S.Amdt. 2032

SA 2032. Mr. KERRY (for himself and Mr. Ensign) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 1955 proposed by Mr.
Warner (for himself and Mr. Levin) to the bill H.R. 2863, making
appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2006, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on
the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. __. REPORT ON EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS FOR VETERANS.

(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit a report
containing the information described in subsection (b) to--
(1) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
(2) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of
Representatives;
(3) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; and
(4) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives.
(b) Contents.--The report under subsection (a) shall
include--
(1) an analysis by the Department of Defense of the effect
on recruitment of educational benefits under the Montgomery
GI Bill, including--
(A) the percentage of personnel who sign up for such
educational benefits; and
(B) the importance of such educational benefits in the
decision of an individual to enlist;
(2) an analysis by the Department of Veterans Affairs of
the effect on readjustment to civilian life of educational
benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill, including--
(A) the percentage who use partial benefits;
(B) the percentage who use full benefits; and
(C) the reasons that veterans choose not to use benefits;
(3) proposals for improving educational benefits in order
to improve recruiting, retention, and readjustment to
civilian life;
(4) cost estimates for the proposals under paragraph (3);
(5) projected costs of educational benefits under chapters
1606 and 1607 of title 10, United States Code, and section
3015 of title 38, United States Code, during each of the 5-
year and 10-year periods beginning with fiscal year 2006; and
(6) projected costs under chapters 1606 and 1607 of title
10, United States Code, and section 3015 of title 38, United
States Code, during each of the 5-year and 10-year periods
beginning with fiscal year 2006, if the baseline 3-year
active duty rate is increased to cover the average price of--
(A) a public 4-year secondary education (commuter tuition
and fees, room and board, books and supplies, transportation
and other expenses);
(B) a public 4-year secondary education (non-commuter
tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies,
transportation and other expenses);
(C) a public 4-year secondary education (commuter tuition
and fees, room and board); and
(D) a public 4-year secondary education (non-commuter
tuition and fees, room and board).
(c) Calculation.--In calculating costs under paragraphs (5)
and (6) of subsection (b)--
(1) future costs shall be adjusted for inflation using the
``college tuition and fees'' component of the Consumer Price
Index; and
(2) the ratio between the cost of benefits under chapters
1606 and 1607 of title 10, United States Code, and the cost
of benefits under section 3015 of title 38, United States
Code, shall be the same as the ratio between such costs as of
the date of enactment of this Act.
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