[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4057 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4057

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to develop a comprehensive policy to improve outreach 
 and transparency to veterans and members of the Armed Forces through 
 the provision of information on institutions of higher learning, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 16, 2012

Mr. Bilirakis introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to develop a comprehensive policy to improve outreach 
 and transparency to veterans and members of the Armed Forces through 
 the provision of information on institutions of higher learning, 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 ``Improving Transparency of Education 
Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. COMPREHENSIVE POLICY ON PROVIDING EDUCATION INFORMATION TO 
              VETERANS.

    (a) Comprehensive Policy Required.--
            (1) In general.--Chapter 36 of title 38, United States 
        Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
        section:
``Sec. 3698. Comprehensive policy on providing education information to 
              veterans
    ``(a) Comprehensive Policy Required.--The Secretary shall develop a 
comprehensive policy to improve outreach and transparency to veterans 
and members of the Armed Forces through the provision of information on 
institutions of higher learning.
    ``(b) Scope.--In developing the policy required by subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall include each of the following elements:
            ``(1) The most effective way to inform individuals of the 
        educational and vocational counseling provided under section 
        3697A of this title.
            ``(2) A centralized way to track and publish feedback from 
        students and State approving agencies regarding the quality of 
        instruction and accreditation, recruiting practices, and post-
        graduation employment placement of institutions of higher 
        learning.
            ``(3) The merit of and the manner in which a State 
        approving agency shares with an accrediting agency recognized 
        by the Department of Education information regarding the State 
        approving agency's evaluation of an institution of higher 
        learning.
            ``(4) The manner in which information regarding 
        institutions of higher learning is provided to individuals 
        participating in the Transition Assistance Program under 
        section 1144 of title 10.
            ``(5) The most effective way to provide veterans and 
        members of the Armed Forces with information regarding 
        postsecondary education and training opportunities available to 
        the veteran or member.
    ``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `institution of higher learning' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 3452(f) of this title.
            ``(2) The term `postsecondary education and training 
        opportunities' means any postsecondary program of education, 
        including apprenticeships and on-job training, for which the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs provides assistance to a veteran 
        or member of the Armed Forces.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of such chapter is amended by adding after the item 
        relating to section 3697A the following new item:

``3698. Comprehensive policy on providing education information to 
                            veterans.''.
    (b) Survey.--In developing the policy required by section 3698(a) 
of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall conduct a market survey to determine the availability 
of the following:
            (1) A commercially available off-the-shelf online tool that 
        allows a veteran or member of the Armed Forces to assess 
        whether the veteran or member is academically ready to engage 
        in postsecondary education and training opportunities and 
        whether the veteran or member would need any remedial 
        preparation before beginning such opportunities.
            (2) A commercially available off-the-shelf online tool that 
        provides a veteran or member of the Armed Forces with a list of 
        providers of postsecondary education and training opportunities 
        based on criteria selected by the veteran or member.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' 
Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report that 
includes--
            (1) a description of the policy developed by the Secretary 
        under section 3698(a) of title 38, United States Code, as added 
        by subsection (a);
            (2) a plan of the Secretary to implement such policy; and
            (3) the results of the survey conducted under subsection 
        (b), including whether the Secretary plans to implement the 
        tools described in such subsection.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``commercially available off-the-shelf'' has 
        the meaning given that term in section 104 of title 41, United 
        States Code.
            (2) The term ``postsecondary education and training 
        opportunities'' means any postsecondary program of education, 
        including apprenticeships and on-job training, for which the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs provides assistance to a veteran 
        or member of the Armed Forces.
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