Sponsor
Ryan Mackenzie
Representative · R-PA
Representative · R-PA
The bill strengthens VA oversight and reporting to better protect veterans from deceptive recruiting and preserves state approvals through FY2028, at the cost of higher compliance and VA administrative burdens and reduced state control (and potential approval delays) once authority shifts to the Secretary after 2028.
Veterans (those using VA education benefits) gain stronger protections against deceptive or predatory recruiting, marketing, and enrollment because the VA's oversight explicitly covers marketing, enrollment activities, and foreign training locations, and requires annual assessments of third‑party contractors through FY2028.
Veterans retain continuity of benefits administration because State approving agencies keep authority to approve education and training programs through FY2028, avoiding immediate disruptions to approvals and longstanding state–school relationships.
Congress and the VA receive annual reports with assessments and recommendations, improving accountability and enabling faster legislative or regulatory corrective action where problematic practices are identified.
Schools, universities, and third‑party contractors will face increased compliance and administrative costs from broader VA oversight and required annual assessments through FY2028.
The VA will incur added administrative costs and staff burden to conduct yearly assessments and prepare reports through FY2028, which could divert VA resources and attention from other veteran services.
After Oct 1, 2028, shifting approval authority from State agencies to the VA reduces local input and oversight of program quality, diminishing state control over education approvals affecting veterans in those states.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Expands VA oversight of third-party education contractors, requires annual VA reports through 2028, and temporarily preserves State approving agency recognition until Oct 1, 2028 before defaulting SAA references to the VA Secretary.
Official title: To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide additional authorities to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and State Approving Agencies with respect to third-party contractors of educational institutions, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 23, 2026 by Ryan Mackenzie · Last progress June 23, 2026
Expands VA oversight of third-party contractors used by schools that deliver programs to veterans and requires annual VA assessments and reports through 2028. It broadens the kinds of school practices the VA can monitor, clarifies that oversight covers all locations where approved programs are offered (including foreign sites), and temporarily allows State agencies to be recognized as the State approving agency through October 1, 2028, after which references to the State approving agency for that State will refer to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The law requires the VA Secretary to submit an annual report to the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees by October 1 each year through 2028 detailing activities related to approval of courses or programs provided by third-party contractors and to include recommendations for legislative or regulatory changes.