[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 228 Introduced in House (IH)]







111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 228

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a scholarship 
 program for students seeking a degree or certificate in the areas of 
            visual impairment and orientation and mobility.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 7, 2009

   Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a scholarship 
 program for students seeking a degree or certificate in the areas of 
            visual impairment and orientation and mobility.

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

SECTION 1. VISUAL IMPAIRMENT AND ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY PROFESSIONALS 
              EDUCATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment of Program.--Part V of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new chapter:

     ``CHAPTER 80--VISUAL IMPAIRMENT AND ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY 
               PROFESSIONALS EDUCATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

``Sec.
``8001. Establishment of scholarship program; purpose.
``8002. Application and acceptance.
``8003. Amount of assistance; duration.
``8004. Agreement.
``8005. Repayment for failure to satisfy requirements of agreement.
``Sec. 8001. Establishment of scholarship program; purpose
    ``(a) Establishment.--Subject to the availability of 
appropriations, the Secretary shall establish and carry out a 
scholarship program to provide financial assistance in accordance with 
this chapter to an individual--
            ``(1) who is accepted for enrollment or currently enrolled 
        in a program of study leading to a degree or certificate in 
        visual impairment or orientation and mobility, or a dual degree 
        or certification in both such areas, at an accredited (as 
        determined by the Secretary) educational institution that is in 
        a State; and
            ``(2) who enters into an agreement with the Secretary as 
        described in section 8004 of this chapter.
    ``(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the scholarship program established 
under this chapter is to increase the supply of qualified blind 
rehabilitation specialists for the Department and the Nation.
    ``(c) Outreach.--The Secretary shall publicize the scholarship 
program established under this chapter to educational institutions 
throughout the United States, with an emphasis on disseminating 
information to such institutions with high numbers of Hispanic students 
and to Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
``Sec. 8002. Application and acceptance
    ``(a) Application.--(1) To apply and participate in the scholarship 
program under this chapter, an individual shall submit to the Secretary 
an application for such participation together with an agreement 
described in section 8004 of this chapter under which the participant 
agrees to serve a period of obligated service in the Department as 
provided in the agreement in return for payment of educational 
assistance as provided in the agreement.
    ``(2) In distributing application forms and agreement forms to 
individuals desiring to participate in the scholarship program, the 
Secretary shall include with such forms the following:
            ``(A) A fair summary of the rights and liabilities of an 
        individual whose application is approved (and whose agreement 
        is accepted) by the Secretary.
            ``(B) A full description of the terms and conditions that 
        apply to participation in the scholarship program and service 
        in the Department.
    ``(b) Approval.--(1) Upon the Secretary's approval of an 
individual's participation in the scholarship program, the Secretary 
shall, in writing, promptly notify the individual of that acceptance.
    ``(2) An individual becomes a participant in the scholarship 
program upon such approval by the Secretary.
``Sec. 8003. Amount of assistance; duration
    ``(a) Amount of Assistance.--The amount of the financial assistance 
provided for an individual under this chapter shall be the amount 
determined by the Secretary as being necessary to pay the tuition and 
fees of the individual. In the case of an individual enrolled in a 
program of study leading to a dual degree or certification in both the 
areas of study described in section 8001(a)(1) of this chapter, the 
tuition and fees shall not exceed the amounts necessary for the minimum 
number of credit hours to achieve such dual certification or degree.
    ``(b) Relationship to Other Assistance.--Financial assistance may 
be provided to an individual under this chapter to supplement other 
educational assistance to the extent that the total amount of 
educational assistance received by the individual during an academic 
year does not exceed the total tuition and fees for such academic year.
    ``(c) Maximum Amount of Assistance.--(1) In no case may the total 
amount of assistance provided under this chapter for an academic year 
to an individual who is a full-time student exceed $15,000.
    ``(2) In the case of an individual who is a part-time student, the 
total amount of assistance provided under this chapter shall bear the 
same ratio to the amount that would be paid under paragraph (1) if the 
participant were a full-time student in the program of study being 
pursued by the individual as the coursework carried by the individual 
to full-time coursework in that program of study.
    ``(3) In no case may the total amount of assistance provided to an 
individual under this chapter exceed $45,000.
    ``(d) Maximum Duration of Assistance.--The Secretary may provide 
financial assistance to an individual under this chapter for not more 
than six years.
``Sec. 8004. Agreement
    ``An agreement between the Secretary and a participant in the 
scholarship program under this chapter shall be in writing, shall be 
signed by the participant, and shall include--
            ``(1) the Secretary's agreement to provide the participant 
        with financial assistance as authorized under this chapter;
            ``(2) the participant's agreement--
                    ``(A) to accept such financial assistance;
                    ``(B) to maintain enrollment and attendance in the 
                program of study described in section 8001(a)(1) of 
                this chapter;
                    ``(C) while enrolled in such program, to maintain 
                an acceptable level of academic standing (as determined 
                by the educational institution offering such program 
                under regulations prescribed by the Secretary); and
                    ``(D) after completion of the program, to serve as 
                a full-time employee in the Department for a period of 
                three years, to be served within the first six years 
                after the participant has completed such program and 
                received a degree or certificate described in section 
                8001(a)(1) of this chapter; and
            ``(3) any other terms and conditions that the Secretary 
        determines appropriate for carrying out this chapter.
``Sec. 8005. Repayment for failure to satisfy requirements of agreement
    ``(a) In General.--An individual who receives educational 
assistance under this chapter shall repay to the Secretary an amount 
equal to the unearned portion of such assistance if the individual 
fails to satisfy the requirements of the agreement entered into under 
section 8004 of this chapter, except in circumstances authorized by the 
Secretary.
    ``(b) Amount of Repayment.--The Secretary shall establish, by 
regulations, procedures for determining the amount of the repayment 
required under this subsection and the circumstances under which an 
exception to the required repayment may be granted.
    ``(c) Waiver or Suspension of Compliance.--The Secretary shall 
prescribe regulations providing for the waiver or suspension of any 
obligation of an individual for service or payment under this chapter 
(or an agreement under this chapter) whenever noncompliance by the 
individual is due to circumstances beyond the control of the individual 
or whenever the Secretary determines that the waiver or suspension of 
compliance is in the best interest of the United States.
    ``(d) Obligation as Debt to United States.--An obligation to repay 
the Secretary under this section is, for all purposes, a debt owed the 
United States. A discharge in bankruptcy under title 11 does not 
discharge a person from such debt if the discharge order is entered 
less than five years after the date of the termination of the agreement 
or contract on which the debt is based.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendments.--The tables of chapters at the beginning 
of title 38, and of part V of title 38, are each amended by inserting 
after the item relating to chapter 79 the following new item:

``80. Visual Impairment and Orientation and Mobility           8001.''.
                            Professionals Education 
                            Assistance Program.

SEC. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall implement chapter 80 of 
title 38, United States Code, as added by section 1, not later than six 
months after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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