Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 114 Part 3.djvu/358

 114 STAT. 1654A-316 PUBLIC LAW 106-398—APPENDIX for appointment to a particular position for which the academic degree is a basic requirement; or "(B) the sole purpose of providing an opportunity to the employee to obtain one or more academic degrees, unless such opportunity is part of a planned, systematic, and coordinated program of professional development endorsed by the Department of Defense; and "(2) any course of post-secondary education delivered through classroom, electronic, or other means shall be administered or conducted by an institution recognized under standards implemented by a national or regional accrediting body, except in a case in which such standards do not exist or the use of such standards would not be appropriate.". SEC. 1122. STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAMS. (a) COVERED STUDENT LOANS.—Section 5379(a)(1)(B) of title 5, United States Code, is amended— (1) in clause (i), by inserting "(20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq.)" before the semicolon; (2) in clause (ii), by striking "part E of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965" and inserting "part D or E of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087a et seq., 1087aa et seq.)"; and (3) in clause (iii), by striking "part C of title VII of Public Health Service Act or under part B of title VIII of such Act" and inserting "part A of title VII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 292 et seq.) or under part E of title VIII of such Act (42 U.S.C. 297a et seq.)". (b) PERSONNEL COVERED. —(1) Section 5379(a)(2) of title 5, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: "(2) An employee shall be ineligible for benefits under this section if the employee occupies a position that is excepted from the competitive service because of its confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character.". (2) Section 5379(b)(1) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking "professional, technical, or administrative". (c) REGULATIONS. — (1) Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the OfEce of Personnel Management shall issue proposed regulations under section 5379(g) of title 5, United States Code. The Director shall provide for a period of not less than 60 days for public comment on the regulations. (2) Not later than 240 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall issue final regulations. (d) ANNUAL REPORTS.— Section 5379 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: "(h)(1) Each head of an agency shall maintain, and annually submit to the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, information with respect to the agency on— "(A) the number of Federal employees selected to receive benefits under this section; "(B) the job classifications for the recipients; and "(C) the cost to the Federal Government of providing the benefits. "(2) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall prepare, and annually submit to Congress, a report containing the information submitted under paragraph (1), and information

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