AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR EDUCATION OF CERTAIN DEFENSE DEPENDENTS OVERSEAS.

SEC. 857. AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR EDUCATION OF CERTAIN DEFENSE DEPENDENTS OVERSEAS. Section 1407(b) of the Defense Dependents’ Education Act of 1978 (20 U.S.C. 926(b)) is amended— (1) by striking out “(b) Under such circumstances as he may by regulation prescribe, the Secretary of Defense” and inserting in lieu thereof “(b) Tuition and Assistance When Schools Unavailable.— Under such circumstances as the Secretary of Defense may prescribe in regulations, the Secretary”; and (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: “(2) (A) The Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Transportation with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service of the Navy, may provide financial assistance to sponsors of dependents in overseas areas where schools operated by the Secretary of Defense under subsection (a) are not reasonably available in order to assist the sponsors to defray the costs incurred by the sponsors for the attendance of the dependents at schools in such areas other than schools operated by the Secretary of Defense. “(B) The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Transportation shall each prescribe regulations relating to the availability of financial assistance under subparagraph (A). Such regulations shall, to the maximum extent practicable, be consistent with Department of State regulations relating to the availability of financial assistance for the education of dependents of Department of State personnel overseas.”.