[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 37 (Tuesday, February 25, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H1175-H1176]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
G.I. AND VETERANS EDUCATION EMPOWERMENT ACT
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4852) to amend title 38, United States Code, to require the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make available to veterans certain
additional information about postsecondary educational institutions,
and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4852
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 ``G.I. and Veterans Education
Empowerment Act'' or the ``GIVE Act''.
SEC. 2. INFORMATION PROVIDED BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS ABOUT POSTSECONDARY EDUCATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS.
(a) Additional Information To Be Provided.--Subsection (c)
of section 3698 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)(C)--
(A) in clause (xi), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) in clause (xii), by striking the period and inserting a
semicolon; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new clauses:
``(xiii) whether the institution is listed on the College
Navigator website as affiliated with a religion and, if so,
which religious denomination;
``(xiv) whether the Secretary of Education or other head of
a department or agency of the Federal Government has
determined that the institution is a minority serving
institution and, if so, which one or more types of minority
serving institutions; and
``(xv) whether the institution is gender specific.''; and
(2) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end the following
new sentence: ``To the extent practicable, the Secretary
shall ensure that such information is provided in a
searchable format.''.
(b) Definition.--Subsection (f) of such section is amended
by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
``(3) The term `College Navigator website' has the meaning
given that term in section 132 of the Higher Education Act
(20 U.S.C. 1015a).
``(4) The term `minority serving institution' means any of
the following:
``(A) A part B institution, as such term is defined in
section 322(2) of the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C.
1061(2)).
[[Page H1176]]
``(B) A Hispanic-serving institution, as such term is
defined in section 502(a)(5) of such Act (20 U.S.C.
1101a(5)).
``(C) A Tribal College or University, as such term is
defined in section 316(b)(3) of such Act (20 U.S.C.
1059c(b)(3)).
``(D) A predominantly Black institution, as such term is
defined in section 318(b)(6) of such Act (20 U.S.C.
1059e(b)(6)).
``(E) A Native American-serving, nontribal institution, as
such term is defined in section 319(b)(2) of such Act (20
U.S.C. 1059f(b)(6)).
``(F) An Alaska Native-serving institution or Native
Hawaiian-serving institution, as such terms are defined in
section 317(b) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)).
``(G) An Asian American and Native American Pacific
Islander-serving institution, as such term is defined in
section 320(b) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1059g(b)).''.
(c) Application.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply with respect to the information provided under section
3698 of title 38, United States Code, beginning on the date
that is two years after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Takano) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. David P.
Roe) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 4852.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4852, the G.I. and Veterans
Education Empowerment Act, also known as the GIVE Act.
H.R. 4852, introduced by Representative Torres, provides veterans
with more information about educational institutions prior to their
enrollment. Too often veterans find their educational institutions are
not good fits for their educational goals and drop out or transfer to
other institutions after wasting time and benefits.
After transferring, veterans lose credits from their transferring
institutions or simply give up on acquiring a new skill set altogether
because an institution does not meet their needs.
Madam Speaker, the GIVE Act addresses an overlooked cause for
veterans dropping out or transferring to other institutions: cultural
incongruence.
I have observed countless instances where veterans begin their
studies only to find out that they are not comfortable on the campus of
their educational institution.
Congress created the GI Bill Comparison Tool to provide veterans with
more information when they consider where they will pursue a
postsecondary education. While the GI Bill Comparison Tool provides
veterans with data on tuition and costs, accreditation, and cautionary
information, there are gaps in the information regarding campus
culture.
For example, the GI Bill Comparison Tool does not inform a Catholic
veteran, who may be interested in attending a Catholic institution, if
an institution is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church.
Madam Speaker, small pieces of information like that are critical to
helping veterans assimilate to life on campus.
Data on campus culture are collected by the Department of Education
but are not currently displayed on the GI Bill Comparison Tool website.
Now, if enacted, the GIVE Act will require VA to provide prospective
student veterans with information on whether an institution is minority
serving, gender specific, or has a religious affiliation.
Madam Speaker, this bill will simply require the GI Bill Comparison
Tool to display information to help veterans choose the right school
the first time.
{time} 1630
This bill will also help veterans choose a campus that is aligned
with their values and reduce the number of transfers due to cultural
incompatibility.
We owe it to our veterans to give them the most accurate and relevant
information that will allow them to efficiently obtain a new skill set
so they can reenter the labor force and find meaningful opportunities.
Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Torres for her work on this
important issue.
Madam Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to join me in passing
H.R. 4852, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much
time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, today, I rise in support of H.R. 4852, the G.I. and
Veterans Education Empowerment, or GIVE, Act.
This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide
additional information on schools listed on the GI Bill Comparison
Tool. The tool was first authorized by legislation sponsored by
Congressman Gus Bilirakis from Florida, the ranking member of the
Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, in 2013 to give servicemembers
and veterans the opportunity to compare information on GI Bill-eligible
schools to determine which school is right for them.
The tool is modeled off the Department of Education's College
Navigator website, which contains information about tuition and fee
costs, policies on transferring credits, and whether an institution is
private, nonprofit, or public.
H.R. 4852 would add three additional data points to the tool to
ensure that it captures information about whether an institution is
affiliated with a religion, serves a specific group of minorities, or
is gender-specific.
As the old saying goes, information is power. I am sure that this
additional information will help GI Bill users choose the right school
to fit their specific needs and, ultimately, ensure their success in
higher education and beyond.
Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Norma Torres from California for
her work on this legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to
support it.
Madam Speaker, having used the GI Bill myself many, many years ago,
it is an invaluable tool for our veterans. We know that the GI Bill was
really one of the major things that helped create the America we live
in today, as post-World War II veterans left, came out, used the GI
Bill, went to college, and really helped create this great country we
live in.
Two years ago, we passed a bill that would make the GI Bill forever,
so that if you lose your job when you are 45 years old or 50 years old,
if you are a veteran, you can go back and use that GI Bill to retrain
and continue your education.
This bill helps further clarify and helps veterans use that
information better for themselves and their families.
Madam Speaker, I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I again urge all of my colleagues to pass
H.R. 4852.
Our veterans deserve to have the most accurate information available
to them as they are making their choices about the institutions where
they would like to use their GI Bill.
Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, and
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 4852.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________