IIB 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1669 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MAY 30, 2023 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
AN ACT 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent 
the high technology pilot program of the Department 
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, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘VET–TEC Authoriza-
tion Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS HIGH TECH-
NOLOGY PROGRAM. 
(a) HIGH TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Chapter 36 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 3699C. High technology program 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—(1) The Secretary shall 
carry out a program under which the Secretary provides 
covered individuals with the opportunity to enroll in high 
technology programs of education that the Secretary de-
termines provide training or skills sought by employers in 
a relevant field or industry. 
‘‘(2) Not more than 6,000 covered individuals may 
participate in the program under this section in any fiscal 
year. 
‘‘(b) AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE.—(1) The Secretary 
shall provide, to each covered individual who pursues a 
high technology program of education under this section, 
educational assistance in amounts equal to the amounts 
provided under section 3313(c)(1) of this title, including 
with respect to the housing stipend described in that sec-
tion and in accordance with the treatment of programs 
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that are distance learning and programs that are less than 
half-time. 
‘‘(2) Under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall pro-
vide such amounts of educational assistance to a covered 
individual for each of the following: 
‘‘(A) A high technology program of education. 
‘‘(B) A second such program if— 
‘‘(i) the second such program begins at 
least 18 months after the covered individual 
graduates from the first such program; and 
‘‘(ii) the covered individual uses edu-
cational assistance under chapter 33 of this 
title to pursue the second such program. 
‘‘(c) CONTRACTS.—(1) For purposes of carrying out 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall seek to enter into con-
tracts with any number of qualified providers of high tech-
nology programs of education for the provision of such 
programs to covered individuals. Each such contract shall 
provide for the conditions under which the Secretary may 
terminate the contract with the provider and the proce-
dures for providing for the graduation of students who 
were enrolled in a program provided by such provider in 
the case of such a termination. 
‘‘(2) A contract under this subsection shall provide 
that the Secretary shall pay to a provider— 
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‘‘(A) upon the enrollment of a covered indi-
vidual in the program, 25 percent of the cost of the 
tuition and other fees for the program of education 
for the individual; 
‘‘(B) upon graduation of the individual from 
the program, 25 percent of such cost; and 
‘‘(C) 50 percent of such cost upon— 
‘‘(i) the successful employment of the cov-
ered individual for a period— 
‘‘(I) of 180 days in the field of study 
of the program; and 
‘‘(II) that begins not later than 180 
days following graduation of the covered 
individual from the program; 
‘‘(ii) the employment of the individual by 
the provider for a period of one year; or 
‘‘(iii) the enrollment of the individual in a 
program of education to continue education in 
such field of study. 
‘‘(3) For purposes of this section, a provider of a high 
technology program of education is qualified if— 
‘‘(A) the provider employs instructors whom the 
Secretary determines are experts in their respective 
fields in accordance with paragraph (5); 
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‘‘(B) the provider has successfully provided the 
high technology program for at least one year; 
‘‘(C) the provider does not charge tuition and 
fees to a covered individual who receives assistance 
under this section to pursue such program that are 
higher than the tuition and fees charged by such 
provider to another individual; and 
‘‘(D) the provider meets the approval criteria 
developed by the Secretary under paragraph (4). 
‘‘(4)(A) The Secretary shall prescribe criteria for ap-
proving providers of a high technology program of edu-
cation under this section. 
‘‘(B) In developing such criteria, the Secretary may 
consult with State approving agencies. 
‘‘(C) Such criteria are not required to meet the re-
quirements of section 3672 of this title. 
‘‘(D) Such criteria shall include the job placement 
rate, in the field of study of a program of education, of 
covered individuals who complete such program of edu-
cation. 
‘‘(5) The Secretary shall determine whether instruc-
tors are experts under paragraph (3)(A) based on evidence 
furnished to the Secretary by the provider regarding the 
ability of the instructors to— 
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‘‘(A) identify professions in need of new em-
ployees to hire, tailor the programs to meet market 
needs, and identify the employers likely to hire grad-
uates; 
‘‘(B) effectively teach the skills offered to cov-
ered individuals; 
‘‘(C) provide relevant industry experience in the 
fields of programs offered to incoming covered indi-
viduals; and 
‘‘(D) demonstrate relevant industry experience 
in such fields of programs. 
‘‘(6) In entering into contracts under this subsection, 
the Secretary shall give preference to a provider of a high 
technology program of education— 
‘‘(A) from which at least 70 percent of grad-
uates find full-time employment in the field of study 
of the program during the 180-day period beginning 
on the date the student graduates from the program; 
or 
‘‘(B) that offers tuition reimbursement for any 
student who graduates from such a program and 
does not find employment described in subparagraph 
(A). 
‘‘(d) EFFECT ON OTHER ENTITLEMENT.—(1) If a 
covered individual enrolled in a high technology program 
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of education under this section has remaining entitlement 
to educational assistance under chapter 30, 32, 33, 34, 
or 35 of this title, entitlement of the individual to edu-
cational assistance under this section shall be charged at 
the rate of one month of such remaining entitlement for 
each such month of educational assistance under this sec-
tion. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary may not consider enrollment in 
a high technology program of education under this section 
to be assistance under a provision of law referred to in 
section 3695 of this title. 
‘‘(e) REQUIREMENTS FOR EDUCATIONAL INSTITU-
TIONS.—(1) The Secretary shall not approve the enroll-
ment of any covered individual, not already enrolled, in 
any high technology programs of education under this sec-
tion for any period during which the Secretary finds that 
more than 85 percent of the students enrolled in the pro-
gram are having all or part of their tuition, fees, or other 
charges paid to or for them by the educational institution 
or by the Department of Veterans Affairs under this title 
or under chapter 1606 or 1607 of title 10, except with 
respect to tuition, fees, or other charges that are paid 
under a payment plan at an educational institution that 
the Secretary determines has a history of offering pay-
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ment plans that are completed not later than 180 days 
after the end of the applicable term, quarter, or semester. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary may waive a requirement of para-
graph (1) if the Secretary determines, pursuant to regula-
tions which the Secretary shall prescribe, such waiver to 
be in the interest of the covered individual and the Federal 
Government. Not later than 30 days after the Secretary 
waives such a requirement, the Secretary shall submit to 
the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and 
House of Representatives a report regarding such waiver. 
‘‘(3)(A)(i) The Secretary shall establish and maintain 
a process by which an educational institution may request 
a review of a determination that the educational institu-
tion does not meet the requirements of paragraph (1). 
‘‘(ii) The Secretary may consult with a State approv-
ing agency regarding such process or such a review. 
‘‘(iii) Not later than 180 days after the Secretary es-
tablishes or revises a process under this subparagraph, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report 
regarding such process. 
‘‘(B) An educational institution that requests a re-
view under subparagraph (A)— 
‘‘(i) shall request the review not later than 30 
days after the start of the term, quarter, or semester 
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for which the determination described in subpara-
graph (A) applies; and 
‘‘(ii) may include any information that the edu-
cational institution believes the Department should 
have taken into account when making the deter-
mination, including with respect to any mitigating 
circumstances. 
‘‘(f) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this section, and annu-
ally thereafter until the termination date specified in sub-
section (i), the Secretary shall submit to the Committees 
on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Rep-
resentatives a report on the operation of program under 
this section during the year covered by the report. Each 
such report shall include each of the following: 
‘‘(1) The number of covered individuals enrolled 
in the program, disaggregated by type of educational 
institution, during the year covered by the report. 
‘‘(2) The number of covered individuals who 
completed a high technology program of education 
under the program during the year covered by the 
report. 
‘‘(3) The average employment rate of covered 
individuals who completed such a program of edu-
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cation during such year, as of 180 days after the 
date of completion. 
‘‘(4) The average length of time between the 
completion of such a program of education and em-
ployment. 
‘‘(5) The total number of covered individuals 
who completed a program of education under the 
program and who, as of the date of the submission 
of the report, are employed in a position related to 
technology. 
‘‘(6) The average salary of a covered individual 
who completed a program of education under the 
program and who is employed in a position related 
to technology, in various geographic areas deter-
mined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(7) The average salary of all individuals em-
ployed in positions related to technology in the geo-
graphic areas determined under subparagraph (F), 
and the difference, if any, between such average sal-
ary and the average salary of a covered individual 
who completed a program of education under the 
program and who is employed in a position related 
to technology. 
‘‘(8) The number of covered individuals who 
completed a program of education under the pro-
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gram and who subsequently enrolled in a second 
program of education under the program. 
‘‘(g) COLLECTION
OF INFORMATION; CONSULTA-
TION.—(1) The Secretary shall develop practices to use 
to collect information about covered individuals and pro-
viders of high technology programs of education. 
‘‘(2) For the purpose of carrying out program under 
this section, the Secretary may consult with providers of 
high technology programs of education and may establish 
an advisory group made up of representatives of such pro-
viders, private employers in the technology field, and other 
relevant groups or entities, as the Secretary determines 
necessary. 
‘‘(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘covered individual’ means any of 
the following: 
‘‘(A) A veteran whom the Secretary deter-
mines— 
‘‘(i) served an aggregate of at least 36 
months on active duty in the Armed 
Forces (including service on active duty in 
entry level and skill training) and was dis-
charged or released therefrom under condi-
tions other than dishonorable; and 
‘‘(ii) has not attained the age of 62. 
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‘‘(B) A member of the Armed Forces that 
the Secretary determines will become a veteran 
described in subparagraph (A) fewer than 180 
days after the date of such determination. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘high technology program of edu-
cation’ means a program of education— 
‘‘(A) offered by a public or private edu-
cational institution; 
‘‘(B) if offered by an institution of higher 
learning, that is provided directly by such insti-
tution rather than by an entity other than such 
institution under a contract or other agreement; 
‘‘(C) that does not lead to a degree; 
‘‘(D) that has a term of not less than six 
and not more than 28 weeks; and 
‘‘(E) that provides instruction in computer 
programming, computer software, media appli-
cation, data processing, or information sciences. 
‘‘(i) TERMINATION.—The authority to carry out a 
program under this section shall terminate on September 
30, 2028.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 
by inserting after the item relating to section 3699B 
the following new item: 
‘‘3699C. High technology program.’’. 
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