Vet OUTREACH Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 5284 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize State approving agencies to carry out outreach activities. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DECEMBER 3, 2019 Mr. KHANNA (for himself, Mr. KIM, Mr. WALTZ, and Mr. COOK) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize State approving agencies to carry out outreach activities. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veteran Outreach Un- 4 derstanding To Reach Every American Courageous Hero 5 Act’’ or the ‘‘Vet OUTREACH Act’’. 6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 7 The Congress finds the following: 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:41 Dec 06, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5284.IH H5284 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 5284 IH (1) State Approving Agencies (SAAs) play a 1 critical role administering GI Bill benefits to vet- 2 erans. 3 (2) SAAs ensure veterans can use their GI Bill 4 benefits at quality education and job-training pro- 5 grams like apprenticeships. 6 (3) The SAAs primary purpose is to review, 7 evaluate, and approve education and training pro- 8 grams to ensure veterans have the highest quality 9 education. 10 (4) The VALOR Act (Public Law 115–89), 11 makes it easier for employers to offer apprentice- 12 ships to veterans. 13 (5) In 2015, SAAs across the country con- 14 ducted almost 50,000 outreached-related actions to 15 ensure veterans were informed of the benefits they 16 are entitled to receive. 17 (6) SAAs are now left to rely on outreach prod- 18 ucts created before 2015 and can no longer travel to 19 job fairs and employers to ensure veterans, edu- 20 cational institutions, and employers know about the 21 potential benefits and opportunities of the GI Bill. 22 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:41 Dec 06, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5284.IH H5284 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 5284 IH SEC. 3. AUTHORITY OF STATE APPROVING AGENCIES TO 1 CARRY OUT OUTREACH ACTIVITIES. 2 Section 3673 of title 38, United States Code, is 3 amended by adding at the end the following new sub- 4 section: 5 ‘‘(f) OUTREACH ACTIVITIES.— 6 ‘‘(1) A State approving agency may carry out 7 outreach activities if it has properly conducted its 8 enforcement and approval of education programs 9 and funds are still available to do so. 10 ‘‘(2) A SAA shall be considered to have prop- 11 erly conducted its enforcement and approval of edu- 12 cation programs if it has met its Department of Vet- 13 erans Affairs cooperative agreement requirements 14 relating to the oversight and approval of programs, 15 and has completed a risk-based program review of 16 any program determined to be of questionable qual- 17 ity or at risk by any Federal or State agency or any 18 accrediting agency. 19 ‘‘(3) Outreach activities carried out under this 20 subsection shall be carried out using amounts other- 21 wise authorized to be appropriated. No additional 22 amounts are authorized to be appropriated to carry 23 out this subsection.’’. 24 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:41 Dec 06, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H5284.IH H5284 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS