[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 33 (Wednesday, March 15, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2204-S2205]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BURNS (for himself and Mr. Pryor):
  S. 2416. A bill to amend title 38, United Stares Code, to expand the 
scope of programs of education for which accelerated payments of 
educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill may be used, and 
for

[[Page S2205]]

other purposes; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Veterans' 
Employment and Training Act of 2006. I am joined in this effort by 
Senator Pryor. This important legislation will provide expanded 
benefits for our brave men and women returning from service in the 
Global War on Terror, while also providing needed workers to growing 
sectors of our economy.
  Under the Montgomery G.I. Bill, the Veterans' Administration 
currently provides accelerated benefits to assist our service men and 
women in transitioning to the civilian job market. Through this 
program, the VA makes short-term, high-cost training programs more 
attractive to veterans by paying benefits in a lump sum, and by 
covering up to 60 percent of the cost of some educational programs. 
However, this program is now only available to men and women who seek 
training in high-tech programs.
  In order to provide this benefit to more of our brave men and women 
in the armed forces, the Veterans' Employment and Training Act will 
expand eligibility for accelerated benefits to include industry sectors 
identified by the Department of Labor as likely to add large numbers of 
new jobs or require new job training skills in the coming years. These 
sectors include construction, hospitality, financial services, energy, 
homeland security, health care, and transportation.
  A number of these sectors face critical shortages of employees now or 
in the near future and are anxious to attract veterans to their 
professions. The trucking industry, for example, needs an additional 
20,000 drivers today and expects to face a driver shortage of 110,000 
drivers by 2014. The modest change that I am proposing today will help 
to provide needed workers to these and other industries.
  But more importantly, we must remember the great sacrifices made by 
those in the Armed Forces. For many of these brave individuals, the 
transition from military service to civilian life is not an easy one. 
It is particularly difficult for veterans between the ages of 20 and 
24, who currently have an unemployment rate of over 15 percent--nearly 
double the rate of non-veterans in the same age group. This is simply 
unacceptable!
  We have an obligation to make sure that these individuals are not 
forgotten when they return from service. One step we can take now is to 
ensure that those who serve have access to every educational 
opportunity possible. By expanding eligibility for accelerated G.I. 
Bill benefits, we will give many of these veterans a new opportunity to 
get training and find work in some of the fastest growing sectors of 
our economy.
  I urge the Senate to act soon to pass this legislation. We owe it to 
the men and women of the Armed Forces to act quickly to provide them 
with this expanded benefit.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2416

       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 ``Veterans Employment and 
     Training Act of 2006''.

     SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS ELIGIBLE FOR 
                   ACCELERATED PAYMENT OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE 
                   UNDER THE MONTGOMERY GI BILL.

       (a) In General.--Subsection (b) of section 3014A of title 
     38, United States Code, is amended by striking paragraph (1) 
     and inserting the following new paragraph (1):
       ``(1) enrolled in either--
       ``(A) an approved program of education that leads to 
     employment in a high technology occupation in a high 
     technology industry (as determined pursuant to regulations 
     prescribed by the Secretary); or
       ``(B) an approved program of education lasting less than 
     two years that leads to employment in a sector of the 
     economy, as identified by the Department of Labor, that--
       ``(i) is projected to--

       ``(I) experience a substantial increase in the number of 
     jobs; or
       ``(II) positively affect the growth of another sector of 
     the economy; or

       ``(ii) consists of existing or emerging businesses that are 
     being transformed by technology and innovation and require 
     new skills for workers; and''.
       (b) Conforming Expansion of Program of Education.--Such 
     section is further amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (h); and
       (2) by inserting after subsection (f) the following new 
     subsection (g):
       ``(g) For purposes of this section, a program of education 
     includes a program of education (as defined in section 
     3002(3) of this title) pursued at a tribally controlled 
     college or university (as such term is defined in section 2 
     of the Tribally Controlled College or University Assistance 
     Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801).''.
       (c) Conforming Amendments.--
       (1) Heading amendment.--The heading of such section is 
     amended to read as follows:

     ``Sec. 3014A. Accelerated payment of basic educational 
       assistance''.

       (2) Clerical amendment.--The item relating to such section 
     in the table of sections at the beginning of chapter 30 of 
     such title is amended to read as follows:
``3014A. Accelerated payment of basic educational assistance.''.
                                 ______