For the purposes of this section, a person will be considered to be an “officer” of the State approving agency or VA when he or she has authority to exercise supervisory authority, and “educational institution” includes an organization or entity offering licensing or certification tests.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3683, 3689)

(a) A conflict of interest can cause the dismissal of a VA or State approving agency officer or employee and other adverse consequences.

(1) An officer or employee of VA will be immediately dismissed from his or her office or employment, if while such an officer or employee he or she has owned any interest in, or received any wages, salary, dividends, profits, gratuities, or services from any educational institution operated for profit—

(i) In which a veteran or eligible person was pursuing a course of education under 10 U.S.C. chapter 1606 or 38 U.S.C. chapter 30, 32, 33, 35, or 36; or

(ii) Offering a licensing or certification test that is approved for payment of educational assistance under 10 U.S.C. chapter 1606, or 38 U.S.C. chapter 30, 32, 33, or 35 to veterans, reservists, or eligible individuals who take that test.

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(3) or (c) of this section, VA will discontinue payments under §21.4153 to a State approving agency when the Secretary finds that any individual who is an officer or employee of a State approving agency has, while he or she was such an officer or employee, owned any interest in, or received any wages, salary, dividends, profits, gratuities, or services from any educational institution operated for profit—

(i) In which a veteran or eligible person was pursuing a course of education or training under 10 U.S.C. chapter 1606 or 38 U.S.C. chapter 30, 32, 33, 35, or 36; or

(ii) Offering a licensing or certification test that is approved for payment of educational assistance under 10 U.S.C. chapter 1606, or 38 U.S.C. chapter 30, 32, 33, or 35 to veterans, reservists, or eligible individuals who take that test.

(3) VA will not discontinue payments to a State approving agency under paragraph (a)(2) of this section if the State approving agency, after learning that it has any officer or employee described in that paragraph, acts without delay to end the employment of that individual.

(4) If VA discontinues payments to a State approving agency pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of this section, VA will not resume these payments while such an individual is an officer or employee of the:

(i) State approving agency;

(ii) State Department of Veterans Affairs; or

(iii) State Department of Education.

(5) A State approving agency will not approve any course offered by an educational institution operated for profit and, if any such course has been approved, will disapprove each such course, if it finds that any officer or employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the State approving agency owns an interest in, or receives any wages, salary, dividends, profits, gratuities, or service from, such educational institution.

(6) If a State approving agency finds that any officer or employee of VA or of the State approving agency owns an interest in, or receives wages, salary, dividends, profits, gratuities, or services from an organization or entity, operated for profit, that offers licensing or certification tests, the State approving agency:

(i) Will not approve any licensing or certification test that organization or entity offers; and

(ii) Will withdraw approval of any licensing or certification test that organization or entity offers.

(7) The Secretary may, after reasonable notice, and public hearings if requested, waive in writing the application of this paragraph in the case of any officer or employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs or of a State approving agency, if it is found that no detriment will result to the United States or to veterans or eligible persons by reason of such interest or connection of such officer or employee.

(Authority: 10 U.S.C. 16136(b); 38 U.S.C. 3034(a), 3241(a), 3323(a), 3683, 3689)

(b) Waiver.

(1) Where a request is made for waiver of application of paragraph (a)(1) of this section, it will be considered that no detriment will result to the United States or to veterans or eligible persons by reason of such interest or connection of such officer or employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs, if the officer or employee:

(i) Acquired his or her interest in the educational institution by operation of law, or before the statute became applicable to the officer or employee, and his or her interest has been disposed of and his or her connection discontinued, or

(ii) Meets all of the following conditions:

(A) His or her position involves no policy determinations, at any administrative level, having to do with matters pertaining to payment of educational assistance allowance, or special training allowance.

(B) His or her position has no relationship with the processing of any veteran's or eligible person's application for education or training.

(C) His or her position precludes him or her from taking any adjudicative action on individual applications for education or training.

(D) His or her position does not require him or her to perform duties involved in the investigation of irregular actions on the part of educational institutions or veterans or eligible persons in connection with 10 U.S.C. chapter 1606 or 38 U.S.C. chapters 30, 32, 33, 35 or 36.

(E) His or her position is not connected with the processing of claims by, or payments to, schools, or their students enrolled under the provisions of 10 U.S.C. chapter 1606 or 38 U.S.C. chapters 30, 32, 33, 35 or 36.

(F) His or her position is not connected in any way with the inspection, approval, or supervision of educational institutions desiring to train veterans or eligible persons or to offer a licensing or certification test; or with the processing of claims by or making payments to veterans and eligible persons for taking an approved licensing or certification test.

(2) Where a request is made for waiver of application of paragraph (a) (2) of this section, it will be considered that no detriment will result to the United States or to veterans or eligible persons by reason of such interest or connection of such officer or employee of a State approving agency, if the officer or employee:

(i) Acquired his or her interest in the educational institution by operation of law, or before the statute became applicable to the officer or employee, and his or her interest has been disposed of and his or her connection discontinued, or

(ii) Meets all of the following conditions:

(A) His or her position does not require him or her to perform duties involved in the investigation of irregular actions on the part of educational institutions or veterans or eligible persons in connection with 10 U.S.C. chapter 1606 or 38 U.S.C. chapters 30, 32, 33, 35 or 36.

(B) His or her work is not connected in any way with the inspection, approval, or supervision of educational institutions desiring to train veterans or eligible persons, or desiring to offer licensing or certification tests to veterans or elegible persons.

(Authority: 10 U.S.C. 16136(b); 38 U.S.C. 3034(a), 3241(a), 3323(a), 3683, 3689)

(c) Authority.

(1) Authority is delegated to the Director, Education Service, and to the facility head in the cases of VA employees under his or her jurisdiction, to waive the application of paragraph (a)(1) of this section in the case of any VA employee who meets the criteria of paragraph (b)(1) of this section, and to deny requests for a waiver which do not meet those criteria. If the circumstances warrant, a waiver request may be submitted to the Secretary for a decision.

(2) Authority is delegated to the Director, Education Service, in cases of State approving agency employees to waive the application of paragraph (a)(2) of this section in the case of anyone who meets the criteria of paragraph (b)(2) of this section, and to deny requests for a waiver which do not meet those criteria. If the circumstances warrant, a waiver request may be submitted to the Secretary for a decision.

(3) Authority is reserved to the Secretary to waive the requirement of paragraphs (a) (1) and (2) of this section in the case of an officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs or a State approving agency and in the case of any employee of either who does not meet the criteria of paragraph (b) of this section.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 512(a), 3683)

(d) Notice when VA does not grant a requested waiver. When VA has denied a request for waiver of application of paragraph (a)(1) or (a)(2) of this section, VA will immediately notify the State approving agency and the educational institution:

(1) That the approval of courses or licensing and certification tests offered by the educational institution must be withdrawn;

(2) The reasons for the withdrawal of approval; and

(3) The conditions that will permit the courses or such tests to be approved again.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3683, 3689(d))

(e) Notice to veterans, reservists, and eligible individuals.

(1) The veteran or eligible person will be notified in writing sent to his or her latest address of record when, in circumstances involving a finding of conflicting interests:

(i) The course or courses are disapproved by the State approving agency, or

(ii) The State approving agency fails to disapprove the course or courses within 15 days after the date of written notice to the agency, and no waiver has been requested, or

(iii) Waiver has been denied.

(2) The veteran or eligible person will be informed that he or she may apply for enrollment in an approved course in another educational institution, but that in the absence of such transfer, educational assistance allowance payments will be discontinued effective the date of discontinuance of the course, or the 30th day following the date of such letter, whichever is earlier.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3683, 3690, 5104)

[31 FR 6774, May 6, 1966, as amended at 43 FR 3707, Jan. 27, 1978; 51 FR 16315, May 2, 1986; 61 FR 20728, May 8, 1996; 72 FR 16967, Apr. 5, 2007; 74 FR 14666, Mar. 31, 2009]