Ensuring the Best Schools for Veterans Act of 2022
Public Law 117-174 · S. 4458 · 117th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Aug 26, 2022 · Armed Forces and National Security
Sponsor: Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT)
Cosponsors (3): Sen. Jerry Moran, Sen. Susan Collins,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
This act makes adjustments to the process by which the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) evaluates programs of education for violations of the 85/15 Rule.
The rule generally prohibits the VA from approving the enrollment of a veteran in any course at an educational institution where more than 85% of the students are having all or part of their tuition or other charges paid by the institution or the VA.
The act adds an exception for tuition or charges paid under a payment plan at an educational institution with a history of offering payment plans that are completed within 180 days after the end of the applicable term, quarter, or semester.
The act also requires the VA to establish a process by which an educational institution may request a review of a determination that the institution has more than 85% of enrolled students that have all or part of their tuition or other charges paid by the institution or the VA.
The act adjusts the existing 35% exemption by exempting courses from the 85/15 Rule if the majority of courses at the institution are approved by the state approving agency, and the total number of veterans, reservists, or eligible beneficiaries who are enrolled at the institution equals 35% or less of the total student enrollment at the institution.
Additionally, the 85/15 Rule does not apply with respect to the enrollment of a veteran in a program of education with fewer than 10 students who are having all or part of their tuition or other charges paid to or for them by the educational institution or the VA.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 8198Related bill
Ensuring the Best Schools for Veterans Act of 2022
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 16 actions.
- Aug 26, 2022Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 117-174.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Aug 23, 2022FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Aug 12, 2022FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Takano asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- Aug 9, 2022FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- Aug 8, 2022FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Aug 4, 2022FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Jul 13, 2022CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
- Jun 23, 2022CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.