[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2341 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2341

  To amend title 10, United States Code, to enhance the authority for 
    members of the Armed Forces to obtain professional credentials.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 15, 2014

   Mr. Kaine introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 10, United States Code, to enhance the authority for 
    members of the Armed Forces to obtain professional credentials.

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

SECTION 1. ENHANCEMENT OF AUTHORITY FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES TO 
              OBTAIN PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS.

    (a) In General.--Paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of section 2015 of 
title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking ``professional 
accreditation'' and all that follows through ``certification'' and 
inserting ``State-imposed licenses, Federal occupational licenses, and 
professional certification''.
    (b) Limitations.--Subsection (b) of such section is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(1)'' before ``The authority''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
    ``(2) The authority under subsection (a) may not be used to pay the 
expenses of a member to obtain professional credentials unless such 
credentials are recognized and approved by the armed force concerned as 
necessary to meet--
            ``(A) readiness requirements or professional occupational 
        development goals of such armed force; or
            ``(B) the self-development requirements of the member.
    ``(3) Except as provided in paragraph (4), the authority under 
subsection (a) may not be used to pay the expenses of obtaining 
professional credentials unless--
            ``(A) such credentials are accredited under International 
        Organization for Standardization/International Commission (ISO/
        IEC) Standard 17024-2012, entitled `General Requirements for 
        Bodies Operating Certification of Persons'; and
            ``(B) the entity accrediting such credentials provides 
        documentary evidence to the Secretary of Defense that it 
        complies International Organization for Standardization/
        International Commission Standard 17011, entitled `Conformity 
        assessment--General requirements for accreditation bodies 
        accrediting conformity assessment bodies'.
    ``(4) During the three-year period beginning on the date of the 
authorization of the Credentialing agency by the Department of Defense, 
the authority under subsection (a) may be used to pay the expenses of 
obtaining professional credentials from an entity not complying with 
the Standards referred to in paragraph (3) if the entity certifies in 
writing to the Secretary of Defense that the entity agrees to seek to 
obtain certification of compliance with the Standards before the end of 
such period.''.
    (c) Funds Available.--Such section is further amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``may pay'' in the 
        matter preceding paragraph (1) and inserting ``may, using funds 
        described in subsection (c), pay''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(c) Funds Available.--Payments may be made under the authority 
under subsection (a) by the Secretary making such payments from amounts 
available to such Secretary for tuition assistance for members under 
the jurisdiction of such Secretary.''.
    (d) Covered Expenses.--Such section is further amended by adding at 
the end the following new subsection:
    ``(d) Expenses Defined.--In this section, the term `expenses' means 
expenses for classroom instruction, hands-on training (and associated 
materials), manuals, study guides and materials, text books, processing 
fees, and test fees and related fees.''.
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