Improving Transparency of Education Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2012

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4057) to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop a comprehensive policy to improve outreach and transparency to veterans and members of the Armed Forces through the provision of information on institutions of higher learning, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material they may have on H.R. 4057, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

H.R. 4057, as amended, is another bipartisan product of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs' work to improve the effectiveness of several different benefits and health programs for veterans.

I want to express my appreciation to my good friend Chairman Miller and to my other good friend Ranking Member Bob Filner, along with each of the subcommittee chairs--Marlin Stutzman and Ann Marie Buerkle--as well as Ranking Members Bruce Braley and Mike Michaud, for bringing, of course, these provisions to the full committee and to the floor today.

The bill has five major sections, Mr. Speaker. Section 1 reflects a slightly modified version of the original text of my bill, H.R. 4057, which I introduced in February. This legislation would improve the ability of GI Bill users to choose the school that best meets their educational needs. As we commemorate September 11 today, it is appropriate that this Congress help this generation of post-9/11 veterans make informed choices by using their educational benefits.

Specifically, this legislation will require the VA to create a comprehensive policy that would meet this goal by informing veterans about their eligibility for educational counseling by creating a centralized complaint database on schools, requiring State approving agencies to better communicate with accrediting agencies, requiring VA to link to certain performance-related data points on the College Navigator and other appropriate Web sites, and identifying commercially off-the-shelf available software that would assist students in choosing a school and software that would evaluate their readiness to attend postsecondary education.

I want to thank the veteran service organizations and higher education associations for the support of this section and providing great feedback on ways to improve this bill.

Section 2 contains provisions originally introduced by Congressman Stivers and my friend from across the aisle, Congressman Tim Walz, to require States to take military training

into account in awarding licenses to work as medical technicians and other trades. I thank Mr. Stivers, another good friend of mine, and Mr. Walz, for their work on these provisions that will speed up servicemembers' transition to civilian life.

Section 3 contains a provision introduced by Congressman David McKinley which would require per diem payment recipients under VA's Homeless Grant and Per Diem Program to certify compliance with the Life Safety Code or the International Fire Code and other relevant fire safety and building codes. It would also require VA to include an accounting and evaluation of the safety and accessibility of facilities used to provide programs for homeless veterans in the annual report on assistance to homeless veterans.

I'm grateful for Mr. McKinley's advocacy on behalf of our homeless veterans, and I thank him for his hard work to ensure that they are cared for in a safe and secure environment.

Section 4, which incorporates language originally introduced by Representative Akin, would direct the VA to establish and maintain an open burn pit registry for veterans--very important--veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who may have been exposed to toxic chemicals and fumes caused by open burn pits during deployment. It would require VA to develop a public information campaign to inform eligible veterans of the registry and periodically notify them of significant developments in the study and treatment of conditions associated with burn pit exposure. It would also direct the VA to contract with an independent scientific organization to develop a report on the effectiveness of actions taken to collect and maintain information on the health effects of burn pit exposure and submit the completed report to Congress.

Many of our servicemembers and veterans have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan with grave concerns about the possible long-term health effects of burn pit exposure. With this provision, I hope we will move one step closer to providing them answers which may lead to getting them more effective health care.

Finally, section 5, which incorporates language offered by Mr. Stearns, a good friend of mine from the State of Florida, would limit the total amount of bonuses paid to senior VA employees to $1 million for fiscal years 2013 to 2017. On average, over the last several years, VA paid nearly $4 million a year to senior executives who are already paid very well. In a tight fiscal climate when so many improvements are needed for veterans, we must prioritize every dollar. Extravagant executive bonuses are to be the least of our priorities. I'm pleased this section would recognize that reality.

Mr. Speaker, I would also note that the cost of these sections are fully paid for.

I encourage all Members to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I'm happy to yield 3 minutes to a senior member of the Veterans Committee, my good friend from Florida (Mr. Stearns).

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as she may consume to the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Health, my good friend, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Buerkle).

I am happy to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Stivers), a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have left?

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. McKinley).

I am happy to yield 2 minutes to the chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Stutzman).

Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support H.R. 4057, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 4057) to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop a comprehensive policy to improve outreach and transparency to veterans and members of the Armed Forces through the provision of information on institutions of higher learning, and for other purposes

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and add any extraneous material that they may have on the Senate amendment to H.R. 4057.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

Mr. Speaker, the Senate amendment before us, H.R. 4057, is another bipartisan and bicameral product of the work of the House and the Senate Committees on Veterans' Affairs to improve the effectiveness of GI Bill benefits for our veterans.

I want to express my appreciation to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Chairman Marlin Stutzman, Ranking Member Bruce Braley, and our new committee ranking member, Mike Michaud, for working with us to bring this amended bill to the House floor today. I also want to thank the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Senators Murray and Burr, for their support of this legislation as well.

The Senate amendment responds to concerns about how to ensure that veterans make the best use of their hard-earned GI Bill benefits. Now, I think that by adding some very reasonable transparency requirements to information provided by schools we have met those concerns really without overburdening our colleges and universities with needless government regulations.

The bill, as amended, has four major sections. The first one reflects our vice chairman of the full committee Mr. Bilirakis' original legislation, slightly modified, which would improve the ability of GI Bill users to choose the school that best meets their own educational needs. These provisions will help this generation of veterans make informed choices about how to use those educational benefits.

I appreciate the bipartisanship manner in which our colleagues on both sides of the aisle have worked to reach an accord on the final provisions of this section. I also want to thank the veteran service organizations for their assistance, especially the Veterans of Foreign Wars, for they have been so supportive of this particular section. I also want to thank the higher education associations for their support as well.

Now, section 2 contains additional provisions from the original bill that will prohibit schools from paying or offering any type of inducement to employees or students for recruiting veterans. It would also require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out enforcement of this provision in a manner that is consistent with the Higher Education Act.

Section 3 would require VA to provide a point of contact dedicated to assisting schools with questions about VA education policy and processes.

The fourth section would limit the total amount of bonuses or awards paid to VA employees to $395 million total in fiscal year 2013, which fully pays for the provisions in the Senate amendment.

Finally, if properly implemented by VA, and if the multitude of Federal, State, and local agencies charged with overseeing the education industry properly enforce existing laws and regulations, there should be little need for further legislation in this area.

Regardless, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs will continue to aggressively monitor the implementation of this legislation and the performance of the entire education industry to ensure that these provisions achieve the desired results.

I encourage all the Members of this body to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I'm now happy to yield as much time as he might consume to the vice chairman of the full committee, Tarpon Springs' favorite son, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis).

Mr. Speaker, I would like to inquire as to whether my friend has any more speakers. If not, I reserve the balance of time, as we have no more speakers.

Mr. Speaker, I once again encourage all Members to support the Senate amendment to H.R. 4057, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4057, as amended, the Improving Transparency of Education Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2012.

As we all know, 11 years ago this morning on September 11, 2001, our country was forever changed when terrorist attacks on American soil resulted in the deaths of over 3,000 innocent souls. Since that time we've been tested like never before, and thanks to the brave service and sacrifices of our Nation's Armed Forces, have emerged as a nation stronger, better, and more resolved to advancing the cause of freedom around the world.

We also have emerged a more grateful Nation, ever mindful of the simple truth that the security and freedoms we enjoy were bought and paid for by the blood, sweat, and tears of those in uniform. Caring for and honoring these heroes is one of our Nation's most sacred obligations and the primary purpose of this bill before us today.

H.R. 4057, as amended, includes two provisions originating from the Subcommittee on Health, of which I am honored to chair.

Section 3 of the bill would require per diem payment recipients under the Department of VA Homeless Grant and Per Diem program to provide VA with a certification of compliance with a Life Safety Code or the International Fire Code and other relevant fire safety building codes in their jurisdiction. This provision would also require the VA to include an accounting and evaluation of the safety and accessibility of facilities used to provide programs for homeless vets in the annual report on assistance to homeless veterans.

Current law requires the VA to ensure that entities receiving grants under the homeless grant and per diem program meet fire and safety codes. However, VA lacks a similar requirement to ensure per diem recipients are also compliant with these very important codes.

When one of our honored veterans finds him or herself homeless and makes the difficult decision to get help, we must ensure that they are provided the services they need in a safe, secure, and supportive environment. This section of the bill would allow us to do so in a much more comprehensive, effective, and efficient manner.

This provision was introduced by my good friend and colleague from West Virginia, David McKinley, and I thank him for his leadership and his advocacy on behalf of the homeless veterans struggling to rebuild their lives.

Section 4 of the bill would direct the VA to establish and maintain an open burn pit registry for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, who may have been exposed to toxic chemicals and fumes caused by open burn pits during deployment. This provision would also require the VA to develop a public information campaign to inform eligible veterans of their registry and periodically notify them of significant developments in the study and treatment of the conditions that may be associated with burn pit exposure.

Further, it would direct the VA to contract with an independent scientific organization to develop a report on the effectiveness of actions taken to collect and maintain information on the health effects of burn pit exposure and submit the completed report to Congress.

I have heard from countless veterans who returned home from a war consumed with concern about the air they breathed in the battle, which was often filled with smoke from the burning of solid waste and could affect their health and well-being. With this provision, we will take first steps towards recognizing and respecting these concerns of our veterans. Importantly, it will also allow us to gather data necessary to discovering new and better ways to care to for our veterans today and in future generations.

In closing, I would like to offer my sincere gratitude and appreciation to all of the Members who sponsored the provisions included in this legislation.

I also would like to thank the ranking member on the Health Subcommittee, Mr. Michaud of Maine, for his support and all of the work on behalf of our veterans.

I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation. On this day of all days, it is so very important that we support the servicemembers and veterans who have fought for the greatest Nation in the history of mankind, the United States of America.

I thank Mr. Michaud very much. I thank him for his leadership on this legislation. And I thank the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and the author of the bill, along with Mr. Michaud and Mr. Bilirakis, for their leadership.

Texas competes with many States for the number of returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan and certainly is known for the presence of veterans from almost every single war. We are a State of military personnel and military bases, and Houston is known as well for the large numbers of veterans residing there.

I happen to represent the veterans cemetery and interact with veterans on a regular basis. We have Ellington Field, which we hope will some day hold one of the major commands. So we see veterans every day, and we have the opportunity to interact. And we know their dreams and aspirations and those of their family members.

I rise to support H.R. 4057 with the Senate amendment to particularly emphasize some very important points. I want veterans to be treated fairly. I want them to be able to build on the training and the amount of talent that they've built on in the United States military. This legislation protects them and acts to help them utilize the post-Iraq and Afghanistan GI Bill, one of the most unique initiatives in the Nation and one that we supported in a bipartisan way.

This legislation will allow the VA to conduct a market survey of online tools that allow veterans to assess their academic preparedness, to pursue postsecondary education training opportunities, and provide these veterans with a list of institutions that match the criteria. That is our Achilles' heel. Veterans come back, they see a lot of advertisements, they are attracted to a number of institutions; but they may not work for them. This kind of tracking and guidance will say, We really appreciate you; we want you to use these resources in the best way possible. In addition, the VA will then be required or will be able to secure information from other Departments, like the Department of Education, to know about these institutions and guide our veterans in the best way possible.

I see veterans, as I said, all the time. I see homeless veterans. I see veterans seeking services. I see veterans, as many of us do, in our offices. They want information. They want to be respected. They want to be able to contribute in today's society, to help their families, and to use those skills where they were serving their Nation in the best way possible.

I believe the gift that we've given them in education should be a guided gift to give them the kind of pathway, if you will, that will make sure that these resources are used in the best way possible. So I support this legislation.

I would finally say that I additionally support the bill coming up about dignified burial and other veterans benefits just to specifically say because of my district having the veterans cemetery, because of the many issues we have dealt with in the particular cemetery in Houston, this is great news to

know that no veteran will be undermined in their burial, no veteran will be in an undignified burial because of this legislation.

I thank my colleagues for moving forward on recognizing that our veterans have sacrificed for us. We need now to respect that and sacrifice for them.

With that, I ask my colleagues to support the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I certainly thank the members of the committee and Mr. Bilirakis for working in such a bipartisan manner to protect servicemembers and protect veterans. I think Mr. Bilirakis gave a very comprehensive overview of the bill. Let me just make a couple of points here.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill, which a Democratic Congress passed a couple of years ago, was really a milestone for our current crop of veterans. Almost 800,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan have now made use of the benefits that this bill provides. We ought to be, as a Congress, very proud of that kind of legislation.

With so many thousands of veterans using their Post-9/11 GI Bill, it's important, obviously, that they understand their benefits and eligibility and have all the information available to them. That's what H.R. 4057 does, which Mr. Bilirakis outlined quite nicely. Veterans are going to be able to get the kind of information that they need to get the best educational benefits that are suited to them.

Let me just say one thing about section 4 of the bill, which authorizes the Department of VA to establish a burn pit registry for eligible veterans.

Mr. Speaker, every time that we send men and women into combat, we have to make sure we understand the risks associated with exposures to toxic substances and take responsibility when we expose our own troops to these effects. We haven't done that in the past. We ought to learn more from history. Whether it was atomic testing in World War II, whether it was agent orange in the Vietnam War, whether it was depleted uranium, we've done the same thing over and over again. We've either denied or underestimated the risks. It took years, even decades, to admit the risks. When we finally did that, we still make our veterans undergo lots of bureaucratic hoops to get the benefits that come from exposure to the very substances that we put them at risk for.

Let's not repeat that pattern. This open pit registry will be part of that effort. We want to understand the risks. We want people to know where they have been exposed.

I requested the General Accountability Office to help us in our efforts to better understand health risks associated with the burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. We all know that the preliminary reports have shown that the fumes from these pits produce a considerable amount of contaminants that may cause short-term and long-term harm to our servicemembers.

Finally we're having a proactive measure and one which I hope will benefit veterans in an extremely positive way. I thank Mr. Bilirakis and his colleagues for working with our colleagues for the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to our ranking member of the Health Subcommittee, the gentleman from Maine, a fighter for Veterans' Affairs, Representative Michaud.

I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota, the sergeant major of the United States Congress, Mr. Walz.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.