,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hbaf  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #aa1      
#bjbj,mr4 ,gallego 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,cole1 ,ms4 ,haaland1 and ,mr4 ,cook7   
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 ,native         
,vet,success at ,tribal ,colleges and   
,universities ,pilot ,program4  #a4     
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,native ,vet,success at ,tribal     
,colleges and ,universities ,pilot      
,program ,act4  #b4 ,native ,vet,success
 at ,tribal ,colleges and ,universities 
,pilot ,program  7a7 ,in general ,not   
later than #ah months after the date of 
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
carry out a five-year pilot program1 to 
be known as the ,native ,vet,success at 
,tribal ,colleges and ,universities     
,pilot ,program4 ,under such pilot      

program the ,secretary shall-- 7#a7     
identify three regional ,native         
,vet,success service areas consisting of
 at least two participating ,tribal     
colleges or universities2  7#b7 assign  
to each regional ,native ,vet,success   
service area a ,vet,success on ,campus  
counselor and a full-time ,vet ,center  
outreach coordinator1 both of which     
shall be based on one or more of the    
participating ,tribal colleges or       
universities in the service area2 and   
7#c7 provide for eligible students at   
such participating colleges and         
universities with all services for which
 such students would be eligible under  
the ,vet,success on ,campus program of  
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs4  
7b7 ,eligible students ,for purposes of 
the pilot program1 an eligible student  
is a student who is a veteran1 member of
 the ,armed ,forces1 or dependent of a  
veteran or member of the ,armed ,forces 
who is eligible for any service or      
benefit under the ,vet,success on       

,campus program of the ,department4  7c7
 ,consultation requirement ,in          
developing the pilot program under this 
section1 the ,secretary1 acting through 
the ,vocational ,rehabilitation and     
,employment ,program of the ,department 
of ,veterans ,affairs and in            
coordination with the ,office of ,tribal
 ,government ,relations of the          
,department1 shall consult with ,indian 
tribes1 ,tribal organizations1 and      
veterans service organizations regarding
 each of the following3 7#a7 ,the design
 of the pilot program4  7#b7 ,the       
selection of the three regional ,native 
,vet,success service areas and          
participating ,tribal colleges and      
universities1 taking into               
consideration-- 7,a7 the number of      
eligible students enrolled in the       
college or university and in the        
regional service area2  7,b7 the        
capacity of the colleges and            
universities in the regional service    
area to accommodate a full-time         

,vet,success on ,campus counselor and a 
full-time ,vet ,center outreach         
coordinator2  7,c7 the lack of          
information available at the colleges   
and universities in the regional service
 area about and lack of access to       
benefits and services under the laws    
administered by the ,secretary2 and     
7,d7 any other factor that the          
,secretary or the ,indian tribes1       
,tribal organizations1 and veterans     
service organizations identify as       
relevant4  7#c7 ,the most effective way 
to provide culturally competent outreach
 and services to eligible students at   
,tribal colleges and universities4  7d7 
,outreach to colleges and universities  
,the ,secretary shall provide notice of 
the pilot program to all ,tribal        
colleges and universities and encourage 
all ,tribal colleges and universities to
 coordinate with each other to create   
regional service areas to participate in
 the pilot program4  7e7 ,briefings and 
reports  7#a7 ,implementation briefing  

,not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this ,act1 the      
,secretary shall provide for the        
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs and   
the ,committee on ,natural ,resources of
 the ,house of ,representatives and the 
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs and   
the ,committee on ,indian ,affairs of   
the ,senate a briefing on-- 7,a7 the    
design1 structure1 and objectives of the
 pilot program2 and  7,b7 the three     
regional ,native ,vet ,success service  
areas and the ,tribal colleges and      
universities selected for participation 
in the pilot program and the reason for 
the selection of such service areas and 
such colleges and universities4  7#b7   
,report ,not later than four years after
 the date on which the ,secretary       
establishes the pilot program1 the      
,secretary shall submit to such         
,committees a report on the pilot       
program4 ,such report shall include each
 of the following3 7,a7 ,the number of  
eligible students provided services     

through the pilot program4  7,b7 ,the   
types of services that eligible students
 received through the pilot program4    
7,c7 ,the graduation rate of eligible   
students who received services through  
the pilot program4  7,d7 ,the rate of   
employment within one year of graduation
 for eligible students who received     
services through the pilot program4     
7,e7 ,feedback from each ,tribal college
 or university that participated in the 
pilot program1 including on the regional
 nature of the program4  7,f7 ,analysis 
of the feasibility of expanding a       
regionally based ,native ,vet,success at
 ,tribal ,colleges and ,universities    
,program1 including any challenges of   
such a model due to distance1           
communication1 coordination1 and level  
of unmet services4  7,g7 ,a detailed    
legislative proposal regarding a        
long-term extension of the pilot        
program1 including a budget1 if the     
,secretary determines that such an      
extension is appropriate4  7f7          

,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,the
 term ,tribal college or university has 
the meaning given such term under       
section #caf of the ,higher ,education  
,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajei;c74  
7#b7 ,the term tribal organization has  
the meaning given that term in section  
#d of the ,indian ,self-,determination  
and ,education ,assistance ,act 7#be    
,u4,s4,c4 #dej;b74  7#c7 ,the term      
culturally competent means considerate  
of the unique values1 customs1          
traditions1 cultures1 and languages of  
,native ,american veterans4