| Sponsor | Rep. Bilirakis, Gus |
| Date | September 11, 2012 (112th Congress, 2nd Session) |
| Staff Contact | Jon Hiler |
On Tuesday, September 11, 2012, the House is scheduled to consider H.R. 4057, Improving Transparency of Education Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2012, under a suspension of the rules requiring a two-thirds majority for approval. The bill was introduced on February 16, 2012, by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and referred to the Committee on Veterans Affairs. The committee held a mark-up session on July 11, 2012, and ordered the bill to be reported as amended by a voice vote.
H.R. 4057 would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide information on educational institutions to veterans and servicemembers, establish a registry to track servicemembers who may have been exposed to toxic chemicals caused by open burn pits, and make other changes to programs that provide services to veterans. The bill also would limit the amount of performance awards VA may pay to senior staff.
According to a committee press release, the bill would, among other things, “create a centralized complaint process to track student issues concerning the GI Bill, as well as require VA to better inform veteran students about education counseling and provide expanded data points for students to help make informed choices about their education.”
According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), “On net, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 4057 would reduce discretionary costs by $1 million over the 2013-2017 period, assuming appropriation actions consistent with the bill. Pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply to this legislation because it would not affect direct spending or revenues.”