I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5174 

To make certain improvements in the laws administered by the Secretary 

of Veterans Affairs relating to educational assistance, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 10, 2016 

Mrs. RADEWAGEN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To make certain improvements in the laws administered by 

the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating to 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 ‘‘Veterans Education 

5 Enhancement Act of 2016’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. CHARGE TO ENTITLEMENT FOR CERTAIN LICEN2 SURE AND CERTIFICATION TESTS AND NA3 TIONAL TESTS UNDER DEPARTMENT OF VET4 ERANS AFFAIRS POST-9/11 EDUCATIONAL AS5 SISTANCE PROGRAM. 

6 (a) LICENSURE AND CERTIFICATION TESTS.—Sec7 tion 3315(c) of title 38, United States Code, is amended 

8 by striking ‘‘shall be determined’’ and all that follows and 

9 inserting ‘‘shall be pro-rated based on the actual amount 

10 of the fee charged for the test’’. 

11 (b) NATIONAL TESTS.—Section 3315A of such title 

12 is amended— 

13 (1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the 

14 following new paragraph: 

15 ‘‘(3) A national test that evaluates prior learn16 ing and knowledge and provides an opportunity for 

17 course credit at an institution of higher learning as 

18 so described.’’; and 

19 (2) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘shall be de20 termined’’ and all that follows and inserting ‘‘shall 

21 be pro-rated based on the actual amount of the fee 

22 charged for the test’’. 

23 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

24 this Act shall apply to a test taken after the date that 

25 is 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 


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1 SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF PERCENTAGE INCREASE IN 

2 RATES PAYABLE UNDER DEPARTMENT OF 

3 VETERANS AFFAIRS EDUCATIONAL ASSIST4 ANCE PROGRAMS. 

5 (a) ALL-VOLUNTEER FORCE.—Section 3015(h)(2) of 

6 title 38, United States Code, is amended— 

7 (1) by striking ‘‘fiscal year 2014’’ and inserting 

8 ‘‘fiscal year 2025’’; and 

9 (2) by striking ‘‘fiscal year 2013’’ and inserting 

10 ‘‘fiscal year 2024’’. 

11 (b) SURVIVORS AND DEPENDENTS.—Section 3564(b) 

12 of such title is amended— 

13 (1) by striking ‘‘fiscal year 2014’’ and inserting 

14 ‘‘fiscal year 2025’’; and 

15 (2) by striking ‘‘fiscal year 2013’’ and inserting 

16 ‘‘fiscal year 2024’’. 

17 SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR VETERANS’ ADVI18 SORY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION. 

19 Section 3692(c) of such title is amended by striking 

20 ‘‘December 31, 2016’’ and inserting ‘‘December 31, 

21 2021’’. 

22 SEC. 5. TRAINING FOR SCHOOL CERTIFYING OFFICIALS. 

23 (a) TRAINING REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary of 

24 Veterans Affairs shall, in consultation with the State ap25 proving agencies, set forth requirements relating to train26 ing for school certifying officials employed by covered eduVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:21 May 12, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5174.IH H5174

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1 cational institutions offering courses of education ap2 proved under chapter 36 of title 38, United States Code. 

3 If a covered educational institution does not ensure that 

4 a school certifying official employed by the educational in5 stitution meets such requirements, the Secretary may dis6 approve any course of education offered by such edu7 cational institution. 

8 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

9 (1) The term ‘‘covered educational institution’’ 

10 means an educational institution that has enrolled 

11 20 or more individuals using educational assistance 

12 under title 38, United States Code. 

13 (2) The term ‘‘school certifying official’’ means 

14 an employee of an educational institution with pri15 mary responsibility for certifying veteran enrollment 

16 at the educational institution. 

17 (3) The term ‘‘State approving agency’’ means 

18 a department or agency of a State designated under 

19 section 3671 of title 38, United States Code. 

20 SEC. 6. REDUCTION OF AMOUNT OF HOUSING STIPEND 

21 PAYMENTS FOR REDUCTION OF COURSE 

22 HOURS. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (i) of section 3313 of 

24 title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as fol25 lows: 


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1 ‘‘(i) DETERMINATION OF HOUSING STIPEND PAY2 MENTS.— 

3 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Any monthly housing sti4 pend payable under this section during the academic 

5 year beginning on August 1 of a calendar year shall 

6 be determined utilizing rates for basic allowances for 

7 housing payable under section 403 of title 37 in ef8 fect as of January 1 of such calendar year. 

9 ‘‘(2) REDUCTION IN CASES OF DROPPED CLASS10 ES.—In the case of any individual who receives a 

11 monthly housing stipend payable under this section 

12 who reduces the number of course hours borne by 

13 the individual after the beginning of an academic pe14 riod, the Secretary shall reduce the amount of the 

15 monthly housing stipend payable to the individual 

16 accordingly on a pro rata basis. If the Secretary de17 termines that an individual received a monthly hous18 ing stipend at the beginning of a month and that the 

19 individual reduced the number of course hours borne 

20 by the individual such that the individual was not 

21 entitled to the full amount of the payment received 

22 for that month, the Secretary may reduce the 

23 amount payable to the individual for the subsequent 

24 month by an amount equal to the amount of the 

25 overpayment.’’. 


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1 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

2 subsection (a) shall apply with respect to a month that 

3 begins on or after August 1, 2017. 

4 SEC. 7. LIMITATION ON USE OF REPORTING FEES PAYABLE 

5 TO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND JOINT 

6 APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING COMMITTEES. 

7 Section 3684(c) of title 38, United States Code, is 

8 amended to read as follows: 

9 ‘‘(c)(1) The Secretary may pay to any educational in10 stitution, or to the sponsor of a program of apprenticeship, 

11 furnishing education or training under either this chapter 

12 or chapter 31, 34, or 35 of this title, a reporting fee which 

13 will be in lieu of any other compensation or reimbursement 

14 for reports or certifications which such educational institu15 tion or joint apprenticeship training committee is required 

16 to submit to the Secretary by law or regulation. 

17 ‘‘(2) Such reporting fee shall be computed for each 

18 calendar year by multiplying $12 by the number of eligible 

19 veterans or eligible persons enrolled under this chapter or 

20 chapter 31, 34, or 35 of this title, or $15 in the case of 

21 those eligible veterans and eligible persons whose edu22 cational assistance checks are directed in care of each in23 stitution for temporary custody and delivery and are deliv24 ered at the time of registration as provided under section 

25 3680(d)(4) of this title, during the calendar year. The reVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:21 May 12, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5174.IH H5174

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1 porting fee shall be paid to such educational institution 

2 or joint apprenticeship training committee as soon as fea3 sible after the end of the calendar year for which it is 

4 applicable. 

5 ‘‘(3) No reporting fee payable to an educational insti6 tution under this subsection shall be subject to offset by 

7 the Secretary against any liability of such institution for 

8 any overpayment for which such institution may be admin9 istratively determined to be liable under section 3685 of 

10 this title unless such liability is not contested by such in11 stitution or has been upheld by a final decree of a court 

12 of appropriate jurisdiction. 

13 ‘‘(4) Any reporting fee paid to an educational institu14 tion or joint apprenticeship training committee after the 

15 date of the enactment of the Post-9/11 Veterans Edu16 cational Assistance Improvements Act of 2011 (Public 

17 Law 111–377)— 

18 ‘‘(A) shall be utilized by such institution or 

19 committee solely for the making of certifications re20 quired under this chapter or chapter 31, 34, or 35 

21 of this title or for otherwise supporting programs for 

22 veterans; and 

23 ‘‘(B) with respect to an institution that has 75 

24 or more enrollees described in paragraph (2), may 

25 not be used for or merged with amounts available 


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1 for the general fund of the educational institution or 

2 joint apprenticeship training committee. 

3 ‘‘(5) The reporting fee payable under this subsection 

4 shall be paid from amounts appropriated for readjustment 

5 benefits.’’. 

Æ 


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