I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 643 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into a contract with 
a non-government entity to conduct a survey of individuals who have 
used or are using their entitlement to educational assistance under the 
educational assistance programs administered by the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 2, 2015 
Mr. BILIRAKIS (for himself and Mrs. KIRKPATRICK) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into 
a contract with a non-government entity to conduct a 
survey of individuals who have used or are using their 
entitlement to educational assistance under the edu-
cational assistance programs administered by the Sec-
retary 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 Education 
Survey Act of 2015’’. 
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SEC. 2. SURVEY OF INDIVIDUALS USING THEIR ENTITLE-
MENT TO EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE UNDER 
THE EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS 
ADMINISTERED BY THE SECRETARY OF VET-
ERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) SURVEY REQUIRED.—By not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs shall enter into a contract with a non- 
government entity for the conduct of a survey of a statis-
tically valid sample of individuals who have used or are 
using their entitlement to educational assistance under 
chapters 30, 32, 33, and 35 of title 38, United States 
Code, to pursue a program of education or training. The 
contract shall provide that— 
(1) not later than one month before the collec-
tion of data under the survey begins, the survey 
shall be submitted to the Committees on Veterans’ 
Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives; 
(2) the non-government entity shall complete 
the survey and submit to the Secretary the results 
of the survey by not later than 180 days after enter-
ing into the contract; and 
(3) the survey shall be conducted by electronic 
means and by any other means the non-government 
entity determines appropriate. 
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(b) INFORMATION TO BE COLLECTED.—The con-
tract under subsection (a) shall provide that the survey 
shall be designed to collect the following types of informa-
tion about each individual surveyed, where applicable: 
(1) Demographic information, including the 
highest level of education completed by the indi-
vidual, the military occupational specialty or special-
ties of the individual while serving on active duty as 
a member of the Armed Forces or as a member of 
the National Guard or of a Reserve Component of 
the Armed Forces, and whether the individual has a 
service-connected disability. 
(2) The opinion of the individual regarding par-
ticipation in the transition assistance program under 
section 1144 of title 10, United States Code, and 
the effectiveness of the program, including instruc-
tion on the use of the benefits under laws adminis-
tered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 
(3) The resources the individual used to help 
the individual— 
(A) decide to use the individual’s entitle-
ment to educational assistance to enroll in a 
program of education or training; and 
(B) choose the program of education or 
training the individual pursued. 
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(4) The individual’s goal when the individual 
enrolled in the program of education or training. 
(5) The nature of the individual’s experience 
with the education benefits processing system of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs. 
(6) The nature of the individual’s experience 
with the school certifying official of the educational 
institution where the individual pursued the program 
of education or training who processed the individ-
ual’s claim. 
(7) Any services or benefits the educational in-
stitution or program of education or training pro-
vided to veterans while the individual pursued the 
program of education or training. 
(8) The type of educational institution at which 
the individual pursued the program of education or 
training. 
(9) Whether the individual completed the pro-
gram of education or training or the number of cred-
it hours completed by the individual as of the time 
of the survey, and, if applicable, any degree or cer-
tificate obtained by the individual for completing the 
program. 
(10) The employment status of the individual 
and whether such employment status differs from 
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the employment status of the individual prior to en-
rolling in the program of education or training. 
(11) Whether the individual is or was enrolled 
in a program of education on a full-time or part- 
time basis. 
(12) The opinion of the individual on the effec-
tiveness of the educational assistance program of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs under which the in-
dividual was entitled to educational assistance. 
(13) Whether the individual was ever entitled to 
a rehabilitation under chapter 31 of title 38, United 
States Code, and whether the individual participated 
in such a program. 
(14) A description of any circumstances that 
prevented the individual from using the individual’s 
entitlement to educational assistance to pursue a de-
sired career path or degree. 
(15) Whether the individual is using the indi-
vidual’s entitlement to educational assistance to pur-
sue a program of education or training or has trans-
ferred such an entitlement to a dependent. 
(16) Such other matters as the Secretary deter-
mines appropriate. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after receiving 
the results of the survey required under this section, the 
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