[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2764 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2764

To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend to all members of the 
 Armed Forces eligible for educational assistance under the Montgomery 
   GI Bill the authority to transfer entitlement to such educational 
    assistance to dependents, and to provide a six month period for 
                enrollment under the Montgomery GI Bill.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 16, 2003

   Mr. Smith of Washington introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the 
Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined 
 by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as 
        fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend to all members of the 
 Armed Forces eligible for educational assistance under the Montgomery 
   GI Bill the authority to transfer entitlement to such educational 
    assistance to dependents, and to provide a six month period for 
                enrollment under the Montgomery GI Bill.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Expanding Education for Military 
Families Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. TRANSFER OF ENTITLEMENT TO BASIC EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR ALL 
              MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.

    (a) In General.--Subsection (b) of section 3020 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking paragraph (2);
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (2); and
            (3) by adding ``and'' at the end of paragraph (1).
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--(1) Such section is further amended--
            (A) in the heading, by striking
``: members of the Armed Forces with critical military skills'';
            (B) in subsection (a), by striking ``with critical military 
        skills''; and
            (C) in subsection (i), by striking ``subsection (b)(3)'' 
        and inserting ``subsection (b)(2)''.
    (2) The item relating to section 3020 in the table of sections at 
the beginning of chapter 30 of such title is amended by striking the 
following:

``: members of the Armed Forces with critical military skills''.

SEC. 3. SIX MONTH PERIOD FOR ELECTION TO ENROLL UNDER MONTGOMERY GI 
              BILL.

    (a) In General.--The second sentence of section 3011(c)(1) and 
section 3012(d)(1) of title 38, United States Code, are each amended to 
read as follows: ``Any such election shall be made at any time during 
the 180-day period that begins on the date the individual initially 
enters on active duty as a member of the Armed Forces.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--(1) The first sentence of section 
3011(b) of such title is amended by inserting ``that begins after the 
individual indicates (in such form and manner as the Secretary may 
prescribe) the intent to receive educational assistance under this 
chapter'' before ``that such individual is entitled to such pay''.
    (2) The first sentence of section 3011(c) of such title is amended 
by inserting ``that begins after the individual indicates (in such form 
and manner as the Secretary may prescribe) the intent to receive 
educational assistance under this chapter'' before ``that such 
individual is entitled to such pay''.
                                 <all>