IIB 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4830 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 22, 2018 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

AN ACT 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the 

disapproval of any course of education for purposes of 

the educational assistance programs of the Department 

of Veterans Affairs unless the educational institution providing the course permits individuals to attend or participate in courses pending payment by Department, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Servicemembers Im3 proved Transition through Reforms for Ensuring Progress 

4 Act’’ or the ‘‘SIT-REP Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. DISAPPROVAL FOR PURPOSES OF EDUCATIONAL 

6 ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS OF DEPARTMENT OF 

7 VETERANS AFFAIRS OF CERTAIN COURSES 

8 OF EDUCATION THAT DO NOT PERMIT INDI9 VIDUALS TO ATTEND OR PARTICIPATE IN 

10 COURSES PENDING PAYMENT. 

11 Section 3679 of title 38, United States Code, is 

12 amended by adding at the end the following new sub13 section: 

14 ‘‘(e)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this 

15 chapter, beginning on August 1, 2018, a State approving 

16 agency, or the Secretary when acting in the role of the 

17 State approving agency, shall disapprove a course of edu18 cation provided by an educational institution unless the 

19 educational institution has adopted the following policies: 

20 ‘‘(A) A policy that permits any covered indi21 vidual to attend or participate in the course of edu22 cation during the period beginning on the date on 

23 which the individual provides to the educational in24 stitution a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to 

25 educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 of 


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HR 4830 RFS 

1 this title and ending on the earlier of the following 

2 dates: 

3 ‘‘(i) The date on which the Secretary pro4 vides payment for such course of education to 

5 such institution. 

6 ‘‘(ii) The date that is 90 days after the 

7 date on which the individual provides to the 

8 educational institution such certificate of eligi9 bility. 

10 ‘‘(B) A policy that ensures that the educational 

11 institution will not impose any penalty, including the 

12 assessment of late fees, the denial of access to class13 es, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the 

14 requirement that a covered individual borrow addi15 tional funds, on any covered individual because of 

16 the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial 

17 obligations to the institution as a result of the de18 layed disbursement of any payment to be provided 

19 by the Secretary. 

20 ‘‘(2) For purposes of this subsection, a covered indi21 vidual is any individual who is entitled to educational as22 sistance under chapter 31 or 33 of this title. 

23 ‘‘(3) The Secretary may waive such requirements of 

24 paragraph (1) as the Secretary considers appropriate.’’. 


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1 SEC. 3. CLARIFICATION REGARDING APPLICABILITY OF AU2 THORITY TO USE EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE 

3 TO PURSUE INDEPENDENT STUDY PRO4 GRAMS AT CERTAIN EDUCATIONAL INSTITU5 TIONS THAT ARE NOT INSTITUTIONS OF 

6 HIGHER LEARNING. 

7 The section heading for section 302 of the Harry W. 

8 Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 

9 (Public Law 115–48) is amended to read as follows (and 

10 the table of contents for such Act is conformed accord11 ingly): 

12 ‘‘SEC. 302. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF EDUCATIONAL AS13 SISTANCE UNDER ANY OF THE EDUCATIONAL 

14 ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS OF THE DEPART15 MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO PURSUE 

16 INDEPENDENT STUDY PROGRAMS AT CER17 TAIN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE 

18 NOT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING.’’. 

Passed the House of Representatives May 21, 2018. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


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