Title: Veterans TEST Accessibility Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Veterans To Enhance Studies Through Accessibility Act of 2017 or the Veterans TEST Accessibility Act
This bill permits veterans to get reimbursed under the Post-9/11 educational assistance program for an approved licensing, certification, or national test at a pro-rated amount based on such test's actual cost. (Current law requires that veterans be charged a whole month of entitlement to pay for any such test.)
The bill provides that a national test that evaluates prior learning and knowledge and provides an opportunity for course credit at an institution of higher learning shall be eligible for such reimbursement.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1192 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1192

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for pro-rated charges 
 to entitlement to educational assistance under Department of Veterans 
Affairs Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program for certain licensure 
  and certification tests and national tests, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 22, 2017

Mr. Rounds (for himself and Ms. Hirono) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for pro-rated charges 
 to entitlement to educational assistance under Department of Veterans 
Affairs Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program for certain licensure 
  and certification tests and national tests, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans To Enhance Studies Through 
Accessibility Act of 2017'' or the ``Veterans TEST Accessibility Act''.

SEC. 2. CHARGE TO ENTITLEMENT FOR CERTAIN LICENSURE AND CERTIFICATION 
              TESTS AND NATIONAL TESTS UNDER DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS POST-9/11 EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

    (a) Licensure and Certification Tests.--Subsection (c) of section 
3315 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking ``shall be 
determined'' and all that follows through the end of such subsection 
and inserting ``shall be pro-rated based on the actual amount of the 
fee charged for the test.''.
    (b) National Tests.--Section 3315A of such title is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following 
        new paragraph:
            ``(3) A national test that evaluates prior learning and 
        knowledge and provides an opportunity for course credit at an 
        institution of higher learning as so described.''; and
            (2) in subsection (c), by striking ``shall be determined'' 
        and all that follows through the end of such subsection and 
        inserting ``shall be pro-rated based on the actual amount of 
        the fee charged for the test.''.
    (c) Tests Included.--Section 3452(b) of such title is amended in 
the last sentence--
            (1) by striking ``and national tests providing'' and 
        inserting ``, national tests providing''; and
            (2) by inserting before the period at the end the 
        following: ``, and national tests that evaluate prior learning 
        and knowledge and provides an opportunity for course credit at 
        an institution of higher learning''.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this Act shall apply to 
a test taken after the date that is 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
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