{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://womack.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399243", "House Lawmakers introduce the CERTIFY Heroes Act", "2017-12-12", "2017", "2017-12", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Steve Womack", "W000809", "womack.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2013\u00a0Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3)\u2014 joined by Representatives John Carter (TX-31), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-5), Steve Russell (OK-5), and Sanford Bishop (GA-2)\u2014 today introduced the Credentialing, Educating, and Relevant Training Initiative For Your (CERTIFY) Heroes Act.\u00a0\r\nThis legislation will permit individuals who are eligible for the Department of Defense tuition assistance program (TA) to use their benefit for licensing, credentialing, and certification programs offered by entities other than an institution of higher education.\r\nUpon introduction, the sponsors released the following statement:  \r\n\r\n\u201cThe members of our Armed Forces deserve nothing short of the best, and we should provide them with the resources necessary for success once they return to civilian life. The CERTIFY Heroes Act will allow active duty men and women who are unable to attend a four-year college to pursue more than 1,500 different licenses, certifications, and credentials using TA. This bill makes clear the House\u2019s priority to not only equip our servicemembers for their future, but also to give our nation\u2019s workforce the best we have to offer.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\nThe text of the bill can be found here.\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\nCongressman Steve Womack has represented Arkansas\u2019s Third Congressional District since 2011 and serves on the House Appropriations Defense, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, and Labor-Health and Human Services subcommittees and the House Committee on the Budget.\r\n\u00a0\r\nwomack.house.gov\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://womack.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399243"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8222309406846762, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}