[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1631 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1631

  To amend title 37, United States Code, to require the Secretary of 
Defense to ensure that members of the Armed Forces serving in a combat 
  zone automatically receive the education benefits to which they are 
                               entitled.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 18, 2013

  Mr. Markey introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 37, United States Code, to require the Secretary of 
Defense to ensure that members of the Armed Forces serving in a combat 
  zone automatically receive the education benefits to which they are 
                               entitled.

    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 ``Accessing Military Education 
Benefits Act''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EFFORTS TO ENSURE OPERATION OF CURRENT 
              PROHIBITION ON ACCRUAL OF INTEREST ON DIRECT STUDENT 
              LOANS OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES RECEIVING IMMINENT 
              DANGER PAY OR HAZARDOUS DUTY PAY.

    (a) Members Receiving Imminent Danger Pay.--Section 310 of title 
37, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following 
new subsection:
    ``(f)  No Accrual of Student Loan Interest for Members Serving in 
Areas of Hostilities.--When a member is assigned to duty in an area for 
which special pay is available under subsection (a), the Secretary of 
Defense shall ensure that, if the member has any direct student loans, 
the member automatically obtains the benefits provided under section 
455(o) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(o)). The 
Secretary may waive application of this subsection if the Secretary 
certifies that such application may adversely impact the national 
security interests of the United States.''.
    (b) Members Receiving Hazardous Duty Pay.--Section 351 of such 
title is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (i); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (g) the following new 
        subsection (h):
    ``(h)  No Accrual of Student Loan Interest for Members Serving in 
Areas of Hostilities.--When a member is assigned to duty in an area for 
which special pay is available under paragraph (1) or (3) of subsection 
(a), the Secretary of Defense shall ensure that, if the member has any 
direct student loans, the member automatically obtains the benefits 
provided under section 455(o) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1087e(o)). The Secretary may waive application of this 
subsection if the Secretary certifies that such application may 
adversely impact the national security interests of the United 
States.''.
    (c) Implementation.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the 
Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives 
a plan describing how the Secretary will implement the amendments made 
by this section to ensure that members of the Armed Forces 
automatically obtain the benefits provided under section 455(o) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(o)). Implementation of 
the plan shall commence not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
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