[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 90 (Monday, June 8, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S3871]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1816. Mr. BROWN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to 
amendment SA 1463 proposed by Mr. McCain to the bill H.R. 1735, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2016 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table, as follows:

       At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1085. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR APPROVAL OF 
                   EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR PURPOSES OF 
                   EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE UNDER LAWS ADMINISTERED 
                   BY SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       (a) Automatic Approval by Secretary of Veterans Affairs of 
     Degree Programs Approved by Secretary of Education.--Clause 
     (i) of section 3672(b)(2)(A) of title 38, United States Code, 
     is amended to read as follows:
       ``(i) A course that is described by section 3675(a) of this 
     title.''.
       (b) Approval by Secretary of Veterans Affairs of Non-Degree 
     Programs Approved by Secretary of Education.--
       (1) In general.--Section 3675 of such title is amended--
       (A) by striking subsection (a); and
       (B) by inserting before subsection (b), the following new 
     subsection (a):
       ``(a) The Secretary or a State approving agency may only 
     approve a course when such course is an eligible program (as 
     defined in section 481 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
     (20 U.S.C. 1088)) offered by an institution of higher 
     education (as defined in section 102 of such Act (20 U.S.C. 
     1002)) that has entered into, and is complying with, a 
     program participation agreement under section 487 of such Act 
     (20 U.S.C. 1094).''.
       (2) Conforming amendments.--Such title is amended--
       (A) in section 3452(g), by striking ``under the provisions 
     of section 3675 of this title'';
       (B) in section 3501(11), by striking ``under the provisions 
     of section 3675 of this title''; and
       (C) in the heading for section 3675, by striking 
     ``accredited courses'' and inserting ``courses approved by 
     Secretary of Education''.
       (3) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of chapter 36 of such title is amended by striking 
     the item relating to section 3675 and inserting the following 
     new item:

``3675. Approval of courses approved by Secretary of Education.''.

       (c) Approval by Secretary of Veterans Affairs of Non-Degree 
     Programs Not Approved by Secretary of Education.--
       (1) In general.--Subsection (a) of section 3676 of such 
     title is amended to read as follows:
       ``(a) No course of education which has not been approved by 
     the Secretary or a State approving agency under section 3675 
     of this title shall be approved for the purposes of this 
     chapter unless--
       ``(1) the course--
       ``(A) does not lead to an associate or higher degree;
       ``(B) was not an eligible program (as defined in section 
     481 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1088)) at 
     any time during the most recent two-year period; and
       ``(C) is a course that the Secretary or State approving 
     agency determines, in accordance with this section and such 
     regulations as the Secretary shall prescribe and on a case-
     by-case basis, that approval of which would further the 
     purposes of this chapter or any of chapters 30 through 35 of 
     this title; and
       ``(2) the educational institution offering such course 
     submits to the appropriate State approving agency a written 
     application for approval of such course in accordance with 
     the provisions of this chapter.''.
       (2) Conforming amendments.--Section 3676 of such title is 
     amended--
       (A) in the heading for such section, by striking 
     ``nonaccredited courses'' and inserting ``courses not 
     approved by Secretary of Education''; and
       (B) in subsection (c), in the matter before paragraph (1), 
     by striking ``non-accredited''.
       (3) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of chapter 36 of such title is amended by striking 
     the item relating to section 3676 and inserting the following 
     new item:

``3676. Approval of courses not approved by Secretary of Education.''.

       (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall take effect on August 1, 2015.
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