[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 9, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H614-H616]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   CAREER-READY STUDENT VETERANS ACT

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 2360) to amend title 38, United States Code, to 
improve the approval of certain programs of education for purposes of 
educational assistance provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2360

       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 ``Career-Ready Student 
     Veterans Act''.

     SEC. 2. APPROVAL OF COURSES FOR PURPOSES OF EDUCATIONAL 
                   ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED BY SECRETARY 
                   OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       (a) Approval of Non-Accredited Courses.--Subsection (c) of 
     section 3676 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraph (14) as paragraph (16); and
       (2) by inserting after paragraph (13) the following new 
     paragraphs:
       ``(14) In the case of a program designed to prepare an 
     individual for licensure or certification in a State, the 
     program meets any instructional curriculum licensure or 
     certification requirements of such State.
       ``(15) In the case of a program designed to prepare an 
     individual for employment pursuant to standards developed by 
     a board or agency of a State in an occupation that requires 
     approval or licensure, the program is approved or licensed by 
     such board or agency of the State.''.
       (b) Exceptions.--Such section is further amended by adding 
     at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(f)(1) The Secretary may waive the requirements of 
     paragraph (14) or (15) of subsection (c) in the case of a 
     program of education offered by an educational institution if 
     the Secretary determines all of the following:
       ``(A) The educational institution is not accredited by an 
     agency or association recognized by the Secretary of 
     Education.
       ``(B) The program did not meet the requirements of such 
     paragraph at any time during the two-year period preceding 
     the date of the waiver.
       ``(C) The waiver furthers the purposes of the educational 
     assistance programs administered by the Secretary or would 
     further the education interests of individuals eligible for 
     assistance under such programs.
       ``(D) The educational institution does not provide any 
     commission, bonus, or other incentive payment based directly 
     or indirectly on success in securing enrollments or financial 
     aid to any persons or entities engaged in any student 
     recruiting or admission activities or in making decisions 
     regarding the award of student financial assistance, except 
     for the recruitment of foreign students residing in foreign 
     countries who are not eligible to receive Federal student 
     assistance.
       ``(2) Not later than 30 days after the Secretary issues a 
     waiver under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit to 
     Congress notice of the waiver and the justification of the 
     Secretary for issuing the waiver.''.
       (c) Approval of Accredited Programs.--Section 3675(b)(3) of 
     such title is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and (3)'' and inserting ``(3), (14), and 
     (15)''; and
       (2) by inserting before the period at the end the 
     following: ``(or, with respect to such paragraphs (14) and 
     (15), the requirements under such paragraphs are waived 
     pursuant to subsection (f) of section 3676)''.
       (d) Disapproval of Courses.--Section 3679 of such title is 
     amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, 
     the Secretary shall disapprove a course of education 
     described in section 3676(c)(14) or (15) unless the 
     educational institution providing the course of education 
     publicly discloses any conditions or additional requirements, 
     including training, experience, or exams, required to obtain 
     the license, certification, or approval for which the course 
     of education is designed to provide preparation.''.
       (e) Conforming Amendment.--Section 3672(b)(2)(A)(i) of such 
     title is amended by striking ``An accredited'' and inserting 
     ``Except as provided in paragraphs (14) and (15) of section 
     3676(c) of this title, an accredited''.
       (f) Applicability.--If after enrollment in a course of 
     education that is subject to disapproval by reason of an 
     amendment made by this Act, an individual pursues one or more 
     courses of education at the same educational institution 
     while remaining continuously enrolled (other than during 
     regularly scheduled breaks between courses, semesters or 
     terms) at that institution, any course so pursued by the 
     individual at that institution while so continuously enrolled 
     shall not be subject to disapproval by reason of such 
     amendment.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Miller) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Brown) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
to include any extraneous material they may have on H.R. 2360, as 
amended, in the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  The post-9/11 GI Bill provides student veterans with a wonderful 
opportunity to educate themselves for a job in the new economy. 
Thousands of training programs and schools have been approved for use 
of this program, which has benefited millions of veterans.
  Unfortunately, there are some schools that are not simply providing 
quality education or training that sufficiently prepares students for 
jobs in their field of study.

[[Page H615]]

  The committee has found that, in some cases, students have been 
caught in a situation where the school they attended is properly 
accredited, but the program they are using at the school is not. This 
has led to situations where students have completed a training or a 
degree program only to find out that this training does not qualify 
them to receive the necessary credentials or take the necessary tests 
to practice in the career field for which they used their benefits.
  This was clearly not the intention of the GI Bill, and I am glad that 
this bill would ensure that in order to be eligible for GI Bill 
benefits, an accredited or nonaccredited program must meet State 
accreditation, licensure, or certification standards. This requirement 
would not only protect student veterans but would also protect the 
integrity of the GI Bill for future generations.
  I want to thank Chairman Wenstrup of our Subcommittee on Economic 
Opportunity and the author of the bill, Ranking Member Takano, for 
their work on this legislation, which has my full support.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 2306, as amended.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today in support of H.R. 2360, the Career-Ready Student 
Veterans Act. Mr. Speaker, I do so for two important reasons.

                              {time}  1545

  The first is that it protects veterans using their GI Bill benefits 
by requiring that all career education programs meet proper 
accreditation, licensure, and certification requirements in order to be 
eligible for the GI Bill.
  The second reason I am so happy to support H.R. 2360 is that it 
represents the very best of the legislative process. It is the product 
of collaboration between the majority and the minority, but it is also 
a collaboration between Congress and the VSO and academic communities.
  I want to give due credit to the bill's original author, Subcommittee 
on Economic Opportunity Ranking Member Mark Takano, and Chairman 
Wenstrup and his staff for working so hard to ensure that the bill 
meets its goal of preparing student veterans for their chosen fields of 
study.
  The Career-Ready Student Veterans Act puts in place a protection for 
student veterans which already exists for servicemen who use the 
Department of Defense tuition assistance benefits.
  I am pleased that the bill creates this basic fairness and ensures 
that the GI Bill benefits help veterans earn credit that will lead to 
meaningful employment.
  In addition to ensuring that career-education programs meet proper 
accreditation requirements, the bill also requires that they publicly 
disclose any additional steps that the student veteran needs to take to 
prepare them for entry into their chosen profession.
  I understand this legislation has passed out of committee in the 
Senate and enjoys bipartisan support there. Again, I want to 
congratulate the bill's original authors on this side and offer my 
strong support.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Phoenixville, Pennsylvania (Mr. Costello).
  Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support 
H.R. 2360, the Career-Ready Student Veterans Act, a straightforward 
solution that will ensure that career education programs set our 
veterans on the proper path to their desired employment.
  As a proud member of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity and a 
cosponsor of this legislation, H.R. 2360 would ensure that GI Bill-
eligible career education programs provide our veterans with the 
accreditation and credentials they need to build a career in the 
professional field or specialty of their choosing.
  This bill requires that career-education programs that accept GI Bill 
tuition payments must have programmatic accreditation if accreditation 
is required for employment in the career for which the program is 
designed to prepare its students.
  The bill also requires that career-education programs designed to 
prepare an individual for licensure or certification in a State must 
meet the curriculum and instructional requirements set by the State for 
licensure or certification.
  Mr. Speaker, if our veterans invest their time and effort to learn a 
skill set, they will have the peace of mind to know they are on the 
right career-education path and the confidence to know that, if they 
work hard, they will receive the appropriate certification they need to 
start their desired employment.
  Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank Mr. Takano for his leadership on 
this legislation.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Takano).
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bipartisan 
legislation, H.R. 2360, the Career-Ready Student Veterans Act. This 
bill will ensure that our veterans are using their post-9/11 GI 
benefits at career-education programs that actually do what they say 
they do: prepare students for entry into a specific career field.
  My legislation would require that, in order to be eligible to receive 
GI Bill benefits, programs have programmatic accreditation, if required 
by the State for employment in a specific field.
  Programs also must prepare students for licensure or certification in 
a field, if required by the State, and they must meet any State-
mandated curricular or instructional requirements.
  This closely mirrors language included in the fiscal year 2014 
National Defense Authorization Act in relation to military tuition 
assistance.
  We all know the importance of a good job in helping veterans 
successfully transition out of service and into civilian life. 
Education and training is often a necessary part of finding that job.
  Unfortunately, too many veterans waste their time and hard-earned 
education benefits at career-education programs that don't actually 
prepare them for that career field. For example, most States require 
prospective lawyers to have graduated from a law program accredited by 
the American Bar Association in order to sit for the bar exam.
  As we all know, you must pass the bar to practice law. When veterans 
unwittingly spend their GI Bill benefits at law programs not accredited 
by the ABA, they graduate with no prospects of becoming a lawyer in 
most States. My legislation will make sure that this no longer happens.
  I thank Chairman Miller and Ranking Member Brown as well as Chairman 
Wenstrup and my friend from Pennsylvania (Mr. Costello) for their 
support.
  I urge all my colleagues to vote in favor of the Career-Ready Student 
Veterans Act.
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support 
H.R. 2360.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers at 
this time. I, too, urge a ``yea'' vote on H.R. 2360, as amended.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the House 
Committee on Homeland Security and the Ranking Member of the Judiciary 
Committee's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and 
Investigations, I rise in support of H.R. 2360, the ``Career-Ready 
Student Veterans Act of 2015.''
  This bill encourages new criteria for state approval of applications 
by educational institutions providing veterans with non-accredited 
courses.
  H.R. 2360 respects the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 
educational assistance, provides specific instructions for when the VA 
can waive requirements by the bill, and instructs the VA to submit to 
Congress notice of, and justification for, a waiver within 30 days of 
issuance.
  The bill clarifies specific circumstances for when the VA shall 
disapprove a course of education and when a course shall not be subject 
to disapproval by reason of this Act.
  Specifically, H.R. 2360 achieves these goals by:
  1. Requiring programs designed to prepare individuals for state 
licensure or certification to fulfill any state instructional 
curriculum licensure or certification requirements

[[Page H616]]

  2. Providing conditions for the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
refer to when waiving requirements or disapproving a course of 
education
  Finally, H.R. 2360 facilitates the approval of certain programs of 
education for the purposes of enhancing educational assistance provided 
by the Department of Veteran Affairs.
  I am pleased that H.R. 2360 aligns with the significance of 
legislation I have introduced in the past.
  I introduced H.R. 76, Helping to Encourage Real Opportunity for 
Veterans Transitioning from Battlespace to Workplace Act Of 2015. This 
bill also enhanced the educational options for veterans by focusing on 
the necessity to establish opportunities that facilitate the transition 
for veterans from the hostile armed force environment to school or 
workplace.
  I introduced H.R. 78, New Chance for a New Start in Life Act of 2015. 
This bill addresses financial awareness pertaining to grants, and 
employment training programs to assist long-term unemployed persons to 
re-enter the workforce in areas projected to have the highest rates of 
demand.
  Pertaining to educational institutions providing veterans with non-
accredited courses, enforcement of the criteria for state approval of 
applications allows veterans to benefit from the improvement of the 
approval process.
  H.R. 2360 is the first step toward enforcing this implementation 
strategy and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the 
``Career-Ready Student Veterans Act of 2015.''
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2360, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________