(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretaries of the mili-
tary departments, in coordination with the Under 
Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, 
shall, to the maximum extent practicable, make in-
formation on civilian credentialing opportunities 
available to members of the Armed Forces beginning 
with, and at every stage of, training of members for 
military occupational specialties, in order to permit 
members— 
(A) to evaluate the extent to which such 
training correlates with the skills and training 
required in connection with various civilian cer-
tifications and licenses; and 
(B) to assess the suitability of such train-
ing for obtaining or pursuing such civilian cer-
tifications and licenses. 
(2) COORDINATION
WITH
TRANSITION
GOALS 
PLANS
SUCCESS
PROGRAM.—Information shall be 
made available under paragraph (1) in a manner 
consistent with the Transition Goals Plans Success 
(GPS) program. 
(3) TYPES OF INFORMATION.—The information 
made available under paragraph (1) shall include, 
but not be limited to, the following: 
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(A) Information on the civilian occupa-
tional equivalents of military occupational spe-
cialties (MOS). 
(B) Information on civilian license or cer-
tification requirements, including examination 
requirements. 
(C) Information on the availability and op-
portunities for use of educational benefits avail-
able to members of the Armed Forces, as ap-
propriate, corresponding training, or continuing 
education that leads to a certification exam in 
order to provide a pathway to credentialing op-
portunities. 
(4) USE AND ADAPTATION OF CERTAIN PRO-
GRAMS.—In making information available under 
paragraph (1), the Secretaries of the military de-
partments may use and adapt appropriate portions 
of the Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (COOL) 
programs of the Army and the Navy and the 
Credentialing 
and 
Educational 
Research 
Tool 
(CERT) of the Air Force. 
(b) IMPROVEMENT OF ACCESS OF ACCREDITED CI-
VILIAN CREDENTIALING AGENCIES TO MILITARY TRAIN-
ING CONTENT.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretaries of the mili-
tary departments, in coordination with the Under 
Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, 
shall, to the maximum extent practicable consistent 
with national security requirements, make available 
to accredited civilian credentialing agencies that 
issue certifications or licenses, upon request of such 
agencies, information such as military course train-
ing curricula, syllabi, and materials, levels of mili-
tary advancement attained, and professional skills 
developed. 
(2) CENTRAL REPOSITORY.—The actions taken 
pursuant to paragraph (1) may include the estab-
lishment of a central repository of information on 
training and training materials provided members in 
connection with military occupational specialties that 
is 
readily 
accessible 
by 
accredited 
civilian 
credentialing agencies described in that paragraph in 
order to meet requests described in that paragraph. 
SEC. 4. USE OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR COURSES 
IN PURSUIT OF CIVILIAN CERTIFICATIONS 
OR LICENSES. 
(a) COURSES UNDER DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE AUTHORITIES.— 
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(1) IN
GENERAL.—Chapter 101 of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting after 
section 2015 the following new section: 
‘‘§ 2015a. Civilian certifications and licenses: use of 
educational assistance for courses in pur-
suit of civilian certifications or licenses 
‘‘(a) LIMITATION ON USE OF ASSISTANCE.—In the 
case of a member of the armed forces who is enrolled in 
an educational institution in a State for purposes of ob-
taining employment in an occupation or profession requir-
ing the approval or licensure of a board or agency of that 
State, educational assistance specified in subsection (b) 
may be used by the member for a course offered by the 
educational institution that is a required element of the 
curriculum to be satisfied to obtain employment in that 
occupation or profession only if— 
‘‘(1) the successful completion of the cur-
riculum fully qualifies a student to— 
‘‘(A) take any examination required for 
entry into the occupation or profession, includ-
ing satisfying any State or professionally man-
dated programmatic and specialized accredita-
tion requirements; and 
‘‘(B) be certified or licensed or meet any 
other academically related pre-conditions that 
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are required for entry into the occupation or 
profession; and 
‘‘(2) in the case of State licensing or profes-
sionally mandated requirements for entry into the 
occupation or profession that require specialized ac-
creditation, the curriculum meets the requirement 
for specialized accreditation through its accreditation 
or pre-accreditation by an accrediting agency or as-
sociation recognized by the Secretary of Education 
or designated by that State as a reliable authority 
as to the quality or training offered by the institu-
tion in that program. 
‘‘(b) COVERED EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE.—The 
educational assistance specified in this subsection is edu-
cational assistance as follows: 
‘‘(1) Educational assistance for members of the 
armed forces under section 2007 and 2015 of this 
title. 
‘‘(2) Educational assistance for persons enlist-
ing for active duty under chapter 106A of this title. 
‘‘(3) Educational assistance for members of the 
armed forces held as captives under section 2183 of 
this title. 
‘‘(4) Educational assistance for members of the 
Selected Reserve under chapter 1606 of this title. 
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‘‘(5) Educational assistance for reserve compo-
nent members supporting contingency operations 
and other operations under chapter 1607 of this 
title. 
‘‘(6) Such other educational assistance provided 
members of the armed forces under the laws admin-
istered by the Secretary of Defense or the Secre-
taries of the military departments as the Secretary 
of Defense shall designate for purposes of this sec-
tion.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of chapter 101 of such title 
is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 2015 the following new item: 
‘‘2015a. Civilian certifications and licenses: use of educational assistance for 
courses in pursuit of civilian certifications or licenses.’’. 
(b) COURSES UNDER EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE 
AUTHORITIES ADMINISTERED BY SECRETARY OF VET-
ERANS AFFAIRS.—Section 3679 of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection: 
‘‘(c) A course offered by an educational institution 
in a State that is a required element of the curriculum 
to be satisfied to obtain employment in an occupation or 
profession requiring the approval or licensure of a board 
or agency of that State may be treated as approved for 
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apply with respect to courses pursued on or after that 
date. 
SEC. 5. COVERAGE OF MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIAL-
TIES RELATING TO MILITARY INFORMATION 
TECHNOLOGY UNDER PILOT PROGRAM ON 
RECEIPT OF CIVILIAN CREDENTIALS FOR 
SKILLS REQUIRED FOR MILITARY OCCUPA-
TIONAL SPECIALTIES. 
The military occupational specialties designated for 
purposes of the pilot program on receipt of civilian creden-
tials for skills required for military occupational specialties 
under section 558 of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (10 U.S.C. 2015 note) shall in-
clude military occupational specialties relating to the mili-
tary information technology workforce. 
SEC. 6. REVIVAL OF PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION AND 
LICENSURE ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF THE 
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall reestablish the Professional Certification and Licen-
sure Advisory Committee of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs provided for under section 3689(e) of title 38, 
United States Code. The Committee shall be reestablished 
in accordance with the provisions of such section 3689(e), 
as amended by subsection (b), and shall carry out its du-
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ties in conformance with, and subject to the requirements 
of such section, as so amended. 
(b) MODIFICATION OF AUTHORITIES AND REQUIRE-
MENTS.—Section 3689(e) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ after ‘‘(2)’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
‘‘(B) In addition to the duties under subparagraph 
(A), the Committee shall— 
‘‘(i) develop, in coordination with other appro-
priate agencies, guidance to be used by the Depart-
ment or other entities to perform periodic audits of 
licensure and certification programs to ensure the 
highest quality education is available to veterans and 
members of the Armed Forces; and 
‘‘(ii) develop, in coordination with the Depart-
ment of Defense, appropriate certification agencies, 
and other appropriate non-profit organizations, a 
plan to improve outreach to veterans and members 
of the Armed Forces on the importance of licensing 
and certification, as well as educational benefits 
available to them.’’; 
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(2) in paragraph (3)(B), by striking ‘‘and the 
Secretary of Defense’’ and inserting ‘‘the Secretary 
of Defense, and the Secretary of Education’’; 
(3) in paragraph (4), by striking subparagraph 
(B) and inserting the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(B) The Committee shall meet with such frequency 
as the Committee determines appropriate.’’; and 
(4) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘December 
31, 2006’’ and inserting ‘‘December 31, 2019’’. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the reestablishment of the Professional Certification 
and Licensure Advisory Committee of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs pursuant to this section, the Committee 
shall submit to Congress a report setting forth an assess-
ment of the feasibility and advisability of permitting mem-
bers of the Armed Forces to use educational assistance 
to which they are entitled under chapters 30 and 33 of 
title 38, United States Code, to obtain or pursue civilian 
employment certifications or licenses without the use of 
such assistance for that purpose being charged against the 
entitlement of such members to such educational assist-
ance. 
Æ 
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