U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine announced the Servicemember Education Reform and Vocational Enhancement (SERVE) Act of 2013 at veterans events in Winchester and Richmond today.

“I’m proud to introduce a second piece of legislation that seeks to help veterans transition to the civilian workforce,” said Kaine. “Access to high-quality education and job training is the best tool we can provide to our nation’s veterans as they return home and transition into civilian life. This bill increases minimum standards for programs and institutions accepting va and DoD education benefits to be consistent with other types of federal tuition assistance, including Pell Grants, Stafford Loans and Perkins Loans. A companion to my first bill, the Troop Talent Act, this bill will also facilitate the use of educational benefits for apprenticeships, vocational, and on-the-job training programs which often get veterans employed faster and at a lower cost.”