Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act of 2023

Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 656 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 656

To amend title 38, United States Code, to revise the rules for approval 
  by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of commercial driver education 
programs for purposes of veterans educational assistance, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 6, 2023

  Mrs. Fischer (for herself and Mr. Padilla) 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 revise the rules for approval 
  by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of commercial driver education 
programs for purposes of veterans educational assistance, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veteran Improvement Commercial 
Driver License Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF RULES FOR APPROVAL OF COMMERCIAL DRIVER 
              EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR PURPOSES OF VETERANS EDUCATIONAL 
              ASSISTANCE.

    (a) In General.--Section 3680A(e) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (3) as 
        subparagraphs (A) though (C), respectively;
            (2) in the matter before subparagraph (A), as redesignated 
        by paragraph (1), by inserting ``(1)'' before ``The 
        Secretary'';
            (3) in paragraph (1)(B), as redesignated by paragraph (1), 
        by inserting ``except as provided in paragraph (2),'' before 
        ``the course''; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following new paragraph (2):
    ``(2)(A) Subject to this paragraph, a commercial driver education 
program is exempt from paragraph (1)(B) for a branch of an educational 
institution if the commercial driver education program offered at the 
branch by the educational institution--
            ``(i) is appropriately licensed; and
            ``(ii) uses the same curriculum as a commercial driver 
        education program offered by the educational institution at 
        another location that is approved for purposes of this chapter 
        by a State approving agency or the Secretary when acting in the 
        role of a State approving agency.
    ``(B)(i) In order for a commercial driver education program of an 
educational institution offered at a branch described in paragraph 
(1)(B) to be exempt under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, the 
educational institution shall submit to the Secretary each year that 
paragraph (1)(B) would otherwise apply a report that demonstrates that 
the curriculum at the new branch is the same as the curriculum at the 
primary location.
    ``(ii) Reporting under clause (i) shall be submitted in accordance 
with such requirements as the Secretary shall establish in consultation 
with the State approving agencies.
    ``(C)(i) The Secretary may withhold an exemption under subparagraph 
(A) for any educational institution or branch of an educational 
institution as the Secretary considers appropriate.
    ``(ii) In making any determination under clause (i), the Secretary 
may consult with the Secretary of Transportation on the performance of 
a provider of a commercial driver program, including the status of the 
provider within the Training Provider Registry of the Federal Motor 
Carrier Safety Administration when appropriate.''.
    (b) Implementation.--
            (1) Establishment of requirements.--Not later than 180 days 
        after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
        Veterans Affairs shall establish requirements under section 
        3680A(e)(2)(B)(ii) of such title, as added by subsection (a).
            (2) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) 
        shall apply to commercial driver education programs on and 
        after the date that is 180 days after the date on which the 
        Secretary establishes the requirements under paragraph (1) of 
        this subsection.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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