I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2549 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in 
the administration of the educational assistance programs of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 19, 2017 
Mr. COFFMAN (for himself and Mr. O’ROURKE) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain 
improvements in the administration of the educational 
assistance programs of the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs, 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 ‘‘GI Bill Processing Im-
provement Act’’. 
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SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR ADVISORY COM-
MITTEE ON EDUCATION. 
Section 3692 of such title is amended by striking 
‘‘December 31, 2017’’ and inserting ‘‘December 31, 
2022’’. 
SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON USE OF REPORTING FEES PAYABLE 
TO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND JOINT 
APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING COMMITTEES. 
Section 3684(c) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(c)(1) The Secretary may pay to any educational in-
stitution, or to the sponsor of a program of apprenticeship, 
furnishing education or training under either this chapter 
or chapter 31, 34, or 35 of this title, a reporting fee which 
will be in lieu of any other compensation or reimbursement 
for reports or certifications which such educational institu-
tion or joint apprenticeship training committee is required 
to submit to the Secretary by law or regulation. 
‘‘(2) Such reporting fee shall be computed for each 
calendar year by multiplying $16 by the number of eligible 
veterans or eligible persons enrolled under this chapter or 
chapter 31, 34, or 35 of this title, or $15 in the case of 
those eligible veterans and eligible persons whose edu-
cational assistance checks are directed in care of each in-
stitution for temporary custody and delivery and are deliv-
ered at the time of registration as provided under section 
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3680(d)(4) of this title, during the calendar year. The re-
porting fee shall be paid to such educational institution 
or joint apprenticeship training committee as soon as fea-
sible after the end of the calendar year for which it is 
applicable. 
‘‘(3) No reporting fee payable to an educational insti-
tution under this subsection shall be subject to offset by 
the Secretary against any liability of such institution for 
any overpayment for which such institution may be admin-
istratively determined to be liable under section 3685 of 
this title unless such liability is not contested by such in-
stitution or has been upheld by a final decree of a court 
of appropriate jurisdiction. 
‘‘(4) Any reporting fee paid to an educational institu-
tion or joint apprenticeship training committee after the 
date of the enactment of the Post-9/11 Veterans Edu-
cational Assistance Improvements Act of 2011 (Public 
Law 111–377)— 
‘‘(A) shall be utilized by such institution or 
committee solely for the making of certifications re-
quired under this chapter or chapter 31, 34, or 35 
of this title or for otherwise supporting programs for 
veterans; and 
‘‘(B) with respect to an institution that has 75 
or more enrollees described in paragraph (2), may 
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not be used for or merged with amounts available 
for the general fund of the educational institution or 
joint apprenticeship training committee. 
‘‘(5) The reporting fee payable under this subsection 
shall be paid from amounts appropriated for readjustment 
benefits.’’. 
SEC. 5. TRAINING FOR SCHOOL CERTIFYING OFFICIALS. 
(a) TRAINING REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall, in consultation with the State ap-
proving agencies, set forth requirements relating to train-
ing for school certifying officials employed by covered edu-
cational institutions offering courses of education ap-
proved under chapter 36 of title 38, United States Code. 
If a covered educational institution does not ensure that 
a school certifying official employed by the educational in-
stitution meets such requirements, the Secretary may dis-
approve any course of education offered by such edu-
cational institution. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered educational institution’’ 
means an educational institution that has enrolled 
20 or more individuals using educational assistance 
under title 38, United States Code. 
(2) The term ‘‘school certifying official’’ means 
an employee of an educational institution with pri-
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mary responsibility for certifying veteran enrollment 
at the educational institution. 
(3) The term ‘‘State approving agency’’ means 
a department or agency of a State designated under 
section 3671 of title 38, United States Code. 
SEC. 6. STATE APPROVING AGENCY FUNDING. 
(a) INCREASE.—Section 3674(a) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ‘‘out of 
amounts available for the payment of readjustment 
benefits’’ and inserting ‘‘out of amounts in the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs readjustment benefits 
account and amounts appropriated to the Sec-
retary’’; 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (4) as para-
graph (5); 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol-
lowing new paragraph (4): 
‘‘(4) There is authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this section $3,000,000 for each fiscal year.’’; and 
(4) in paragraph (5), as so redesignated— 
(A) by striking ‘‘The total’’ and inserting 
‘‘(A) The total’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘$19,000,000’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘$21,000,000’’; and 
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(C) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
‘‘(B) Whenever there is an increase in benefit 
amounts payable under title II of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) as a result of a determination 
made under section 215(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)), 
the Secretary shall, effective on the date of such increase 
in benefit amounts, increase the amount in effect under 
subparagraph (A), as in effect immediately prior to the 
date of such increase in benefit amounts payable under 
title II of the Social Security Act, by the same percentage 
as the percentage by which such benefit amounts are in-
creased.’’. 
Æ 
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