II 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3318 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the use of the phrases 

GI Bill and Post-9/11 GI Bill to give a false impression of approval 

or endorsement by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 20, 2012 

Mrs. BOXER (for herself, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. BEGICH, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mrs. 

MCCASKILL, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. 

LAUTENBERG, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, and Mrs. HAGAN) 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 prohibit the use 

of the phrases GI Bill and Post-9/11 GI Bill to give 

a false impression of approval or endorsement by the 

Department of Veterans Affairs, 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 ‘‘GI Bill Protection Act 

5 of 2012’’. 


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2 

•S 3318 IS

1 SEC. 2. PROHIBITIONS RELATING TO REFERENCES TO GI 

2 BILL AND POST-9/11 GI BILL. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 36 of 

4 title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

5 end the following new section: 

6 ‘‘§ 3697B. Prohibition relating to references to GI Bill 

7 and Post-9/11 GI Bill 

8 ‘‘(a) PROHIBITION.—(1) No person may, except with 

9 the written permission of the Secretary, use the words and 

10 phrases covered by this subsection in connection with any 

11 promotion, goods, services, or commercial activity in a 

12 manner reasonably tending to suggest that such use is ap13 proved, endorsed, or authorized by the Department or any 

14 component thereof. 

15 ‘‘(2) For purposes of this subsection, the words and 

16 phrases covered by this subsection are as follows: 

17 ‘‘(A) ‘GI Bill’. 

18 ‘‘(B) ‘Post-9/11 GI Bill’. 

19 ‘‘(3) Any determination of whether the use of one or 

20 more words and phrases covered by this subsection in con21 nection with an any promotion, goods, services, or com22 mercial activity is a violation of this subsection shall be 

23 made without regard to any inclusion in such promotion, 

24 goods, services, or commercial activity of a disclaimer of 

25 affiliation with the Department or any component thereof. 


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•S 3318 IS

1 ‘‘(b) ENFORCEMENT BY ATTORNEY GENERAL.—(1) 

2 Whenever it appears to the Attorney General of the United 

3 States that any person is engaged or is about to engage 

4 in an act or practice which constitutes or will constitute 

5 conduct prohibited by subsection (a), the Attorney General 

6 may initiate a civil proceeding in a district court of the 

7 United States to enjoin such act or practice. 

8 ‘‘(2) Such court may, at any time before final deter9 mination, enter such restraining orders or prohibitions, or 

10 take such other action as is warranted, to prevent injury 

11 to the United States or to any person or class of persons 

12 for whose protection the action is brought.’’. 

13 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

14 at the beginning of chapter 36 of such title is amended 

15 by inserting after the item relating to section 3697A the 

16 following new item: 

‘‘3697B. Prohibition relating to references to GI Bill and Post-9/11 GI Bill.’’. 

Æ 


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