[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3777 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.3777

                     One Hundred Fifteenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

         Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
           the third day of January, two thousand and eighteen


                                 An Act


 
 To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a tiger team 
 dedicated to addressing the difficulties encountered by the Department 
  of Veterans Affairs in carrying out section 3313 of title 38, United 
States Code, after the enactment of sections 107 and 501 of the Harry W. 
          Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017.

    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 ``Forever GI Bill Housing Payment 
Fulfillment Act of 2018''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND SENSE OF CONGRESS.
    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
        (1) On August 16, 2017, the Harry W. Colmery Veterans 
    Educational Assistance Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-48) (known by 
    some as the ``Forever GI Bill'') was enacted into law.
        (2) Such Act makes certain improvements to the Post-9/11 
    Educational Assistance program for veterans, including improvements 
    relating to how the Secretary of Veterans Affairs calculates the 
    amount of payments for monthly housing stipends under that program.
        (3) Section 107 of such Act (Public Law 115-48; 33 U.S.C. 3313 
    note) requires the Secretary to calculate the amount of payments 
    for monthly housing stipends based on the location of the campus of 
    the institution of higher learning where the individual attends 
    classes, a change from the previous direction to make such 
    calculation based on the location of the institution of higher 
    learning.
        (4) Section 501 of such Act (Public Law 115-48; 37 U.S.C. 403 
    note) repeals the inapplicability of a modification of the basic 
    allowance for housing for members of the uniformed services to 
    benefits administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
        (5) The amendments made by section 107 and 501 of such Act 
    became effective on August 1, 2018, and January 1, 2018, 
    respectively.
        (6) Representatives of the Department of Veterans Affairs have 
    stated that the Department will not be able to determine proper 
    payment amounts based on the amendment made by section 107 of such 
    Act until December 1, 2019.
        (7) Representatives of the Department have also stated that 
    outdated information technology systems have stymied efforts to 
    update necessary information that enable proper housing payments as 
    required by the provisions of law amended by sections 107 and 501 
    of such Act.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
        (1) as soon as possible, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
    should end the making of improper payment amounts for monthly 
    stipends under section 3313 of title 38, United States Code;
        (2) by January 1, 2020, the Secretary should make whole the 
    individuals entitled to payments of monthly stipends under section 
    3313 of title 38, United States Code, who have been underpaid as a 
    result of the difficulties encountered by the Department of 
    Veterans Affairs in carrying out such section after the enactment 
    of sections 107 and 501 of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans 
    Educational Assistance Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-48); and
        (3) no individuals entitled to payments of monthly stipend 
    under section 3313 of title 38, United States Code, who have been 
    overpaid as a result of the difficulties encountered by the 
    Department in carrying out such section after the enactment of 
    sections 107 and 501 of such Act should have overpayments 
    recuperated by the Department.
SEC. 3. TIGER TEAM FOR HOUSING STIPENDS.
    (a) Establishment.--Not later than one day after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
establish a tiger team (in this section referred to as the ``Tiger 
Team'') dedicated to addressing the difficulties encountered by the 
Department of Veterans Affairs in carrying out section 3313 of title 
38, United States Code, after the enactment of sections 107 and 501 of 
the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 
(Public Law 115-48; 38 U.S.C. 3313 note and 37 U.S.C. 403 note).
    (b) Composition.--Not later than 15 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress the names 
and titles of the employees of the Department who compose the Tiger 
Team established under subsection (a), including the name and title of 
the senior-level employee of the Department who serves as the lead 
accountable official of the Tiger Team.
    (c) Duties.--
        (1) Submission to congress.--Not later than 90 days after the 
    date of the enactment of this Act, the Tiger Team shall submit to 
    Congress the following:
            (A) A plan describing the following:
                (i) How the Secretary will obtain the information 
            necessary to determine the correct payment amounts for 
            monthly stipends under section 3313 of title 38, United 
            States Code, made after the enactment of sections 107 and 
            501 of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance 
            Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-48; 38 U.S.C. 3313 note and 37 
            U.S.C. 403 note), from officials responsible for the 
            certification of payments of monthly stipends made under 
            section 3313 of such title.
                (ii) How the Secretary will modify the relevant 
            information technology systems of the Department to correct 
            the payment amounts for monthly stipends under section 3313 
            of such title made after the enactment of sections 107 and 
            501 of such Act (Public Law 115-48; 38 U.S.C. 3313 note and 
            37 U.S.C. 403 note) that were deficient.
                (iii) How the Secretary will identify all of the 
            individuals who received payments of monthly stipends under 
            section 3313 of such title that were not in compliance with 
            such section, after the enactment of sections 107 and 501 
            of such Act (Public Law 115-48; 38 U.S.C. 3313 note and 37 
            U.S.C. 403 note).
                (iv) How the Secretary will notify the individuals 
            described in clause (iii).
                (v) The procedures the Secretary will use to correct 
            the payments of monthly stipends under section 3313 of such 
            title that were deficient as a result of the difficulties 
            encountered by the Department of Veterans Affairs in 
            carrying out such section after the enactment of sections 
            107 and 501 of such Act (Public Law 115-48; 38 U.S.C. 3313 
            note and 37 U.S.C. 403 note).
            (B) A complete timeline for the implementation of the plan 
        described in subparagraph (A).
            (C) Any additional funding and personnel requirements 
        necessary to support the implementation of the plan described 
        in subparagraph (A), including any such requirements as may be 
        necessary for staffing increases or relevant improvements to 
        the information technology infrastructure of the Department.
        (2) Implementation.--
            (A) In general.--The Secretary shall implement the plan 
        submitted under paragraph (1)(A).
            (B) Periodic updates.--Not less frequently than once every 
        90 days after submission of the items under paragraph (1), the 
        Tiger Team shall submit to Congress an update on the 
        implementation of the plan described in subparagraph (A) of 
        such paragraph.
        (3) Final report.--
            (A) In general.--Not later than July 1, 2020, the Tiger 
        Team shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
        final report on the activities and findings of the Tiger Team.
            (B) Contents.--The report required by subparagraph (A) 
        shall include the following:
                (i) The number of individuals who were affected by 
            payments of monthly stipends under section 3313 of title 
            38, United States Code, that were not in compliance with 
            such section after the enactment of sections 107 and 501 of 
            the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 
            2017 (Public Law 115-48; 38 U.S.C. 3313 note and 37 U.S.C. 
            403 note).
                (ii) The number of individuals described in clause (i) 
            who received deficient payments as a result of the 
            difficulties encountered by the Department in carrying out 
            section 3313 of such title after the enactment of sections 
            107 and 501 of such Act (Public Law 115-48; 38 U.S.C. 3313 
            note and 37 U.S.C. 403 note), and the total amount of the 
            deficiency for each individual, disaggregated by State.
                (iii) The number of individuals described in clause 
            (ii) who have not received the amount of monthly stipend to 
            which such individuals are entitled under section 3313 of 
            such title and an explanation of why such individuals have 
            not received such amounts.
                (iv) A certification of whether the Department is fully 
            compliant with sections 107 and 501 of such Act (Public Law 
            115-48; 38 U.S.C. 3313 note and 37 U.S.C. 403 note).
            (C) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In this 
        paragraph, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
        means the following:
                (i) The Subcommittee on Military Construction and 
            Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of the Committee on 
            Appropriations and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of 
            the Senate.
                (ii) The Subcommittee on Military Construction and 
            Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of the Committee on 
            Appropriations and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of 
            the House of Representatives.
    (d) Termination.--On the date that is 60 days after the date on 
which the Tiger Team submits the final report required by subsection 
(c)(3), the Secretary shall terminate the Tiger Team established under 
subsection (a).

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.