I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2551 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that veterans may attend 

pre-apprenticeship programs using certain educational assistance provided 

by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 21, 2015 

Ms. MCSALLY (for herself, Ms. GABBARD, Mrs. WAGNER, Mr. JONES, Mr. 

ROHRABACHER, Mr. WALBERG, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. WESTMORELAND, Mr. 

PETERS, Mrs. LOVE, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. YOHO, Mr. BLUM, Mr. 

NUGENT, Mr. BOST, Mr. WALZ, Mr. BABIN, Mr. GIBSON, Mr. ABRAHAM, 

Mrs. BLACK, Mr. ZINKE, Mr. HILL, Mr. SMITH of Missouri, Ms. 

FRANKEL of Florida, Mr. KATKO, Mr. GOSAR, Ms. STEFANIK, Mr. 

THOMPSON of California, Mr. SERRANO, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, 

and Mr. HURD of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that veterans may attend pre-apprenticeship programs using certain educational assistance provided by the Secretary 

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 ‘‘Veterans’ Entry to 

5 Apprenticeship Act’’. 

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1 SEC. 2. PROGRAMS OF PRE-APPRENTICESHIP. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 36 of title 38, United 

3 States Code, is amended by adding after section 3687 the 

4 following new section: 

5 ‘‘§ 3687A. Programs of pre-apprenticeship 

6 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), and 

7 except as provided by subsection (c), the Secretary shall 

8 treat a pre-apprenticeship program as a program of ap9 prenticeship for purposes of providing educational assist10 ance. 

11 ‘‘(b) APPROVAL OF PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PRO12 GRAM.—A pre-apprenticeship program may be covered 

13 under subsection (a)— 

14 ‘‘(1) if the program is recognized under or com15 pliant with any standards for a postsecondary pre16 apprenticeship program required by the State in 

17 which the program is located; or 

18 ‘‘(2) in the case of a program for which a State 

19 does not require any such standards, if— 

20 ‘‘(A) the curriculum of the program is ap21 proved by a sponsor and the sponsor certifies to 

22 the Secretary that the program will prepare an 

23 individual with skills and competencies needed 

24 to enroll in a registered apprenticeship pro25 gram; and 

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1 ‘‘(B) the program maintains conduct and 

2 attendance policies in accordance with a spon3 sor. 

4 ‘‘(c) BENEFITS.—The educational assistance received 

5 by a covered individual enrolled in a pre-apprenticeship 

6 program under subsection (a) shall be equal to the amount 

7 and kind of such assistance received by the individual if 

8 the individual were enrolled in a program of apprentice9 ship, except that if the individual is not paid as part of 

10 such program, each monthly allowance for housing payable 

11 to the individual under such assistance shall be an amount 

12 equal to the monthly amount of the basic allowance for 

13 housing payable under section 403 of title 37 for a mem14 ber with dependents in pay grade E–5 residing in the mili15 tary housing area that encompasses all or the majority 

16 portion of the ZIP code area in which is located the pre17 apprenticeship program. 

18 ‘‘(d) CHARGE TO ENTITLEMENT.—The entitlement 

19 of a covered individual pursuing a pre-apprenticeship pro20 gram under subsection (a) shall be charged at a rate equal 

21 to the rate charged if the program were a program of ap22 prenticeship. 

23 ‘‘(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

24 ‘‘(1) The term ‘covered individual’ means an in25 dividual who is— 

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1 ‘‘(A) entitled to educational assistance; and 

2 ‘‘(B) seeking to use such assistance for a 

3 program of apprenticeship. 

4 ‘‘(2) The term ‘educational assistance’ means 

5 educational assistance provided under chapter 30, 

6 32, 33, 34, or 35 of this title or chapter 1606 of 

7 title 10. 

8 ‘‘(3) The term ‘pre-apprenticeship program’ 

9 means a program or set of objectives— 

10 ‘‘(A) designed to prepare individuals to 

11 enter and succeed in a registered apprenticeship 

12 program; and 

13 ‘‘(B) that has a documented partnership 

14 with at least one sponsor. 

15 ‘‘(4) The term ‘registered apprenticeship pro16 gram’ means an apprenticeship program registered 

17 with the Office of Apprenticeship of the Employment 

18 Training Administration of the Department of 

19 Labor or a State apprenticeship agency recognized 

20 by the Office of Apprenticeship pursuant to the Act 

21 of August 16, 1937 (popularly known as the ‘Na22 tional Apprenticeship Act’; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.). 

23 ‘‘(5) The term ‘sponsor’, with respect to a pre24 apprenticeship program, means an entity that formstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

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1 mally supports the pre-apprenticeship program, in2 cluding— 

3 ‘‘(A) a registered apprenticeship program; 

4 ‘‘(B) a department or agency of a State or 

5 local government; 

6 ‘‘(C) an institution of higher learning; or 

7 ‘‘(D) any other public, private, or nonprofit 

8 entity that the Secretary determines to be a 

9 sponsor for purposes of this section.’’. 

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

11 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 

12 after the item relating to section 3687 the following new 

13 item; 

‘‘3687A. Programs of pre-apprenticeship.’’. 

14 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Section 3687A of title 38, 

15 United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall 

16 apply with respect to an individual who enrolls in a pro17 gram of pre-apprenticeship described in such section be18 ginning on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 

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