IB
Union Calendar No. 50
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 996
[Report No. 103–98]
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a veterans education
certification and outreach program.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 18, 1993
Mr. MONTGOMERY (for himself and Mr. SMITH of New Jersey) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
MAY 19, 1993
Additional sponsors: Mrs. MINK, Mr. RICHARDSON, Mr. DIXON, Mr. HEFNER,
Mr. STENHOLM, Mr. PAYNE of Virginia, and Mr. PARKER
MAY 19, 1993
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic]
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a
veterans education certification and outreach program.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. VETERANS EDUCATION OUTREACH PROGRAM.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Chapter 36 of title 38, Unit-
ed States Code, is amended by adding at the end of sub-
chapter II the following new section:
‘‘§ 3697B. Veterans education outreach program
‘‘(a) The Secretary shall provide funding for offices
of veterans affairs at institutions of higher learning, as
defined in section 3452(f), in accordance with this section.
‘‘(b)(1)(A) The Secretary shall, subject to the avail-
ability of appropriations, make payments to any institu-
tion of higher learning, under and in accordance with this
section, during any fiscal year if the number of persons
eligible for services from offices assisted under this section
at the institution is at least 50, determined in the same
manner as the number of eligible veterans or eligible per-
sons is determined under section 3684(c).
‘‘(B) The persons who are eligible for services from
the offices assisted under this section are persons receiving
educational assistance administered by the Department of
Veterans Affairs, including assistance provided under
chapter 106 of title 10.
‘‘(2) To be eligible for a payment under this section,
an institution of higher learning or a consortium of insti-
tutions of higher learning, as described in paragraph (3),
shall make an application to the Secretary. The applica-
tion shall—
‘‘(A) set forth such policies, assurances, and
procedures that will ensure that—
‘‘(i) the funds received by the institution,
or each institution in a consortium of institu-
tions described in paragraph (3), under this
section will be used solely to carry out this
section;
‘‘(ii) for enhancing the functions of its vet-
erans education outreach program, the appli-
cant will expend, during the academic year for
which a payment is sought, an amount equal to
at least the amount of the award under this
section from sources other than this or any
other Federal program; and
‘‘(iii) the applicant will submit to the Sec-
retary such reports as the Secretary may re-
quire or as are required by this section;
‘‘(B) contain such other statement of policies,
assurances, and procedures as the Secretary may re-
quire in order to protect the financial interests of
the United States;
‘‘(C) set forth such plans, policies, assurances,
and procedures as will ensure that the applicant will
maintain an office of veterans’ affairs which has re-
sponsibility for—
‘‘(i) veterans’ certification, outreach, re-
cruitment, and special education programs, in-
cluding the provision of or referral to edu-
cational, vocational, and personal counseling for
veterans; and
‘‘(ii) providing information regarding other
services provided veterans by the Department,
including the readjustment counseling program
authorized under section 1712A, the programs
of veterans employment and training authorized
under the Job Training Partnership Act and
the Service Members Occupational Conversion
and Training Act of 1992, and the programs
carried out under chapters 41 and 42; and
‘‘(D) be submitted at such time or times, in
such manner, in such form, and contain such infor-
mation as the Secretary determines necessary to
carry out the functions of the Secretary under this
section.
‘‘(3) An institution of higher learning which is eligible
for funding under this section and which the Secretary
determines cannot feasibly carry out, by itself, any or all
of the activities set forth in paragraph (2)(C), may carry
out such program or programs through a consortium
agreement with one or more other institutions of higher
learning in the same community.
‘‘(4) The Secretary shall not approve an application
under this subsection unless the Secretary determines that
the applicant will implement the requirements of para-
graph (2)(C) within the first academic year during which
it receives a payment under this section.
‘‘(5) Any institution which received funding under
section 420A of the Higher Education Act of 1965 during
fiscal year 1993 shall be eligible under this section for fis-
cal year 1994.
‘‘(c)(1)(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), the amount
of the payment which any institution shall receive under
this section for any fiscal year shall be $100 for each per-
son who is described in subsection (b)(1)(B).
‘‘(B) The maximum amount of payments to any insti-
tution of higher learning, or any branch thereof which is
located in a community which is different from that in
which the parent institution thereof is located, in any fis-
cal year is $75,000.
‘‘(2)(A) The Secretary shall pay to each institution
of higher learning which has had an application approved
under subsection (b) the amount which it is to receive
under this section. If the amount appropriated for any fis-
cal year is not sufficient to pay the amounts which all such
institutions are to receive, the Secretary shall ratably re-
duce such payments. If any amount becomes available to
carry out this section for a fiscal year after such reduc-
tions have been imposed, such reduced payments shall be
increased on the same basis as they were reduced.
‘‘(B) In making payments under this section for any
fiscal year, the Secretary shall apportion the appropriation
for making such payments, from funds which become
available as a result of the limitation on payments set
forth in paragraph (1)(B), in an equitable manner.
‘‘(d) The Secretary, in carrying out the provisions of
this section, shall seek to assure the coordination of pro-
grams assisted under this section with other programs car-
ried out by the Department pursuant to this title, and the
Secretary shall provide all assistance, technical consulta-
tion, and information otherwise authorized by law as nec-
essary to promote the maximum effectiveness of the activi-
ties and programs assisted under this section.
‘‘(e)(1) From the amounts made available for any fis-
cal year under subsection (f), the Secretary shall retain
one percent or $10,000, whichever is less, for the purpose
of collecting information about exemplary veterans edu-
cational outreach programs and disseminating that infor-
mation to other institutions of higher learning having such
programs on their campuses. Such collection and dissemi-
nation shall be done on an annual basis.
‘‘(2) From the amounts made available under sub-
section (f), the Secretary may retain not more than two
percent for the purpose of administering this section.
‘‘(f) Out of amounts made available for the payment
of readjustment benefits for each fiscal year beginning
after September 30, 1993, $3,000,000 shall be made avail-
able to carry out this section.’’.
‘‘(f) There is authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000
for each fiscal year to carry out this section.’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections
at the beginning of chapter 36 of title 38, United States
Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to
section 3697A the following new item:
‘‘3697B. Veterans education outreach program.’’.