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 vet-
erans may attend pre-apprenticeship programs using cer-
tain educational assistance provided by the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans’ Entry to 
Apprenticeship Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PROGRAMS OF PRE-APPRENTICESHIP. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 36 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding after section 3687 the 
following new section: 
‘‘§ 3687A. Programs of pre-apprenticeship 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), and 
except as provided by subsection (c), the Secretary shall 
treat a pre-apprenticeship program as a program of ap-
prenticeship for purposes of providing educational assist-
ance. 
‘‘(b) APPROVAL
OF
PRE-APPRENTICESHIP
PRO-
GRAM.—A pre-apprenticeship program may be covered 
under subsection (a)— 
‘‘(1) if the program is recognized under or com-
pliant with any standards for a postsecondary pre- 
apprenticeship program required by the State in 
which the program is located; or 
‘‘(2) in the case of a program for which a State 
does not require any such standards, if— 
‘‘(A) the curriculum of the program is ap-
proved by a sponsor and the sponsor certifies to 
the Secretary that the program will prepare an 
individual with skills and competencies needed 
to enroll in a registered apprenticeship pro-
gram; and 
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‘‘(B) the program maintains conduct and 
attendance policies in accordance with a spon-
sor. 
‘‘(c) BENEFITS.—The educational assistance received 
by a covered individual enrolled in a pre-apprenticeship 
program under subsection (a) shall be equal to the amount 
and kind of such assistance received by the individual if 
the individual were enrolled in a program of apprentice-
ship, except that if the individual is not paid as part of 
such program, each monthly allowance for housing payable 
to the individual under such assistance shall be an amount 
equal to the monthly amount of the basic allowance for 
housing payable under section 403 of title 37 for a mem-
ber with dependents in pay grade E–5 residing in the mili-
tary housing area that encompasses all or the majority 
portion of the ZIP code area in which is located the pre- 
apprenticeship program. 
‘‘(d) CHARGE TO ENTITLEMENT.—The entitlement 
of a covered individual pursuing a pre-apprenticeship pro-
gram under subsection (a) shall be charged at a rate equal 
to the rate charged if the program were a program of ap-
prenticeship. 
‘‘(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘covered individual’ means an in-
dividual who is— 
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‘‘(A) entitled to educational assistance; and 
‘‘(B) seeking to use such assistance for a 
program of apprenticeship. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘educational assistance’ means 
educational assistance provided under chapter 30, 
32, 33, 34, or 35 of this title or chapter 1606 of 
title 10. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘pre-apprenticeship program’ 
means a program or set of objectives— 
‘‘(A) designed to prepare individuals to 
enter and succeed in a registered apprenticeship 
program; and 
‘‘(B) that has a documented partnership 
with at least one sponsor. 
‘‘(4) The term ‘registered apprenticeship pro-
gram’ means an apprenticeship program registered 
with the Office of Apprenticeship of the Employment 
Training Administration of the Department of 
Labor or a State apprenticeship agency recognized 
by the Office of Apprenticeship pursuant to the Act 
of August 16, 1937 (popularly known as the ‘Na-
tional Apprenticeship Act’; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.). 
‘‘(5) The term ‘sponsor’, with respect to a pre- 
apprenticeship program, means an entity that for-
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mally supports the pre-apprenticeship program, in-
cluding— 
‘‘(A) a registered apprenticeship program; 
‘‘(B) a department or agency of a State or 
local government; 
‘‘(C) an institution of higher learning; or 
‘‘(D) any other public, private, or nonprofit 
entity that the Secretary determines to be a 
sponsor for purposes of this section.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 3687 the following new 
item; 
‘‘3687A. Programs of pre-apprenticeship.’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Section 3687A of title 38, 
United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall 
apply with respect to an individual who enrolls in a pro-
gram of pre-apprenticeship described in such section be-
ginning on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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