1.Modification of authorities for State
approving agencies
(a)Technical amendment to scope of
approvalSection 3670 of
title 38, United States Code, is amended—
(1)by striking subsection (b); and
(2)in subsection (a), by striking
(a)
.
(b)Modification of provisions relating to
approval of courses
(1)Modification of requirement that standards
for programs of apprenticeship be approved under the National Apprenticeship
ActSubsection (c)(1)(A) of
section 3672 of such title is amended by striking pursuant to section 2
of the Act of August 16, 1937 (popularly known as the National
Apprenticeship Act
) (29 U.S.C. 50a),
.
(2)Modification of requirement to promote
development of apprenticeship programsSubsection (d) of such section is
amended—
(A)in paragraph (1)—
(i)by striking and State approving
agencies
; and
(ii)by striking shall utilize the
services of
and inserting may utilize the services of State
approving agencies and
; and
(B)in paragraph (2), by striking
shall
and inserting may
.
(3)Modification of requirements relating to
approval of program of education exclusively by correspondenceSubsection (e) of such section is amended
by striking only if
and all that follows through the period and
inserting under such criteria as the Secretary prescribes pursuant to
section 3675.
.
(c)Restatement of requirement for coordination
of approval activities
(1)Subsection (a) of section 3673 of such
title is amended to read as follows:
(a)The Secretary shall take appropriate
measures to ensure the coordination of approval activities performed by State
approving agencies under this chapter and chapters 34 and 35 of this title and
approval activities performed by the Department of Labor, the Department of
Education, and other entities to reduce overlap and improve efficiency with
respect to the
activities.
.
(2)Such section is further amended—
(A)in subsection (b), by inserting
Furnishing
materials.—
before The Secretary
;
and
(B)in the heading by striking
Cooperation
and inserting
Coordination of approval
activities
.
(3)The table of sections at the beginning of
chapter 36 of such title is amended by striking the item relating to section
3673 and inserting the following:
3673. Coordination of approval
activities.
.
(d)Additional discretion for the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs for reimbursing State approving agencies for
expensesSection 3674 of such
title is amended to read as follows:
3674.Reimbursement of expenses
(a)(1)Subject to subsections (b) and (c), the
Secretary is authorized to enter into contracts or agreements with State and
local agencies to pay such State and local agencies for reasonable and
necessary expenses of salary and travel incurred by employees of such agencies
and an allowance for administrative expenses in accordance with such criteria
as the Secretary determines appropriate for activities performed pursuant to
this chapter for purposes of chapters 30 through 35 of this title and chapters
1606 and 1607 of title 10.
(2)Each such contract or agreement shall be
conditioned upon such terms and conditions as the Secretary determines
appropriate for services performed pursuant to this chapter, including the
condition that the State approving agency shall collect and report annually to
the Secretary, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate, and the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives information
on—
(A)the amount of resources expended on such
services performed pursuant to that contract; and
(B)the qualification and performance standards
for State approving agency personnel responsible for such services.
(b)Subject to subsection (c), the Secretary
shall make payments authorized under subsection (a) to State and local agencies
first out of amounts available for the payment of readjustment benefits and
then from other amounts made available to make the payments.
(c)Limitation on authorization of
appropriations(1)The total amount authorized and available
under this section for any fiscal year may not exceed $19,000,000, except that
the total amount made available for purposes of this section from amounts
available for the payment of readjustment benefits may not exceed the
following:
(A)$19,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
(B)$13,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, and each
subsequent fiscal year.
(2)For any fiscal year in which the total
amount that would be made available under this section would exceed the amount
applicable to that fiscal year under paragraph (1) except for the provisions of
this subsection, the Secretary shall provide that each agency shall receive the
same percentage of the amount applicable to that fiscal year under paragraph
(1) as the agency would have received of the total amount that would have been
made available without the limitation of this
subsection.
.
(e)Evaluations of agency performance;
qualifications and performance of agency personnelSection
3674A of such title is amended—
(1)by striking subsection (b);
(2)in subsection (a), by striking
(a)
;
(3)by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), (3),
and (4) as paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and (5), respectively;
(4)by inserting before paragraph (2), as
redesignated by paragraph (3) of this subsection, the following new paragraph
(1):
(1)establish performance measures—
(A)to assess the effectiveness of all services
for which a State approving agency is reimbursed pursuant to section 3674 of
this title that are based on the outcomes of the services; and
(B)to assess the effectiveness of the State
approving agency in coordinating with other entities, including the Department
of Labor and the Department of Education, to reduce overlap and improve
efficiency in approval
activities;
;
(5)by amending paragraph (2), as redesignated
by paragraph (3) of this subsection, to read as follows:
(2)conduct an annual evaluation of each State
approving agency on the basis of the performance measures established under
paragraph (1);
;
and
(6)in paragraph (3), as redesignated by
paragraph (3) of this subsection, by striking under paragraph
(1)
and inserting under paragraph (2)
.
(f)
(1)Section 3675 of such title is amended to
read as follows:
3675.
(a)The Secretary shall establish standards of
approval for accredited and nonaccredited courses offered by an educational
institution that the Secretary determines are necessary to carry out the
provisions of this chapter. Such standards shall be based on the following, as
appropriate:
(1)Student achievement.
(2)Curricula, program objectives, and
faculty.
(3)Facilities, equipment, and supplies.
(4)Institutional objectives, capacity, and
administration.
(5)Student support services.
(6)Recruiting and admissions practices.
(7)Record of student complaints.
(8)Process related requirements, such as
application requirements.
(9)Such other criteria as the Secretary
considers appropriate.
(b)A State approving agency may approve
courses offered by an educational institution when the standards established
under subsection (a) have been satisfied by such educational institution. In
performing such approval function, the State approving agency may, to the
extent permitted by the Secretary, rely upon determinations made by other
entities, including the Department of Labor and the Department of
Education.
(c)Approval granted under this section may be
revoked by the Secretary or a State approving agency under conditions
established by the
Secretary.
.
(2)Section 3452(h) of such title is amended by
striking an entrepreneurship course (as defined in section 3675(c)(2) of
this title)
and inserting a non-degree, non-credit course of
business education that enables or assists a person to start or enhance a small
business concern (as defined pursuant to section 3(a) of the Small Business Act
(15 U.S.C. 362(a)))
.
(3)The table of sections at the beginning of
chapter 36 of such title is amended by striking the item related to section
3675 and inserting the following new item:
3675. Approval of
courses.
.
(g)Modification of provisions relating to
approval of nonaccredited courses
(1)Section 3676 of such title is
repealed.
(2)(A)Section 3677 of such title is redesignated
as section 3676.
(B)Section 3672(d)(1) of such title is amended
by striking sections 3677
and inserting sections
3676
.
(C)Section 3687(a)(2) of such title is amended
by striking section 3677
and inserting section
3676
.
(3)The table of sections at the beginning of
chapter 36 of such title is amended by striking the item relating to section
3676 and inserting the following:
3676. Approval of training on
the
job.
.
(h)
(1)Section 3678 of such title is amended to
read as follows:
3677.Notice of determinations by State approving
agenciesA State approving
agency shall provide to the Secretary, an educational institution, or such
other entities as the Secretary considers appropriate such notification as the
Secretary may consider necessary regarding determinations made by the State
approving agency pursuant to section 3675 of this
title.
.
(2)Section 3689(d) of such title is amended by
striking 3678
and inserting 3677
.
(3)The table of sections at the beginning of
chapter 36 of such title is amended by striking the items relating to section
3677 and 3678 and inserting the following:
3677. Notice of determinations
by State approving
agencies.
.
(i)Modification of provisions relating to
disapproval of courses
(1)Section 3679 of such title is
repealed.
(2)Section 3689(d) of such title is amended by
striking 3679,
.
(3)The table of sections at the beginning of
chapter 36 of such title is amended by striking the item relating to section
3679.
(j)The amendments made by
this section shall take effect on the date that is one year after the date of
the enactment of this section.