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(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at
the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the
end the following new item:
‘‘2007a. Payment of expenses of members of the armed forces to obtain professional
credentials.’’.
SEC. 652. PILOT PROGRAM ON CONTRIBUTIONS TO THRIFT
SAVINGS PLAN FOR INITIAL ENLISTEES IN
THE ARMED FORCES.
(a) PILOT PROGRAM REQUIRED.—During fiscal year
2006, the Secretary of the Army shall carry out within the
Army a pilot program in order to assess the extent to which
contributions by the military departments to the Thrift
Savings Fund on behalf of members of the Armed Forces
described in subsection (b) would—
(1) assist the Armed Forces in recruiting efforts;
and
(2) assist such members in establishing habits of
financial responsibility during their initial enlist-
ments in the Armed Forces.
(b) COVERED MEMBERS.—A member of the Armed
Forces described in this subsection is a member of the
Armed Forces who is serving in the Armed Forces under
an initial enlistment for a period of not less than two years.
(c) CONTRIBUTIONS TO THRIFT SAVINGS FUND.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Army
may make contributions to the Thrift Savings Fund
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on behalf of any participant in the pilot program
under subsection (a) for any pay period during the
period of the pilot program.
(2) LIMITATIONS.—The amount of any contribu-
tions made with respect to a member under para-
graph (1) shall be subject to the provisions of section
8432(c) of title 5, United States Code.
(d) REPORT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than February 1,
2007, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the con-
gressional defense committees a report on the pilot
program under subsection (a).
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report shall include the fol-
lowing:
(A) A description of the pilot program, in-
cluding the number of members of the Army who
participated in the pilot program and the con-
tributions made by the Army to the Thrift Sav-
ings Fund on behalf of such members during the
period of the pilot program.
(B) An assessment, based on the pilot pro-
gram and taking into account the views of offi-
cers and senior enlisted personnel of the Army,
and of field recruiters, of the extent to which con-
tributions by the military departments to the
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Thrift Savings Fund on behalf of members of the
Armed Forces similar to the participants in the
pilot program—
(i) would enhance the recruiting efforts
of the Armed Forces; and
(ii) would assist such members in es-
tablishing habits of financial responsibility
during their initial enlistments in the
Armed Forces.
SEC. 653. EXTENSION OF EFFECTIVE DATE.
Section 6 of the Higher Education Relief Opportuni-
ties for Students Act of 2003 (20 U.S.C. 1070 note) is
amended by striking ‘‘September 30, 2005’’ and inserting
‘‘September 30 2007’’.
SEC. 654. OUTREACH TO MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES
AND 
THEIR 
DEPENDENTS 
ON 
THE
SERVICEMEMBERS CIVIL RELIEF ACT.
(a) OUTREACH
TO
MEMBERS
OF
THE
ARMED
FORCES.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary concerned shall
provide to each member of the Armed Forces under
the jurisdiction of the Secretary pertinent informa-
tion on the rights and protections available to
servicemembers and their dependents under the
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Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. App. 501
et seq.).
(2) TIME OF PROVISION.—Information shall be
provided to a member of the Armed Forces under
paragraph (1) at times as follows:
(A) During initial orientation training.
(B) In the case of a member of a reserve
component of the Armed Forces, during initial
orientation training and when the member is
mobilized or otherwise individually called or or-
dered to active duty for a period of more than
one year.
(C) At such other times as the Secretary
concerned considers appropriate.
(b) OUTREACH TO DEPENDENTS.—The Secretary con-
cerned may provide to the adult dependents of members of
the Armed Forces under the jurisdiction of the Secretary
pertinent information on the rights and protections avail-
able to servicemembers and their dependents under the
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the terms ‘‘depend-
ent’’ and ‘‘Secretary concerned’’ have the meanings given
such terms in section 101 of the Servicemembers Civil Relief
Act (50 U.S.C. App. 511).