[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 115 (Thursday, July 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S4674]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2344. Mr. SCHATZ submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2025 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 enactment of this Act, 
     or a 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 a successor website, for a 
     period of not less than six 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 consultation with the Secretary of Education, the 
     Secretary of the Treasury, and the heads of other relevant 
     Federal agencies, shall make such changes to the tool 
     maintained under subsection (a) as the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs 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) Memorandum of understanding required.--Not later than 
     two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall seek to enter into a 
     memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Education 
     and the heads other relevant Federal agencies, as the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines appropriate, to 
     obtain information on outcomes with respect to individuals 
     who are entitled to educational assistance under the laws 
     administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and who are 
     attending educational institutions. Such memorandum of 
     understanding may include data sharing or computer matching 
     agreements.
       (3) 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''.
       (4) 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 and the total 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 the 
     following: ``disaggregated by--
       ``(I) the type of beneficiary of educational assistance;
       ``(II) individuals who received a credential and 
     individuals who did not; and
       ``(III) individuals using educational assistance under laws 
     administered by the Secretary and individuals who are not'';
       (v) in clause (xiv), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (vi) in clause (xv), by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting a semicolon; and
       (vii) by adding at the end the following new clauses:
       ``(xvi) the number of veterans or members who completed 
     covered education at the institution leading to--
       ``(I) a degree, disaggregated by type of program, 
     including--

       ``(aa) an associate degree;
       ``(bb) a bachelor's degree; and
       ``(cc) a postbaccalaureate degree; and

       ``(II) a certificate or professional license, disaggregated 
     by type of certificate or professional license;
       ``(xvii) programs available and the average time for 
     completion of each program;
       ``(xviii) employment rate and median income of graduates of 
     the institution in general two and five years after 
     graduation, disaggregated by--
       ``(I) specific program; and
       ``(II) individuals using educational assistance under laws 
     administered by the Secretary and individuals who are not; 
     and
       ``(xix) the number of individuals using educational 
     assistance under laws administered by the Secretary who are 
     enrolled in the both the institution and specific program per 
     year.''.
       (5) Clarity and anonymity 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 
     pursuant to subsection (b)(5) is provided in a manner that is 
     easy for, and accessible to, individuals described in 
     subsection (a).
       ``(C) In providing information pursuant to subsection 
     (b)(5), the Secretary shall maintain the anonymity of 
     individuals described in subsection (a) and, to the extent 
     that a portion of any data would undermine such anonymity, 
     ensure that such data is not made available pursuant to such 
     subsection.''.
       (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--
       ``(i) up to 30 days to review and respond to feedback from 
     individuals described in subsection (a) and address issues 
     regarding the feedback before the feedback is published; and
       ``(I) if an institution of higher learning contests the 
     accuracy of the feedback, the opportunity to challenge the 
     inclusion of such data with an official appointed by the 
     Secretary;'';
       (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (C) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``that conforms with 
     criteria for relevancy that the Secretary shall determine.'' 
     and inserting ``, and responses from institutions of higher 
     learning to such feedback, that conform with criteria for 
     relevancy that the Secretary shall determine;''; 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 not less than six years; 
     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 by the Department of Veteran Affairs, or a 
     contractor of the Department, 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)(3)(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.
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