[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 257 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 257

To amend title 38, United States Code, to require courses of education 
 provided by public institutions of higher education that are approved 
for purposes of the educational assistance programs administered by the 
 Secretary of Veterans Affairs to charge veterans tuition and fees at 
           the in-State tuition rate, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 7, 2013

 Mr. Boozman (for himself, Mr. Nelson, and Mr. Durbin) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to require courses of education 
 provided by public institutions of higher education that are approved 
for purposes of the educational assistance programs administered by the 
 Secretary of Veterans Affairs to charge veterans tuition and fees at 
           the in-State tuition rate, 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 ``GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act of 
2013''.

SEC. 2. APPROVAL OF COURSES OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY PUBLIC 
              INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR PURPOSES OF 
              EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED BY SECRETARY 
              OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CONDITIONAL ON IN-STATE TUITION RATE 
              FOR VETERANS.

    (a) In General.--Section 3679 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(c)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subtitle, the 
Secretary or the Secretary's designee shall disapprove a course of 
education provided by a public institution of higher education unless 
the institution charges tuition and fees for a veteran at the same rate 
as the institution charges for residents of the State in which the 
institution is located, regardless of the veteran's State of residence.
    ``(2) The Secretary shall notify the State approving agency of the 
Secretary's disapproval of a course of education under this 
subsection.''.
    (b) Treatment of Enrolled Benefits Recipients.--
            (1) In general.--In the case of a veteran or eligible 
        person who is enrolled before August 1, 2014, in a course of 
        education provided by a public institution of higher education 
        that was approved under chapter 36 of title 38, United States 
        Code, at the time of the initial enrollment of the veteran or 
        eligible person but that is disapproved by the Secretary of 
        Veterans Affairs or the Secretary's designee by reason of 
        subsection (c) of section 3679 of such title, as added by 
        subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary shall treat such 
        institution as an institution that is approved under such 
        chapter for purposes of the laws administered by the Secretary 
        with respect to the veteran or eligible person until the 
        veteran or eligible person completes the course of education in 
        which the veteran or eligible person is enrolled.
            (2) Termination.--
                    (A) Limitation.--Except as provided in subparagraph 
                (B), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not treat an 
                institution of higher education as an approved 
                institution under paragraph (1) after August 1, 2018.
                    (B) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive the limitation 
                under subparagraph (A) if the Secretary determines such 
                a waiver is appropriate.
    (c) Effective Date.--Subsection (c) of section 3679 of title 38, 
United States Code, as added by subsection (a) shall apply with respect 
to educational assistance provided after August 1, 2014.
                                 <all>