HR 5914 United States House · 118th Congress

VETT Act

The VETT Act modifies how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reviews education programs for veterans' benefits. It requires the VA to create a central website providing regular updates on training for school certifying officials (staff at colleges who handle VA benefits paperwork). The bill also limits the VA’s ability to reject education programs solely for not providing certain forms, directing them to work "to the maximum extent practicable" toward approval. These changes directly affect schools administering veterans' education benefits and VA staff processing program approvals.

Issues: ✓ Veterans

Sub-Topics: Veteran Education Veteran Benefits Veteran Healthcare

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Oct 2023

Committee Review

Apr 2024

House Passage

Apr 2024

Senate Passage

President

Introduced Oct 10, 2023 Last action Apr 30, 2024

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced in House → Engrossed in House · 6 edits · Apr 29, 2024

MODERATE

The Engrossed version of HR 5914 adds a short title (the VETT Act), replaces a simple amendment with a more detailed notice requirement for educational institutions that cannot provide complete forms, and adds an entirely new section creating an exemption pathway for commercial driver education programs from the standard state approval requirement. The new driver education provisions allow branches to operate without individual state approval if they are licensed, use the same curriculum as an approved location, and meet a one-year operating threshold, subject to annual reporting and congressional notification.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a single amendment regarding form-provision language to a multi-section act covering both general educational assistance program transparency and a new regulatory pathway specifically for commercial driver education programs, adding an exemption mechanism that reduces state-level approval barriers for certain branches of educational institutions.

SCOPE

A short title was added: the Veterans Education Transparency and Training Act (VETT Act).

REQUIREMENT

The amendment to 38 U.S.C. 3679(f) was changed from a simple insertion of 'to the maximum extent practicable' into a restructuring of subparagraphs plus a new requirement that educational institutions provide a notice identifying what information may be inaccurate or incomplete, along with best estimates, when they cannot supply a complete form.

Educational institutions seeking the driver education exemption must submit an annual report demonstrating that the curriculum at the new branch is the same as at the primary approved location, in a format the Secretary establishes in consultation with State approving agencies.

ELIGIBILITY

A new exemption was created for commercial driver education programs from the requirement of approval by a State approving agency or the Secretary. A branch qualifies if it is appropriately licensed and either (1) the same program is offered at another approved branch in the same state, or (2) the branch has operated for at least one year using the same curriculum as an approved location.

ENFORCEMENT

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may withhold any exemption and may consult with the Secretary of Transportation on a provider's status in the FMCSA Training Provider Registry. The Secretary must notify Congress within 30 days of granting any exemption.

TIMELINE

Implementation is phased: the Secretary has 180 days after enactment to establish reporting requirements, and the new provisions apply to commercial driver education programs 180 days after those requirements are established (approximately one year total from enactment).

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the House by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 30, 2024

Committee

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

upper

Apr 29, 2024

Introduced

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2693)

lower

Apr 29, 2024

Lower · Passed

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2693)

lower

Apr 29, 2024

Introduced

Mr. Bost moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

lower

Apr 9, 2024

Lower · Passed

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 118-449.

lower

Dec 5, 2023

Lower · Passed

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

lower

Nov 15, 2023

Lower · Passed

Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.

lower

Nov 15, 2023

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

lower

Nov 2, 2023

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee Hearings Held

lower

Nov 1, 2023

Committee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

lower

Oct 25, 2023

Committee

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

lower

Oct 10, 2023

Introduced

Introduced in House

lower

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor