{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-and-chambliss-introduce-the-serve-act-of-2013", "Kaine And Chambliss Introduce The Serve Act Of 2013", "2013-11-14", "2013", "2013-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine And Chambliss Introduce The Serve Act Of 2013\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tBipartisan legislation will improve quality of educational programs for servicemembers and veterans\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, November 14, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, introduced the Servicemember Education Reform and Vocational Enhancement (SERVE) Act of 2013, a bill to improve the quality of educational programs for\u00a0servicemembers\u00a0and veterans and help them\u00a0transition into the civilian workforce.\r\nThe SERVE Act will raise minimum standards for programs that accept educational benefits from the Veterans Administration (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) to make them\u00a0consistent with educational standards currently required for other federal programs, such as Pell Grants and other types of federal financial aid, ensuring all veterans receiving benefits through the GI bill and Tuition Assistance obtain a high-quality education. The legislation also establishes a new pilot program to facilitate the use of veterans' benefits for employment or on-the-job training programs and provides academic or employment counseling throughout the process to enable servicemembers the opportunity to be employed more quickly and at a lower cost.\r\n\u201cI\u2019m proud to introduce the SERVE Act with Senator Chambliss, just six months after we introduced the Troop Talent Act. It\u2019s important we do everything we can to improve the quality of life for our\u00a0servicemembers\u00a0as they transition from active duty service\u201d\u00a0said Kaine. \u201cThis bill will elevate the standards for educational programs that receive funding from the VA and DoD, empower our nation\u2019s veterans with increased access to high-quality education and job training, and equip them with the academic counseling, knowledge and skills to ease their transition back into civilian life.\u201d\r\nOver the Veterans Day weekend, Kaine traveled to Winchester, Richmond and Williamsburg to discuss the SERVE Act along with its companion legislation, the Troop Talent Act of 2013, which Kaine and Chambliss introduced in April. Through both bills, Kaine hopes to address\u00a0the\u00a0low graduation rate and high unemployment rate among veterans - especially young veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, which remains higher than the national average.\u00a0\r\n\u201cWhen our servicemen and women return to civilian life, the transition can be hard,\u201d said Chambliss, vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a senior member of the Armed Services Committee. \u201cWhile we have in place some programs, like the post Post-9/11 GI Bill, that assist veterans during this time, it is often difficult to know what the best programs are for each individual. The SERVE Act, introduced by Senator Kaine and myself, will raise the standards for educational programs that train our troops, and ensure our veterans and servicemembers\u00a0 are getting the counseling they need to effectively use their benefits. \u00a0We should have no higher priority than caring for our nation\u2019s veterans, and the improved transparency and career counseling from this legislation will guarantee our troops receive the training they need to be successful in their civilian careers, increasing the likelihood of employment after their training is complete.\u201d\r\nChambliss has been an outspoken advocate for military personnel throughout his 20 years in Congress. He has been a strong voice for Georgia's military communities and a tireless advocate for improving the quality of life for troops and their families. Chambliss has supported legislation in the past to increase education and employment-training opportunities; improve reporting systems for suicide prevention; provide superior healthcare coverage for servicemembers and their children; ensure better military family housing; and support programs to ease the transition of troops back into civilian life.\r\n###\r\nFact Sheet: The SERVE Act of 2013\u00a0\r\nBackground: As the United States begins to draw down its forces after more than a decade at war, it is more important than ever to demonstrate our commitment to the brave men and women who have served and sacrificed to protect our nation.\u00a0 An important part of this commitment is ensuring our nation\u2019s veterans are prepared for their transition from military service to civilian life and a new career path.\r\nEducation and career training are the greatest tools we have to prepare our veterans for future employment.\u00a0 Over one million veterans have taken advantage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill and $30 billion has been invested, yet graduation rates remain a concern and the unemployment rate among veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq remains higher than the national average.\r\nThe Servicemember Education Reform and Vocational Enhancement (SERVE) Act of 2013 will improve the quality of education and training for veterans and military members taking advantage of educational benefits provided by the Veterans Administration (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD).\r\nThis bill will increase the minimum standards that participating educational programs must meet by requiring them to be \u201cTitle IV\u201d eligible \u2013 a requirement already in place for institutions accepting other types of federal tuition assistance, including Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, and Perkins Loans.\r\nThis bill also improves transparency and career counseling to ensure degree or training programs deliver what they advertise and ensure our troops receive the training they need to be successful in their civilian careers.\u00a0\r\nThe SERVE Act of 2013 will:\r\n \r\nRequire institutions accepting VA or DoD educational benefits to meet minimum standards by ensuring consistency between federal agencies.\u00a0 Raising the bar on minimum standards that educational institutions must meet ensures servicemembers are getting a quality education.\u00a0\r\n \r\n \r\nImprove transparency of education and training programs\u00a0 by requiring institutions to disclose information such as graduation rates, withdrawal policies, and program costs to students and by ensuring programs fully deliver what they advertise.\r\n \r\n \r\nRequire these institutions to provide access to academic and/or career\u00a0 counseling for military and veteran students in hopes of not only improving their chances of graduating, but also helping prepare them for future careers.\r\n \r\n \r\nFacilitate the use of VA and DoD educational benefits for employment training programs by creating a five-state pilot program.\u00a0 States will be charged with developing best practices needed to ensure that quality employment training, apprenticeship, and on-the-job training programs are eligible for participation in the Post-9/11 GI Bill program.\r\n \r\n \r\nRequire an annual report to relevant Senate and House Committees on which schools and programs veteran and military students are putting their educational benefits toward, the number of complaints received, and recommendations for further legislative action to improve educational outcomes and ensure the greatest return on investment in these federal programs.\r\n \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://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-and-chambliss-introduce-the-serve-act-of-2013"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9136390872299671, "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"}