[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4768 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4768

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to make changes in veterans' 
              education programs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 14, 1994

Mr. Montgomery (for himself, Mr. Stump, and Mr. Hutchinson) introduced 
  the following bill; which was referred jointly to the Committees on 
                  Veterans' Affairs and Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to make changes in veterans' 
              education programs, 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' Education and Training Act 
of 1994''.

SEC. 2. FLIGHT TRAINING.

    (a) Active Duty Program.--Section 3034(d) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking out paragraph (2);
            (2) by striking out ``(d)(1)'' and inserting in lieu 
        thereof ``(d)''; and
            (3) by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) as 
        paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), respectively.
    (b) Post-Vietnam Era.--Section 3241(b) of such title is amended--
            (1) by striking out paragraph (2);
            (2) by striking out ``(b)(1)'' and inserting in lieu 
        thereof ``(b)''; and
            (3) by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) as 
        paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), respectively.
    (c) Reserve Program.--Section 2136(c) of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking out paragraph (2);
            (2) by striking out ``(c)(1)'' and inserting in lieu 
        thereof ``(c)''; and
            (3) by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) as 
        paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), respectively.

SEC. 3. TRAINING AND REHABILITATION FOR VETERANS WITH SERVICE-CONNECTED 
              DISABILITIES.

    (a) Rehabilitation Resources.--Section 3115 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``assistance,'' and 
        inserting in lieu thereof ``assistance or any federally 
        recognized Indian tribe,'';
            (2) in subsection (a)(4), by inserting ``any federally 
        recognized Indian tribe,'' after ``contributions,''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) As used in this section, the term `federally recognized 
Indian tribe' means any Indian tribe, band, nation, pueblo, or other 
organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or 
regional corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the 
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which is recognized as eligible 
for the special programs and services provided by the United States to 
Indians because of their status as Indians.''.
    (b) Allowances.--Section 3108(c)(2) of such title is amended by 
inserting ``or federally recognized Indian tribe'' after ``local 
government agency''.
    (c) Technical Correction.--(1) Section 404(b) of the Veterans' 
Benefits Act of 1992 (106 Stat. 4338) is amended by striking out the 
period at the end thereof and inserting in lieu thereof ``, but shall 
not apply to veterans and other persons who originally applied for 
assistance under chapter 31 of title 38, United States Code, before 
November 1, 1990.''.
    (2) The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall take effect as of 
October 29, 1992.

SEC. 4. ALTERNATIVE TEACHER CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--Section 3452(c) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following: ``For the period ending 
on September 30, 1996, such term includes entities that provide 
training required for completion of any State-approved alternative 
teacher certification program (as determined by the Secretary).''.
    (b) Clarifying Amendment.--Section 3002 of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end thereof the following:
            ``(8) The term `educational institution' has the meaning 
        given such term in section 3452(c) of this title.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall be 
effective on the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 5. EDUCATION OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES.

    (a) In General.--The first sentence of section 3476 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended to read as follows: ``An eligible 
veteran may not enroll in any course offered by an educational 
institution not located in a State unless that educational institution 
is an approved institution of higher learning and the course is 
approved by the Secretary.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to courses approved on or after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.

SEC. 6. CORRESPONDENCE COURSES.

    (a) Approval of Programs of Education.--(1) Section 3672 of title 
38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) A program of education exclusively by correspondence, and the 
correspondence portion of a combination correspondence-residence course 
leading to a vocational objective, that is offered by an educational 
institution (as defined in section 3452(c) of this title) may be 
approved only if (1) the educational institution is accredited by an 
agency recognized by the Secretary of Education, and (2) at least 50 
percent of those pursuing such a program or course require six months 
or more to complete the program or course.''.
    (2)(A) Section 3675(a)(2)(B) of such title is amended by striking 
out ``A State'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``Except as provided in 
section 3672(e), a State''.
    (B) Section 3680(a) of such title is amended--
            (i) by striking out ``; or'' at the end of paragraph (3) 
        and inserting in lieu thereof a period; and
            (ii) by striking out paragraph (4).
    (C) Section 3686(c) of such title is amended by striking out 
``(other than one subject to the provisions of section 3676 of this 
title)''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to programs of education exclusively by 
correspondence and to correspondence-residence courses commencing after 
90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 7. STATE APPROVING AGENCIES.

    (a) Reimbursement.--(1) Section 3674(a)(4) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by striking out ``$12,000,000'' each place it 
appears and inserting in lieu thereof ``$13,000,000''.
    (2) The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect 
to services provided under such section after September 30, 1994.
    (b) Elimination of Report to Congress Requirement.--Section 
3674(a)(3) of such title is amended--
            (1) by striking out subparagraph (B); and
            (2) by striking out ``(3)(A)'' and inserting in lieu 
        thereof ``(3)''.
    (c) Evaluation of Agency Performance.--Section 3674A(a) of such 
title is amended by striking out paragraph (3) and redesignating 
paragraphs (4) and (5) as paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively.

SEC. 8. MEASUREMENT OF COURSES.

    Section 3688(b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking out ``this chapter or'' and inserting in 
        lieu thereof ``this chapter,''; and
            (2) by inserting before the period at the end thereof the 
        following: ``, or chapter 106 of title 10''.

SEC. 9. VETERANS' ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION.

    Section 3692 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsections (a) and (b)--
                    (A) by striking out ``34,'' both places it appears; 
                and
                    (B) by striking out ``title.'' and inserting in 
                lieu thereof ``title and chapter 106 of title 10.'' 
                both places it appears; and
            (2) in subsection (c), by striking out ``1993'' and 
        inserting in lieu thereof ``2003''.

SEC. 10. CONTRACT EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL COUNSELING.

    (a) Payment Limitation.--Section 3697(b) of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended by striking out ``$5,000,000'' and inserting in lieu 
thereof ``$6,000,000''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on October 1, 1994.

SEC. 11. SERVICE MEMBERS OCCUPATIONAL CONVERSION AND TRAINING ACT OF 
              1992

    (a) Period of Training.--(1) Section 4485(d) of the Service Members 
Occupational Conversion and Training Act of 1992 (106 Stat. 2759; 10 
U.S.C. 1143 note) is amended by striking out ``or more than 18 
months''.
    (2)(A) Section 4486(d)(2) of such Act (102 Stat. 2760; 10 U.S.C. 
1143 note) is amended by striking out the period at the end thereof and 
inserting in lieu thereof the following: ``in the community for the 
entire period of training of the eligible person.''.
    (B) The amendment made by subparagraph (A) shall apply with respect 
to programs of training under the Service Members Occupational 
Conversion and Training Act of 1992 beginning after the date of 
enactment of this Act.
    (b) Payments.--Section 4487 of such Act (106 Stat. 2762; 10 U.S.C. 
1143 note) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(1)--
                    (A) by striking out ``subparagraph (B)'' in 
                subparagraph (A) and inserting in lieu thereof 
                ``subparagraphs (B) and (C)'';
                    (B) by inserting before the period at the end of 
                subparagraph (A) the following: ``but in no event to 
                exceed 18 months (or the equivalent training hours)''; 
                and
                    (C) by adding at the end thereof the following new 
                subparagraph:
                    ``(C) Assistance may be paid under this subtitle on 
                behalf of an eligible person to that person's employer 
                for training under two or more programs of job training 
                under this subtitle if such employer has not received 
                (or is not due) on that person's behalf assistance in 
                an amount aggregating the applicable amount set forth 
                in subparagraph (B).''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)(3), by inserting before the period at 
        the end thereof ``, or upon the completion of the 18th month of 
        training under the last training program approved for the 
        person's pursuit with that employer under this subtitle, 
        whichever is earlier''.
    (c) Entry Into Program of Job Training.--Section 4488(a) of such 
Act (106 Stat. 2764; 10 U.S.C. 1143 note) is amended by striking out 
the third sentence thereof and inserting in lieu thereof ``The eligible 
person may begin such program of job training with the employer on the 
day that notice is transmitted to such official by means prescribed by 
such official. However, assistance under this subtitle may not be 
provided to the employer if such official, within two weeks after the 
date on which such notice is transmitted, disapproves the eligible 
person's entry into that program of job training in accordance with 
this section.''.

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