38 U.S.C. § 3683
Section 3683 · Conflicting interests
Current version, with additions and removals from the August 6, 1991 version.
(a) Every officer or employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs who has, while 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 in which an eligible person or veteran was pursuing a program of education or course under this chapter or chapter 34 or 35 of this title shall be immediately dismissed from such officer's or employee's office or employment.
(b) If the Secretary finds that any person who is an officer or employee of a State approving agency has, while such person was such an officer or employee, owned any interest in, or received any wages, salary, dividends, profits, gratuities, or services from, an educational institution operated for profit in which an eligible person or veteran was pursuing a program of education or course under this chapter or chapter 34 or 35 of this title, the Secretary shall discontinue making payments under section 3674 of this title to such State approving agency unless such agency shall, without delay, take such steps as may be necessary to terminate the employment of such person and such payments shall not be resumed while such person is an officer or employee of the State approving agency, or State department of veterans’ affairs or State department of education.
(c) A State approving agency shall not approve any course offered by an educational institution operated for profit, and, if any such course has been approved, shall 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 services from, such institution.
(d) The Secretary may, after reasonable notice and public hearings, waive in writing the application of this section in the case of any officer or employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs or of a State approving agency, if the Secretary finds that no detriment will result to the United States or to eligible persons or veterans by reasons of such interest or connection of such officer or employee.
An officer or employee of the Department shall receive corrective action or disciplinary action if such officer or employee—
has, while serving as such an officer or employee, owned any interest in, or received any wage, salary, dividend, profit, or gift from, any educational institution operated for profit; or
has, while serving as a covered officer or employee of the Department, received any service from any educational institution operated for profit.
In this subsection, the term “covered officer or employee of the Department” means an officer or employee of the Department who—
works on the administration of benefits under chapter 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, or 36 of this title; or
has a potential conflict of interest involving an educational institution operated for profit, as determined by the Secretary.
If the Secretary finds that any person who is an officer or employee of a State approving agency has, while such person was such an officer or employee, owned any interest in, or received any wage, salary, dividend, profit, or gift from, an educational institution operated for profit, the Secretary shall discontinue making payments under section 3674 of this title to such State approving agency unless such agency shall, without delay, take such steps as may be necessary to provide corrective action or disciplinary action with respect to such person and such payments shall not be resumed until the completion of such corrective action or disciplinary action.
A State approving agency shall not approve any course offered by an educational institution operated for profit, and, if any such course has been approved, shall disapprove each such course, if it finds that any officer or employee of the Department or the State approving agency owns an interest in, or receives any wage, salary, dividend, profit, or gift from, such institution.
The Secretary may waive in writing the application of this section in the case of any officer or employee of the Department or of a State approving agency, if the Secretary finds that no detriment will result to the United States or to eligible persons or veterans by reasons of such interest or connection of such officer or employee.
The Secretary shall provide public notice of any waiver granted under this subsection by not later than 30 days after the date on which such waiver is granted.