,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cjef  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,august #b1 #bjac    
,mr4 ,takano 7for himself and ,ms4      
,brownley of ,california7 introduced the
 following bill2 which was referred to  
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of 
,veterans ,affairs to carry out a pilot 
program on the provision of outreach and
 support services to veterans pursuing  
higher education under the ,post #i_/aa 
,educational ,assistance ,program of the
 ,department of ,veterans ,affairs4  #a4
 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,warriors' ,peer-,outreach ,pilot  
,program ,act4  #b4 ,pilot program on   
the provision of outreach and support   
services to veterans pursuing higher    
education under the ,post #i_/aa        
,educational ,assistance ,program of the
 ,department of ,veterans ,affairs  7a7 
,pilot program ,the ,secretary of       
,veterans ,affairs shall carry out a    
three-year pilot program to provide     

outreach and support services at        
institutions of higher learning 7as that
 term is defined in section #cdeb7;f7 of
 title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code7 that 
are designed to promote improved        
higher-education outcomes and the       
successful use of needed services for   
veterans using their entitlement to     
educational assistance under chapter #cc
 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 to
 pursue a program of education leading  
to a degree at the institution of higher
 learning4  7b7 ,selection of           
institutions  7#a7 ,types of            
institutions ,the ,secretary shall      
select three institutions of higher     
learning at which the ,secretary shall  
carry out the pilot program under this  
section1 as follows3  7,a7 ,one         
four-year public university4  7,b7 ,one 
community college4  7,c7 ,one private1  
not-for-profit college4  7#b7 ,other    
requirements ,to be eligible to         
participate in the pilot program under  
this section1 an institution shall--    

7,a7 provide office space1 the          
capability for veterans described in    
subsection 7c77#a7 to use information   
technology equipment1 and appropriate   
information-technology support services 
for the individual who will provide     
peer-outreach and peer-support services 
at such institution2 and  7,b7 cooperate
 with the ,secretary in providing such  
data as the ,secretary may require to   
evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot 
program1 as described in subsection     
7c77#c74  7#c7 ,priority for selection  
,in selecting institutions of higher    
learning for purposes of the pilot      
program under this section1 the         
,secretary shall give priority to--     
7,a7 institutions of higher learning    
with existing peer outreach programs for
 veteran students2 and  7,b7            
institutions of higher learning located 
in ,states with large student veteran   
populations1 as determined by the       
,secretary4  7c7 ,program requirements  
,in carrying out the pilot program under

 subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall-- 
7#a7 ,provide peer-outreach and         
peer-support services to veterans of    
,operation ,enduring ,freedom1          
,operation ,iraqi ,freedom and          
,operation ,new ,dawn who are students  
at an institution where the ,secretary  
carries out the pilot program1 with     
particular emphasis on assisting        
individuals who may have1 or may be     
having1 difficulty in adjusting to such 
institution1 or who may need services or
 supports that such institution is not  
equipped to provide1 by employing       
veterans--  7,a7 who--  7i7 are using   
their entitlement to educational        
assistance under chapter #cc of title   
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 to pursue a 
program of education leading to a degree
 at the institution of higher learning2 
or  7ii7 have used their entitlement to 
educational assistance under such       
chapter to complete a program of        
education and graduate from such an     
institution during the #ah-month period 

preceding the date on which the veteran 
is hired to perform services under the  
pilot program2 and  7,b7 who have served
 on active duty in a theater of combat  
operations 7with special consideration  
given to veterans who have recovered or 
are recovering from a mental health     
condition74  7#b7 ,provide for training 
veterans employed as described in       
paragraph 7#a74  7#c7 ,develop          
requirements and measures for assessing 
the impact and effectiveness of the     
services provided under the pilot       
program1 including--  7,a7 developing   
and disseminating an online survey      
instrument 7designed to establish       
baseline data1 including data on need   
for services7 to veterans attending the 
institutions of higher education        
described in paragraph 7#a7 of this     
subsection2  7,b7 developing and        
disseminating 7not earlier than #ah     
months after the start of the pilot     
program7 a follow-up online survey      
instrument 7designed to gather data1    

including data to assess engagement with
 peer-support1 experience accessing     
services1 and adjustment to higher      
education7 other on the possible impact 
of the program72 and  7,c7 tabulating-- 
7i7 the number of veterans who meet on  
an individual basis with such peer2     
7ii7 the number of referrals such       
individual makes2 and  7iii7 the outcome
 of such referrals4  7d7 ,duration ,the 
authority of the ,secretary to provide  
services under the pilot program under  
this section shall terminate on the     
later of the following dates3  7#a7 ,the
 date that is three years after the date
 of the commencement of the pilot       
program4  7#b7 ,the date of the last day
 of the academic year that ends not more
 than #ahj days after the date that is  
three years after the date of the       
commencement of the pilot program4  7e7 
,report ,not later than nine months     
after the completion of the pilot       
program under this section1 the         
,secretary shall submit to the          

,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs of   
the ,senate and the ,house of           
,representatives a report on the pilot  
program4 ,the report shall include the  
following3  7#a7 ,a description of the  
implementation and operation of the     
program4  7#b7 ,an evaluation of        
effectiveness of then peer-outreach     
services provided under the program in--
  7,a7 reducing the prevalence of       
veterans failing to continue higher     
education pursuits using their          
entitlement to educational assistance   
under chapter #cc of title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code2  7,b7 improving other    
outcomes related to higher education for
 veterans using such entitlement2 and   
7,c7 the use by such veterans of needed 
behavioral health and other services4   
7#c7 ,an analysis of the costs and      
benefits of the program4  7#d7 ,the     
,secretary's recommendations1 if any1   
regarding an extension or expansion of  
the program4