IIB 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2878 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MAY 19, 2021 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
AN ACT 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 
a Native VetSuccess at Tribal Colleges and Universities 
Pilot Program, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Native VetSuccess at 
Tribal Colleges and Universities Pilot Program Act’’. 
SEC. 2. NATIVE VETSUCCESS AT TRIBAL COLLEGES AND 
UNIVERSITIES PILOT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall carry out a five-year pilot program, 
to be known as the ‘‘Native VetSuccess at Tribal Colleges 
and Universities Pilot Program’’. Under such pilot pro-
gram the Secretary shall— 
(1) identify three regional Native VetSuccess 
service areas consisting of at least two participating 
Tribal colleges or universities; 
(2) assign to each regional Native VetSuccess 
service area a VetSuccess on Campus counselor and 
a full-time Vet Center outreach coordinator, both of 
whom shall be based on one or more of the partici-
pating Tribal colleges or universities in the service 
area; and 
(3) provide for eligible students at such partici-
pating colleges and universities with all services for 
which such students would be eligible under the 
VetSuccess on Campus program of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs. 
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(b) ELIGIBLE STUDENTS.—For purposes of the pilot 
program, an eligible student is a student who is a veteran, 
member of the Armed Forces, or dependent of a veteran 
or member of the Armed Forces who is eligible for any 
service or benefit under the VetSuccess on Campus pro-
gram of the Department. 
(c) CONSULTATION REQUIREMENT.—In developing 
the pilot program under this section, the Secretary, acting 
through the Veteran Readiness and Employment Program 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs and in coordination 
with the Office of Tribal Government Relations of the De-
partment, shall consult with Indian tribes, Tribal organi-
zations, and veterans service organizations regarding each 
of the following: 
(1) The design of the pilot program. 
(2) The selection of the three regional Native 
VetSuccess service areas and participating Tribal 
colleges and universities, taking into consideration— 
(A) the number of eligible students en-
rolled in the college or university and in the re-
gional service area; 
(B) the capacity of the colleges and univer-
sities in the regional service area to accommo-
date a full-time VetSuccess on Campus coun-
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selor and a full-time Vet Center outreach coor-
dinator; 
(C) the lack of information available at the 
colleges and universities in the regional service 
area about and lack of access to benefits and 
services under the laws administered by the 
Secretary; and 
(D) any other factor that the Secretary or 
the Indian tribes, Tribal organizations, and vet-
erans service organizations identify as relevant. 
(3) The most effective way to provide culturally 
competent outreach and services to eligible students 
at Tribal colleges and universities. 
(d) OUTREACH TO COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.— 
The Secretary shall provide notice of the pilot program 
to all Tribal colleges and universities and encourage all 
Tribal colleges and universities to coordinate with each 
other to create regional service areas to participate in the 
pilot program. 
(e) BRIEFINGS AND REPORTS.— 
(1) IMPLEMENTATION
BRIEFING.—Not later 
than one year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary shall provide for the Committee 
on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee on Natural 
Resources of the House of Representatives and the 
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Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee 
on Indian Affairs of the Senate a briefing on— 
(A) the design, structure, and objectives of 
the pilot program; and 
(B) the three regional Native Vet Success 
service areas and the Tribal colleges and uni-
versities selected for participation in the pilot 
program and the reason for the selection of 
such service areas and such colleges and univer-
sities. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than four years after 
the date on which the Secretary establishes the pilot 
program, the Secretary shall submit to such Com-
mittees a report on the pilot program. Such report 
shall include each of the following: 
(A) The number of eligible students pro-
vided services through the pilot program. 
(B) The types of services that eligible stu-
dents received through the pilot program. 
(C) The graduation rate of eligible stu-
dents who received services through the pilot 
program. 
(D) The rate of employment within one 
year of graduation for eligible students who re-
ceived services through the pilot program. 
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(E) Feedback from each Tribal college or 
university that participated in the pilot pro-
gram, including on the regional nature of the 
program. 
(F) Analysis of the feasibility of expanding 
a regionally based Native VetSuccess at Tribal 
Colleges and Universities Program, including an 
explanation of the challenges of such a model 
due to issues with distance, communication, and 
coordination, and to the level of unmet services. 
(G) A detailed legislative proposal regard-
ing a long-term extension of the pilot program, 
including a budget, if the Secretary determines 
that such an extension is appropriate. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘Tribal college or university’’ has 
the meaning given such term under section 316 of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1059c). 
(2) The term ‘‘tribal organization’’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 4 of the Indian 
Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act 
(25 U.S.C. 450b). 
(3) The term ‘‘culturally competent’’ means 
considerate of the unique values, customs, traditions, 
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cultures, and languages of Native American vet-
erans. 
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR HIGH 
TECHNOLOGY PILOT PROGRAM. 
Subsection (g) of section 116 of the Harry W. 
Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 
(Public Law 115–48; 38 U.S.C. 3001 note), as amended 
by section 4302 of the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, 
M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement 
Act of 2020 (Public Law 116–315), is amended to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Funds 
shall be made available for carrying out the pilot program 
under this section from funds appropriated to, or other-
wise made available to, the Department for the payment 
of readjustment benefits, in the following amounts for a 
fiscal year in which the Secretary carries out the pilot pro-
gram: 
‘‘(1) For fiscal year 2019, $62,000,000. 
‘‘(2) For fiscal year 2020, $63,000,000. 
‘‘(3) For fiscal year 2021, $90,000,000. 
‘‘(4) For fiscal year 2022, $90,000,000. 
‘‘(5) For fiscal year 2023, $60,000,000. 
‘‘(6) For fiscal year 2024, $0.’’. 
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SEC. 4. PROVISION OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE TO STU-
DENTS WHO ARE ‘‘ROUNDING OUT’’ UNDER 
EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS OF 
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3680(a) of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘paragraph 
(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraphs (2) and (3)’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), in the case of 
an eligible veteran or eligible person who is pursuing a 
program of education on less than a half-time basis during 
a period that is the last semester, term, or academic period 
the veteran or person will be enrolled in the program of 
education because the veteran or person will complete the 
program of education at the end of that semester, term 
or academic period, the Secretary may, pursuant to such 
regulations as the Secretary shall prescribe, provide to the 
veteran or person educational assistance under chapter 30, 
32, 33, 34, or 35 of this title or under chapter 1606 of 
title 10, including a monthly housing stipend described in 
section 3313(c) of this title, on the basis of the total num-
ber of credits or courses in which the veteran or person 
is enrolled, if— 
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‘‘(A) the number of credits the veteran or per-
son needs to complete the program of education is 
less than the number of credits that would constitute 
enrollment on a more than half-time basis for that 
last semester, term, or academic period; and 
‘‘(B) the veteran or person— 
‘‘(i) is enrolled in, or has completed, every 
course offered by the program of education dur-
ing the last semester, term, or academic period 
in which the veteran or person is enrolled in the 
program of education; and 
‘‘(ii) enrolls in an additional course that is 
not required for the completion of such pro-
gram of education and the enrollment in the 
non-required course in addition to the required 
course or courses in which the veteran or per-
son is enrolled constitutes enrollment on more 
than a half-time basis.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
subsection (a) shall take effect on August 1, 2021, and 
apply with respect to any semester, term, or academic pe-
riod that begins on or after that date. 
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SEC. 5. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN HOUSING LOAN FEES. 
Section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended by striking ‘‘October 1, 2030’’ each place it 
appears and inserting ‘‘December 9, 2030’’. 
SEC. 6. EXPANSION AND EXTENSION OF DEPARTMENT OF 
VETERANS AFFAIRS ASSISTANCE FOR HOME-
LESS VETERANS. 
(a) EXPANSION.—Subsection (a) of section 2041 of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(A), by inserting ‘‘or permanent housing’’ after 
‘‘shelter’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘named in, or approved by the Secretary under, 
section 5902 of this title’’ and inserting ‘‘that 
is the recipient of a grant under section 2011, 
2013, 2044, or 2061 of this title’’; and 
(C) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘‘, 
tribal entity,’’ after ‘‘State’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (3)(B)— 
(A) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘or to sell or 
rent the property directly to homeless veterans 
or veterans at-risk of homelessness’’ after ‘‘fam-
ilies’’; and 
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(B) in each of clauses (i), (ii), and (iii), by 
striking the comma and inserting a semicolon. 
(b) EXTENSION.—Subsection (c) of such section is 
amended by striking ‘‘September 30, 2017’’ and inserting 
‘‘September 30, 2025’’. 
SEC. 7. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS. 
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, 
shall be determined by reference to the latest statement 
titled ‘‘Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation’’ for this 
Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record 
by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, pro-
vided that such statement has been submitted prior to the 
vote on passage. 
Passed the House of Representatives May 18, 2021. 
Attest: 
CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 
Clerk. 
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