Except as provided in subsection (b), the Secretary shall conduct an annual compliance survey of educational institutions and training establishments offering one or more courses approved for the enrollment of eligible veterans or persons if at least 20 such veterans or persons are enrolled in any such course. The Secretary shall—

Except as provided in subsection (b), the Secretary shall conduct an annual compliance survey of educational institutions and training establishments offering one or more courses approved for the enrollment of eligible veterans or persons if at least 20 such veterans or persons are enrolled in any such course. The Secretary shall—

(A) design the compliance surveys to ensure that such institutions or establishments, as the case may be, and approved courses are in compliance with all applicable provisions of chapters 30 through 36 of this title;

(B) survey each such educational institution and training establishment not less than once during every 2-year period; and

(C) assign not fewer than 1 education compliance specialist to work on compliance surveys in any year for each 40 compliance surveys required to be made under this section for such year.

The Secretary, in consultation with the State approving agencies, shall—

(A) annually determine the parameters of the surveys required under paragraph (1); and

(B) not later than September 1 of each year, make available to the State approving agencies a list of the educational institutions and training establishments that will be surveyed during the fiscal year following the date of making such list available.

The Secretary may waive the requirement in subsection (a)(1) for a compliance survey with respect to an educational institution or training establishment if the Secretary determines, based on the record of compliance of such institution or establishment with all the applicable provisions of chapters 30 through 36 of this title, that the waiver would be appropriate and in the best interest of the United States Government.

In this section, the terms “educational institution” and “training establishment” have the meanings given such terms in section 3452 of this title.

(Added Pub. L. 94–502, title V, § 511(1), Oct. 15, 1976, 90 Stat. 2401, § 1793; amended Pub. L. 100–322, title III, § 322, May 20, 1988, 102 Stat. 535; Pub. L. 101–237, title IV, § 423(b)(1)(A), Dec. 18, 1989, 103 Stat. 2092; renumbered § 3693, Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 406; Pub. L. 114–315, title IV, § 411, Dec. 16, 2016, 130 Stat. 1561.)