I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3056 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program 

on the provision of outreach and support services to veterans pursuing 

higher education under the Post 9/11 Educational Assistance Program 

of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 2, 2013 

Mr. TAKANO (for himself and Ms. BROWNLEY of California) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 

a pilot program on the provision of outreach and support 

services to veterans pursuing higher education under the 

Post 9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

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 ‘‘Warriors’ Peer-Out5 reach Pilot Program Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON THE PROVISION OF OUTREACH 

2 AND SUPPORT SERVICES TO VETERANS PUR3 SUING HIGHER EDUCATION UNDER THE 

4 POST 9/11 EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PRO5 GRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 

6 AFFAIRS. 

7 (a) PILOT PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Veterans Af8 fairs shall carry out a three-year pilot program to provide 

9 outreach and support services at institutions of higher 

10 learning (as that term is defined in section 3452(f) of title 

11 38, United States Code) that are designed to promote im12 proved higher-education outcomes and the successful use 

13 of needed services for veterans using their entitlement to 

14 educational assistance under chapter 33 of title 38, United 

15 States Code, to pursue a program of education leading to 

16 a degree at the institution of higher learning. 

17 (b) SELECTION OF INSTITUTIONS.— 

18 (1) TYPES OF INSTITUTIONS.—The Secretary 

19 shall select three institutions of higher learning at 

20 which the Secretary shall carry out the pilot pro21 gram under this section, as follows: 

22 (A) One four-year public university. 

23 (B) One community college. 

24 (C) One private, not-for-profit college. 


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1 (2) OTHER REQUIREMENTS.—To be eligible to 

2 participate in the pilot program under this section, 

3 an institution shall— 

4 (A) provide office space, the capability for 

5 veterans described in subsection (c)(1) to use 

6 information technology equipment, and appro7 priate information-technology support services 

8 for the individual who will provide peer-out9 reach and peer-support services at such institu10 tion; and 

11 (B) cooperate with the Secretary in pro12 viding such data as the Secretary may require 

13 to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot pro14 gram, as described in subsection (c)(3). 

15 (3) PRIORITY FOR SELECTION.—In selecting in16 stitutions of higher learning for purposes of the pilot 

17 program under this section, the Secretary shall give 

18 priority to— 

19 (A) institutions of higher learning with ex20 isting peer outreach programs for veteran stu21 dents; and 

22 (B) institutions of higher learning located 

23 in States with large student veteran popu24 lations, as determined by the Secretary. 


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1 (c) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the 

2 pilot program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— 

3 (1) Provide peer-outreach and peer-support 

4 services to veterans of Operation Enduring Free5 dom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New 

6 Dawn who are students at an institution where the 

7 Secretary carries out the pilot program, with par8 ticular emphasis on assisting individuals who may 

9 have, or may be having, difficulty in adjusting to 

10 such institution, or who may need services or sup11 ports that such institution is not equipped to pro12 vide, by employing veterans— 

13 (A) who— 

14 (i) are using their entitlement to edu15 cational assistance under chapter 33 of 

16 title 38, United States Code, to pursue a 

17 program of education leading to a degree 

18 at the institution of higher learning; or 

19 (ii) have used their entitlement to 

20 educational assistance under such chapter 

21 to complete a program of education and 

22 graduate from such an institution during 

23 the 18-month period preceding the date on 

24 which the veteran is hired to perform serv25 ices under the pilot program; and 


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1 (B) who have served on active duty in a 

2 theater of combat operations (with special con3 sideration given to veterans who have recovered 

4 or are recovering from a mental health condi5 tion). 

6 (2) Provide for training veterans employed as 

7 described in paragraph (1). 

8 (3) Develop requirements and measures for as9 sessing the impact and effectiveness of the services 

10 provided under the pilot program, including— 

11 (A) developing and disseminating an online 

12 survey instrument (designed to establish base13 line data, including data on need for services) 

14 to veterans attending the institutions of higher 

15 education described in paragraph (1) of this 

16 subsection; 

17 (B) developing and disseminating (not ear18 lier than 18 months after the start of the pilot 

19 program) a follow-up online survey instrument 

20 (designed to gather data, including data to as21 sess engagement with peer-support, experience 

22 accessing services, and adjustment to higher 

23 education) other on the possible impact of the 

24 program); and 

25 (C) tabulating— 


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1 (i) the number of veterans who meet 

2 on an individual basis with such peer; 

3 (ii) the number of referrals such indi4 vidual makes; and 

5 (iii) the outcome of such referrals. 

6 (d) DURATION.— The authority of the Secretary to 

7 provide services under the pilot program under this section 

8 shall terminate on the later of the following dates: 

9 (1) The date that is three years after the date 

10 of the commencement of the pilot program. 

11 (2) The date of the last day of the academic 

12 year that ends not more than 180 days after the 

13 date that is three years after the date of the com14 mencement of the pilot program. 

15 (e) REPORT.—Not later than nine months after the 

16 completion of the pilot program under this section, the 

17 Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Af18 fairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives a 

19 report on the pilot program. The report shall include the 

20 following: 

21 (1) A description of the implementation and op22 eration of the program. 

23 (2) An evaluation of effectiveness of then peer24 outreach services provided under the program in— 


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1 (A) reducing the prevalence of veterans 

2 failing to continue higher education pursuits 

3 using their entitlement to educational assistance 

4 under chapter 33 of title 38, United States 

5 Code; 

6 (B) improving other outcomes related to 

7 higher education for veterans using such enti8 tlement; and 

9 (C) the use by such veterans of needed be10 havioral health and other services. 

11 (3) An analysis of the costs and benefits of the 

12 program. 

13 (4) The Secretary’s recommendations, if any, 

14 regarding an extension or expansion of the program. 

Æ 


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