II 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 656 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to revise the rules for approval 

by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of commercial driver education 

programs for purposes of veterans educational assistance, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 6, 2023 

Mrs. FISCHER (for herself and Mr. PADILLA) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to revise the rules 

for approval by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of 

commercial driver education programs for purposes of 

veterans educational assistance, 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 ‘‘Veteran Improvement 

5 Commercial Driver License Act of 2023’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF RULES FOR APPROVAL OF COM2 MERCIAL DRIVER EDUCATION PROGRAMS 

3 FOR PURPOSES OF VETERANS EDUCATIONAL 

4 ASSISTANCE. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3680A(e) of title 38, 

6 United States Code, is amended— 

7 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through 

8 (3) as subparagraphs (A) though (C), respectively; 

9 (2) in the matter before subparagraph (A), as 

10 redesignated by paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ 

11 before ‘‘The Secretary’’; 

12 (3) in paragraph (1)(B), as redesignated by 

13 paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘except as provided in 

14 paragraph (2),’’ before ‘‘the course’’; and 

15 (4) by adding at the end the following new 

16 paragraph (2): 

17 ‘‘(2)(A) Subject to this paragraph, a commercial driv18 er education program is exempt from paragraph (1)(B) 

19 for a branch of an educational institution if the commer20 cial driver education program offered at the branch by the 

21 educational institution— 

22 ‘‘(i) is appropriately licensed; and 

23 ‘‘(ii) uses the same curriculum as a commercial 

24 driver education program offered by the educational 

25 institution at another location that is approved for 

26 purposes of this chapter by a State approving agenVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:46 Mar 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S656.IS S656

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1 cy or the Secretary when acting in the role of a 

2 State approving agency. 

3 ‘‘(B)(i) In order for a commercial driver education 

4 program of an educational institution offered at a branch 

5 described in paragraph (1)(B) to be exempt under sub6 paragraph (A) of this paragraph, the educational institu7 tion shall submit to the Secretary each year that para8 graph (1)(B) would otherwise apply a report that dem9 onstrates that the curriculum at the new branch is the 

10 same as the curriculum at the primary location. 

11 ‘‘(ii) Reporting under clause (i) shall be submitted 

12 in accordance with such requirements as the Secretary 

13 shall establish in consultation with the State approving 

14 agencies. 

15 ‘‘(C)(i) The Secretary may withhold an exemption 

16 under subparagraph (A) for any educational institution or 

17 branch of an educational institution as the Secretary con18 siders appropriate. 

19 ‘‘(ii) In making any determination under clause (i), 

20 the Secretary may consult with the Secretary of Transpor21 tation on the performance of a provider of a commercial 

22 driver program, including the status of the provider within 

23 the Training Provider Registry of the Federal Motor Car24 rier Safety Administration when appropriate.’’. 

25 (b) IMPLEMENTATION.— 


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1 (1) ESTABLISHMENT OF REQUIREMENTS.—Not 

2 later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 

3 of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 

4 establish requirements under section 

5 3680A(e)(2)(B)(ii) of such title, as added by sub6 section (a). 

7 (2) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made 

8 by subsection (a) shall apply to commercial driver 

9 education programs on and after the date that is 

10 180 days after the date on which the Secretary es11 tablishes the requirements under paragraph (1) of 

12 this subsection. 

Æ 


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