Title: REMOTE Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Responsible Education Mitigating Options and Technical Extensions Act or the REMOTE Act
This bill addresses the administration of certain Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) educational assistance benefits.
First, the bill extends through June 1, 2022, certain adjustments for veterans' education benefits that were put in place due to COVID-19.
The bill allows the VA to waive the requirement that an educational institution verify the enrollment of a student utilizing VA educational assistance if the VA determines the institution uses a flat rate tuition and fee structure that would make the submission of a second verification unnecessary.
The bill provides an exception from the imposition of specified disciplinary actions (e.g., suspending course and program approval) in situations where an educational institution provides a commission, bonus, or other incentive payment to entities engaged in student recruiting or admission activities related to recruiting foreign students who reside in foreign countries and are ineligible for federal student assistance.
Finally, the bill generally exempts educational institutions located in foreign countries from certain requirements and restrictions imposed by the VA or a state approving agency, such as requiring those institutions to maintain policies prohibiting the automatic renewal of individuals in courses and programs of education.


[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5545 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5545

   To extend certain expiring provisions of law relating to benefits 
 provided under Department of Veterans Affairs educational assistance 
                   programs during COVID-19 pandemic.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 8, 2021

   Mr. Trone (for himself, Mr. Takano, and Mr. Levin of California) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for 
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To extend certain expiring provisions of law relating to benefits 
 provided under Department of Veterans Affairs educational assistance 
                   programs during COVID-19 pandemic.

    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 ``Responsible Education Mitigating 
Options and Technical Extensions Act'' or the ``REMOTE Act''.

SEC. 2. EXTENSIONS OF CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF LAW RELATING TO BENEFITS 
              PROVIDED UNDER DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS EDUCATIONAL 
              ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

    (a) Extension of Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 
2020.--Section 2 of the Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 
2020 (Public Law 116-140; 38 U.S.C. 3031 note), as amended by section 
5202(a) of the Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act 
of 2020 (Division E of Public Law 116-159), is further amended by 
striking ``December 21, 2021'' and inserting ``June 1, 2022''.
    (b) Extension of Period for Continuation of Department of Veterans 
Affairs Educational Assistance Benefits for Certain Programs of 
Education Converted to Distance Learning by Reason of Emergencies and 
Health-related Situations.--Section 1(b) of Public Law 116-128 (38 
U.S.C. 3001 note prec.), as amended by section 5202(b) of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2020 
(Division E of Public Law 116-159), is further amended by striking 
``December 21, 2021'' and inserting ``June 1, 2022''.

SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS OF EDUCATIONAL 
              INSTITUTIONS RELATING TO ENROLLMENT VERIFICATION AND 
              FOREIGN STUDENTS AND INSTITUTIONS.

    (a) Waiver of Verification of Enrollment for Certain Educational 
Institutions.--Section 3313(l) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(4) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive the requirements of 
        this subsection for an educational institution that the 
        Secretary has determined uses a flat rate tuition and fee 
        structure that would make the submission of a second 
        verification under this subsection unnecessary.''.
    (b) Limitations on Authority To Disapprove of Courses.--
            (1) In general.--Subsection (f) of section 3679 of title 
        38, United States Code, is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)(B);
                            (i) by inserting ``, except for the 
                        recruitment of foreign students residing in 
                        foreign countries who are not eligible to 
                        receive Federal student assistance'' after 
                        ``assistance''; and
                            (ii) by adding at the end the following new 
                        subparagraph:
            ``(C) When determining whether an educational institution 
        has complied with subparagraph (B), the State approving agency, 
        or the Secretary when acting in the place of the State 
        approving agency, shall construe the requirements of this 
        paragraph in accordance with the regulations and guidance 
        prescribed by the Secretary of Education pursuant to section 
        487(a)(20) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        1094(a)(20)).'';
                    (B) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph 
                (8); and
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following 
                new paragraph (7):
    ``(7) This subsection shall not apply to an educational institution 
located in a foreign country or that substantially complies with this 
subsection by providing to a covered individual the information 
described in this subsection on a form or template developed by the 
Secretary of Education.''.
            (2) Application date.--Beginning on June 15, 2022, an 
        educational institution may submit an application for a waiver, 
        under subsection (f)(5) of section 3679 of title 38, United 
        States Code.
            (3) Conforming amendment.--Section 3696 of such title is 
        amended--
                    (A) in subsection (c)--
                            (i) by inserting ``(1)'' before ``An 
                        educational institution'';
                            (ii) by inserting ``, except for the 
                        recruitment of foreign students residing in 
                        foreign countries who are not eligible to 
                        receive Federal student assistance'' after 
                        ``assistance''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following 
                        new paragraph:
    ``(2) When determining whether an educational institution has 
complied with paragraph (1), the Under Secretary for Benefits shall 
construe the requirements of such paragraph in accordance with the 
regulations and guidance prescribed by the Secretary of Education 
pursuant to section 487(a)(20) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1094(a)(20)).''.

SEC. 4. BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

    (a) In General.--Amounts provided to carry out the amendments made 
by this Act are designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to 
section 4(g) of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 
933(g)).
    (b) Designation in Senate.--In the Senate, amounts provided to 
carry out the amendments made by this Act are designated as an 
emergency requirement pursuant to section 4112(a) of H. Con. Res. 71 
(115th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal 
year 2018.
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