[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 194 (Thursday, November 4, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7977-S7978]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4467. Mr. SCHATZ (for himself, Mr. Portman, Mr. Rounds, and Mr. 
Coons) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 
3867 submitted by Mr. Reed and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 
4350, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2022 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 appropriate place in title X, insert the following:

     SEC. ___. IMPROVING TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF 
                   EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS FOR PURPOSES OF 
                   VETERANS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE.

       (a) Requirement Relating to G.I. Bill Comparison Tool.--
       (1) Requirement to maintain tool.--The Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs shall maintain the G.I. Bill Comparison Tool 
     that was established pursuant to Executive Order 13607 (77 
     Fed. Reg. 25861; relating to establishing principles of 
     excellence for educational institutions serving service 
     members, veterans, spouses, and other family members) and in 
     effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this 
     Act, or successor tool, to provide relevant and timely 
     information about programs of education approved under 
     chapter 36 of title 38, United States Code, and the 
     educational institutions that offer such programs.
       (2) Data retention.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
     historical data that is reported via the tool maintained 
     under paragraph (1) remains easily and prominently accessible 
     on the benefits.va.gov website, or successor website, for a 
     period of not less than seven years from the date of initial 
     publication.
       (b) Providing Timely and Relevant Education Information to 
     Veterans, Members of the Armed Forces, and Other 
     Individuals.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 
     in coordination with the Secretary of Education, shall make 
     such changes to the tool maintained under subsection (a) as 
     the Secretary determines appropriate to ensure that such tool 
     is an effective and efficient method for providing 
     information pursuant to section 3698(b)(5) of title 38, 
     United States Code.
       (2) Modification of scope of comprehensive policy on 
     providing education information.--Section 3698 of title 38, 
     United States Code, is amended--
       (A) in subsection (a), by striking ``veterans and members 
     of the Armed Forces'' and inserting ``individuals entitled to 
     educational assistance under laws administered by the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs''; and
       (B) in subsection (b)(5)--
       (i) by striking ``veterans and members of the Armed 
     Forces'' and inserting ``individuals described in subsection 
     (a)''; and
       (ii) by striking ``the veteran or member'' and inserting 
     ``the individual''.
       (3) G.I. bill comparison tool required disclosures.--
     Paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of such section is amended--
       (A) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(B) for each individual described in subsection (a) 
     seeking information provided under subsection (b)(5)--
       ``(i) the name of each Federal student aid program, and a 
     description of each such program, from which the individual 
     may receive educational assistance; and
       ``(ii) for each program named and described pursuant to 
     clause (i), the amount of educational assistance that the 
     individual may be eligible to receive under the program; 
     and''; and
       (B) in subparagraph (C)--
       (i) in clause (i), by inserting ``and a definition of each 
     type of institution'' before the semicolon;
       (ii) by striking clause (v) and inserting the following:
       ``(v) the average total cost, the average tuition, the 
     average cost of room and board, the average cost and the 
     average fees to earn a certificate, and associate's degree, a 
     bachelor's degree, a postdoctoral degree, and any other 
     degree or credential the institution awards;'';
       (iii) in clause (xii), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting a semicolon; and
       (iv) by adding at the end the following new clauses:
       ``(xiii) program, degree, and certificate completion rates, 
     disaggregated by individuals who are veterans, individuals 
     who are members of the Armed Forces, and individuals who are 
     neither veterans nor members of the Armed Forces;
       ``(xiv) transfer-out rates, disaggregated by individuals 
     who are veterans, individuals who are members of the Armed 
     Forces, and individuals who are neither veterans nor members 
     of the Armed Forces;
       ``(xv) credentials available and the average time for 
     completion of each credential;
       ``(xvi) employment rate and median income of graduates of 
     the institution in general, disaggregated by--
       ``(I) specific credential;
       ``(II) individuals who are veterans;
       ``(III) individuals who are members of the Armed Forces; 
     and
       ``(IV) individuals who are neither veterans nor members of 
     the Armed Forces;
       ``(xvii) percentage of individuals who received educational 
     assistance under this title to pursue a program of education 
     at the institution who did not earn a credential within six 
     years of commencing such program of education;
       ``(xviii) the median amount of debt incurred from a Federal 
     student loan made, insured, or guaranteed under title IV of 
     the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.) by 
     an individual who pursued a program of education at the 
     institution with educational assistance under this title, 
     disaggregated by--
       ``(I) individuals who received a credential and individuals 
     who did not; and
       ``(II) individuals who are veterans, individuals who are 
     members of the Armed Forces, and individuals who are neither 
     veterans nor members of the Armed Forces;
       ``(xix) whether the institution participates in Federal 
     student aid programs, and if so, which programs;
       ``(xx) the average number of individuals enrolled in the 
     institution per year, disaggregated by--
       ``(I) individuals who are veterans;
       ``(II) individuals who are members of the Armed Forces; and
       ``(III) individuals who are neither veterans nor members of 
     the Armed Forces; and
       ``(xxi) a list of each civil settlement or finding 
     resulting from a Federal or State action in a court of 
     competent jurisdiction against the institution for violation 
     of a provision of Federal or State law that materially 
     affects the education provided at the institution or is the 
     result of illicit activity, including deceptive marketing or 
     misinformation provided to prospective students or current 
     enrollees.''.
       (4) Clarity of information provided.--Paragraph (2) of such 
     subsection is amended--
       (A) by inserting ``(A)'' before ``To the extent''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(B) The Secretary shall ensure that information provided 
     under subsection (b)(5) is provided in a manner that is easy 
     and accessible to individuals described in subsection (a), 
     especially with respect to information described in paragraph 
     (1)(C)(xxii).''.
       (c) Improvements for Student Feedback.--
       (1) In general.--Subsection (b)(2) of such section is 
     amended--
       (A) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:
       ``(A) providing institutions of higher learning up to 30-
     days to review and respond to any feedback and address issues 
     regarding the feedback before the feedback is published'';
       (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``; and'' and 
     inserting a semicolon;
       (C) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting a semicolon; and
       (D) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
       ``(D) for each institution of higher learning that is 
     approved under this chapter, retains, maintains, and 
     publishes all of such feedback for the entire duration that 
     the institution of higher is approved under this chapter; and
       ``(E) is easily accessible to individuals described in 
     subsection (a) and to the general public..''.
       (2) Accessibility from g.i. bill comparison tool.--The 
     Secretary shall ensure that--
       (A) the feedback tracked and published under subsection 
     (b)(2) of such section, as amended by paragraph (1), is 
     prominently displayed in the tool maintained under subsection 
     (a) of this section; and
       (B) when such tool displays information for an institution 
     of higher learning, the applicable feedback is also displayed 
     for such institution of higher learning.
       (d) Training for Provision of Education Counseling 
     Services.--
       (1) In general.--Not less than one year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall ensure that 
     personnel employed or contracted by the Department of Veteran 
     Affairs to provide education benefits counseling, vocational 
     or transition assistance, or similar functions, including 
     employees or contractors of the Department who provide such 
     counseling or assistance as part of the Transition Assistance 
     Program, are trained on how--
       (A) to use properly the tool maintained under subsection 
     (a); and
       (B) to provide appropriate educational counseling services 
     to veterans, members of the Armed Forces, and other 
     individuals.
       (2) Transition assistance program defined.--In this 
     subsection, the term ``Transition Assistance Program'' means 
     the program of counseling, information, and services under 
     section 1142 of title 10, United States Code.

     SEC. ___. RESTORATION OF ENTITLEMENT TO VETERANS EDUCATIONAL 
                   ASSISTANCE AND OTHER RELIEF FOR VETERANS 
                   AFFECTED BY CIVIL ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS AGAINST 
                   EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.

       (a) In General.--Section 3699(b)(1) of title 38, United 
     States Code, is amended--

[[Page S7978]]

       (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``; or'' and inserting 
     a semicolon;
       (2) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking ``; and'' and 
     inserting ``; or''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(C) a Federal or State civil enforcement action against 
     the education institution; or
       ``(D) an action taken by the Secretary; and''.
       (b) Mechanism.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
     establish a simple mechanism that can be used by an 
     individual described in subsection (b)(1) of section 3699 of 
     such title by reason of subparagraph (C) or (D) of such 
     subsection, as added by subsection (a)(3) of this section, to 
     obtain relief under section 3699(a) of such title.
       (c) Partial Restoration of Entitlements.--Subsection (a) of 
     such section is amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as 
     subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively;
       (2) in the matter before subparagraph (A), as redesignated 
     by paragraph (1), by striking ``Any payment'' and inserting 
     ``(1) Subject to paragraph (2), any payment''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph (2):
       ``(2) A payment of educational assistance described in 
     subsection (b) by reason of subparagraph (C) or (D) of 
     paragraph (1) of such subsection may be charged against the 
     entitlement to educational assistance of the individual 
     concerned--
       ``(A) if the individual requests such charge; and
       ``(B) to such percentage of charge as the individual may 
     specify, except that such percentage may not be less than 
     zero or more than 100.''.
       (d) Conforming Amendments.--
       (1) Section heading.--The heading for section 3699 of such 
     title is amended by striking ``or disapproval of educational 
     institution'' and inserting ``of, disapproval of, or civil 
     enforcement actions against educational institutions''.
       (2) Subsection heading.--The heading for subsection (a) of 
     such section is amended by striking ``or Disapproval'' and 
     inserting ``, Disapproval, Civil Enforcement Actions, and 
     Other Actions by Secretary of Veterans Affairs''.
       (3) Table of sections.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of chapter 36 of such title is amended by striking 
     the item relating to section 3699 and inserting the following 
     new item:

``3699. Effects of closure of, disapproval of, or civil enforcement 
              actions against educational institutions.''.
                                 ______