[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 120 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2682-S2683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 553. Mr. SCHATZ (for himself and Mr. Rounds) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2226, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2024 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. 10__. 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) the name 
     of each Federal student aid program, and a description of 
     each such program, from which the individual may receive 
     educational assistance.''.
       (B) in subparagraph (C)--
       (i) in clause (i), by inserting ``and a definition of each 
     type of institution;'' before the semicolon;
       (ii) in clause (iv), by inserting ``and if so, which 
     programs;'' before the semicolon;
       (iii) by striking clause (v) and inserting the following:
       ``(v) the average annual cost to earn an associate's degree 
     and a bachelor's degree, with available cost information on 
     any other degree or credential the institution awards;'';
       (iv) in clause (vi), by inserting before the semicolon 
     ``disaggregated by--
       ``(I) individuals who received a credential and individuals 
     who did not; and
       ``(II) individuals using educational assistance under laws 
     administered by the Secretary and individuals who are not'';
       (v) in clause (xv), by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting a semicolon; and
       (vi) by adding at the end the following new clauses:
       ``(xvi) transfer-out rates;
       ``(xvii) credentials available and the average time for 
     completion of each credential;
       ``(xviii) employment rate and median income of graduates of 
     the institution in general, disaggregated by--
       ``(I) specific credential; and
       ``(II) individuals using educational assistance under laws 
     administered by the Secretary and individuals who are not;
       ``(xix) the number of individuals using educational 
     assistance under laws administered by the Secretary who are 
     enrolled in the institution per year; and
       ``(xx) 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).''.
       (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) provides institutions of higher learning up to 90 
     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:

[[Page S2683]]

       ``(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 individuals described in section 3698(a) of such title, as 
     amended by subsection (b)(2)(A).
       (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. 10__. 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--
       (1) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking ``; or'' and 
     inserting a semicolon;
       (2) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``; and'' and 
     inserting a semicolon; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
       ``(D) a Federal or State civil enforcement action against 
     the education institution; or
       ``(E) 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) 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.''.
                                 ______