[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4830 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4830


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 22, 2018

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the disapproval 
 of any course of education for purposes of the educational assistance 
 programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs unless the educational 
   institution providing the course permits individuals to attend or 
  participate in courses pending payment by Department, 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 ``Servicemembers Improved Transition 
through Reforms for Ensuring Progress Act'' or the ``SIT-REP Act''.

SEC. 2. DISAPPROVAL FOR PURPOSES OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS OF 
              DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OF CERTAIN COURSES OF 
              EDUCATION THAT DO NOT PERMIT INDIVIDUALS TO ATTEND OR 
              PARTICIPATE IN COURSES PENDING PAYMENT.

    Section 3679 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(e)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, 
beginning on August 1, 2018, a State approving agency, or the Secretary 
when acting in the role of the State approving agency, shall disapprove 
a course of education provided by an educational institution unless the 
educational institution has adopted the following policies:
            ``(A) A policy that permits any covered individual to 
        attend or participate in the course of education during the 
        period beginning on the date on which the individual provides 
        to the educational institution a certificate of eligibility for 
        entitlement to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 of 
        this title and ending on the earlier of the following dates:
                    ``(i) The date on which the Secretary provides 
                payment for such course of education to such 
                institution.
                    ``(ii) The date that is 90 days after the date on 
                which the individual provides to the educational 
                institution such certificate of eligibility.
            ``(B) A policy that ensures that the educational 
        institution will not impose any penalty, including the 
        assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, 
        libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the 
        requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, 
        on any covered individual because of the individual's inability 
        to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution as 
        a result of the delayed disbursement of any payment to be 
        provided by the Secretary.
    ``(2) For purposes of this subsection, a covered individual is any 
individual who is entitled to educational assistance under chapter 31 
or 33 of this title.
    ``(3) The Secretary may waive such requirements of paragraph (1) as 
the Secretary considers appropriate.''.

SEC. 3. CLARIFICATION REGARDING APPLICABILITY OF AUTHORITY TO USE 
              EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE TO PURSUE INDEPENDENT STUDY 
              PROGRAMS AT CERTAIN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE NOT 
              INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING.

    The section heading for section 302 of the Harry W. Colmery 
Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-48) is 
amended to read as follows (and the table of contents for such Act is 
conformed accordingly):

``SEC. 302. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE UNDER ANY 
              OF THE EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS OF THE DEPARTMENT 
              OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO PURSUE INDEPENDENT STUDY PROGRAMS 
              AT CERTAIN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE NOT 
              INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives May 21, 2018.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.