,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dhij  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #bj1
 #bjbb,ms4 ,hassan 7for herself and ,mr4
 ,tillis7 introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code1 to establish protections 
for a member of the ,armed ,forces who  
leaves a course of education1 paid for  
with certain educational assistance1 to 
perform certain service1 and for other  
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,protections for    
,student ,veterans ,act of #bjbb4  #b4  
,establishment of protections for a     
member of the ,armed ,forces who leaves 
a course of education1 paid for with    
certain educational assistance1 to      
perform certain service  7a7            
,establishment ,chapter #cf of title    
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 amended by  
inserting after section #cfia the       
following new section3  #cfia;,a4       

,withdrawal or leave of absence from    
certain education  7a7 ,in general  7#a7
 7,a7 ,subject to subparagraph 7,b71 a  
covered individual may1 after receiving 
orders to enter a period of covered     
service1 withdraw or take a leave of    
absence from covered education4  7,b7   
,subparagraph 7,a7 shall not apply to a 
covered individual who is not abiding   
the regularly prescribed standards and  
practices of the educational institution
 concerned for attendance1 conduct1 and 
progress4  7#b7 7,a7 ,the institution   
concerned may not take any adverse      
action described in subparagraph 7,b7   
against a covered individual on the     
basis that such covered individual      
withdraws or takes a leave of absence   
under paragraph 7#a74  7,b7 ,the adverse
 actions described in this subparagraph 
are as follows3 7i7 ,the assignment of a
 failing grade to a covered individual  
for covered education4  7ii7 ,the       
reduction of the grade point average of 
a covered individual for covered        

education4  7iii7 ,the characterization 
of any absence of a covered individual  
from covered education as unexcused4    
7iv7 ,the assessment of any financial   
penalty against a covered individual4   
7b7 ,withdrawal ,if a covered individual
 withdraws from covered education under 
subsection 7a71 the institution         
concerned shall refund all tuition and  
fees 7including payments for housing7   
for the academic term from which the    
covered individual withdraws4  7c7      
,leave of absence ,if a covered         
individual takes a leave of absence from
 covered education under subsection 7a71
 the institution concerned shall-- 7#a7 
assign a grade of incomplete 7or        
equivalent7 to the covered individual   
for covered education for the academic  
term from which the covered individual  
takes such leave of absence2 and  7#b7  
to the extent practicable1 permit the   
covered individual1 upon completion of  
the period of covered service1 to       
complete such academic term4  7d7       

,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,the
 term covered education means a course  
of education-- 7,a7 at an institution of
 higher education2 and  7,b7 paid for   
with educational assistance furnished   
under a law administered by the         
,secretary4  7#b7 ,the term covered     
individual means an individual who--    
7,a7 is enrolled in covered education2  
and  7,b7 is-- 7i7 a member of the      
,armed ,forces 7including the reserve   
components72 or  7ii7 the spouse of a   
member described in clause 7i74  7#c7   
,the term covered service means-- 7,a7  
active service or inactive-duty         
training1 as such terms are defined in  
section #aja of title #aj2 or  7,b7     
,state active duty1 as defined in       
section #dcjc of this title4  7#d7 ,the 
term institution concerned means1 with  
respect to a covered individual1 the    
institution of higher education where   
the covered individual is enrolled in   
covered education4  7#e7 ,the term      
institution of higher education has the 

meaning given such term in section #aja 
of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 
7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja74  7#f7 ,the term  
period of covered service means the     
period beginning on the date on which a 
covered individual or the spouse of a   
covered individual enters covered       
service and ending on the date on which 
the covered individual or spouse is     
released from covered service or dies   
while in covered service4  4  7b7       
,report  7#a7 ,in general ,not later two
 years after the date of the enactment  
of this ,act and not later than five    
years after the date of the enactment of
 this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,veterans 
,affairs shall submit to the ,committee 
on ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate   
and the ,committee on ,veterans'        
,affairs of the ,house of               
,representatives a report on the use of 
the authority under section #cfia;,a7a7 
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 as 
added by subsection 7a74  7#b7 ,contents
 ,each report submitted under paragraph 

7#a7 shall include the following3 7,a7  
,the number of covered individuals using
 the authority described in paragraph   
7#a71 disaggregated by-- 7i7 in the     
cases in which the covered individual is
 a member of the ,armed ,forces1 the    
component of the ,armed ,forces of which
 the covered individual is a member2 and
  7ii7 in the cases in which the covered
 individual is a spouse of a member of  
the ,armed ,forces1 the component of the
 ,armed ,forces of such member4  7,b7   
,the number of times that such authority
 was used1 disaggregated by-- 7i7       
whether the authority was used for a    
leave of absence or a withdrawal2  7ii7 
the type of covered duty for which the  
authority was used2  7iii7 the program  
of educational assistance that was being
 used to pay for the program of         
education from which the covered        
individual withdrew or took a leave of  
absence2 and  7iv7 the duration of the  
covered duty for which the authority was
 used4  7c7 ,clerical amendment ,the    

table of contents at the beginning of   
such chapter is amended by inserting    
after the item relating to section #cfia
 the following new item3  #cfia;,a4     
,withdrawal or leave of absence from    
certain education4  4