the veteran or member. 

19 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 

20 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 

21 to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 

22 Representatives and the Senate a report that includes— 

23 (1) a description of the policy developed by the 

24 Secretary under section 3698(a) of title 38, United 

25 States Code, as added by subsection (a); 


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1 (2) a plan of the Secretary to implement such 

2 policy; and 

3 (3) the results of the survey conducted under 

4 subsection (b), including whether the Secretary 

5 plans to implement the tools described in such sub6 section. 

7 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

8 (1) The term ‘‘commercially available off-the9 shelf’’ has the meaning given that term in section 

10 104 of title 41, United States Code. 

11 (2) The term ‘‘postsecondary education and 

12 training opportunities’’ means any postsecondary 

13 program of education, including apprenticeships and 

14 on-job training, for which the Secretary of Veterans 

15 Affairs provides assistance to a veteran or member 

16 of the Armed Forces. 

Æ 


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