[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6322 Engrossed in House (EH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6322

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
  To make certain improvements in the educational assistance benefits 
under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in the 
    case of changes to courses of education by reason of emergency 
                  situations, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Student Veteran Coronavirus Response 
Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. COVERED PERIOD DEFINED.

    For purposes of this Act, the term ``covered period'' means the 
period beginning on March 1, 2020, and ending on December 21, 2020.

SEC. 3. PAYMENT OF WORK-STUDY ALLOWANCES DURING EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.

    During the covered period, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
apply section 3485 of title 38, United States Code, as if it were 
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(f)(1) In case of an individual who is in receipt of work-study 
allowance pursuant to an agreement described in subsection (a)(3) as of 
the date on which an emergency situation occurs and who is unable to 
continue to perform qualifying work-study activities described in 
subsection (a)(4) by reason of the emergency situation--
            ``(A) the Secretary may continue to pay work-study 
        allowance under this section or make deductions described in 
        subsection (e)(1) during the period of such emergency 
        situation, notwithstanding the inability of the individual to 
        perform such work-study activities by reason of such emergency 
        situation; and
            ``(B) at the option of the individual, the Secretary shall 
        extend the agreement described in subsection (a)(3) with the 
        individual for any subsequent period of enrollment initiated 
        during the emergency situation, notwithstanding the inability 
        of the individual to perform work-study activities described in 
        subsection (a)(4) by reason of such emergency situation.
    ``(2) The amount of work-study allowance payable to an individual 
under paragraph (1)(A) during the period of an emergency situation 
shall be an amount determined by the Secretary but may not exceed the 
amount that would be payable under subsection (a)(2) if the individual 
worked 25 hours per week paid during such period.''.

SEC. 4. PAYMENT OF ALLOWANCES TO VETERANS ENROLLED IN EDUCATIONAL 
              INSTITUTIONS CLOSED FOR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.

    (a) In General.--During the covered period, the Secretary may pay 
allowances to an eligible veteran or eligible person under section 
3680(a)(2)(A) of title 38, United States Code, if the veteran or person 
is enrolled in a program or course of education that--
            (1) is provided by an educational institution that is 
        closed by reason of an emergency situation; or
            (2) is suspended by reason of an emergency situation.
    (b) Amount of Allowance.--The total number of weeks for which 
allowances may be paid under this section may not exceed four weeks.
    (c) Not Counted for Purposes of Limitation.--Any amount paid under 
this section shall not be counted for purposes of the limitation on 
allowanced under section 3680(a)(2)(A) of title 38, United States Code.

SEC. 5. PROHIBITION OF CHARGE TO ENTITLEMENT OF STUDENTS UNABLE TO 
              PURSUE A PROGRAM OF EDUCATION DUE TO AN EMERGENCY 
              SITUATION.

    During the covered period, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
apply section 3699(b)(1) of title 38, United States Code, as if it were 
amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (2) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking ``and'' at the end 
        and inserting ``or'' ; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(C) the temporary closure of an educational 
                institution or the temporary closure or termination of 
                a course or program of education by reason of an 
                emergency situation; and''.

SEC. 6. EXTENSION OF TIME LIMITATIONS FOR USE OF ENTITLEMENT.

    (a) Montgomery GI Bill.--During the covered period, the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs shall apply section 3031 of title 38, United States 
Code, as if it were amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection:
    ``(i) In the case of an individual eligible for educational 
assistance under this chapter who is prevented from pursuing the 
individual's chosen program of education before the expiration of the 
10-year period for the use of entitlement under this chapter otherwise 
applicable under this section because the educational institution 
closed (temporarily or permanently) under an established policy based 
on an Executive order of the President or due to an emergency 
situation, such 10-year period--
            ``(1) shall not run during the period the individual is so 
        prevented from pursuing such program; and
            ``(2) shall again begin running on the first day after the 
        individual is able to resume pursuit of a program of education 
        with educational assistance under this chapter.''.
    (b) Post-9/11 Educational Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--During the covered period, the Secretary 
        of Veterans Affairs shall apply section 3321(b)(1) of such 
        title as if it were amended--
                    (A) by inserting ``(A)'' before ``Subsections'';
                    (B) by striking ``and (d)'' and inserting ``(d), 
                and (i)''; and by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
            ``(B) Subsection (i) of section 3031 (as described in 
        section 6 of the Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 
        2020) shall apply with respect to the running of the 15-year 
        period described in paragraphs (4)(A) and (5)(A) of this 
        subsection in the same manner as such subsection applies under 
        section 3031 with respect to the running of the 10-year period 
        described in section 3031(a).''.
            (2) Transfer period.--During the covered period, the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall apply section 3319(h)(5) of 
        such title as if it were amended--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A) by inserting ``or (C)'' 
                after ``subparagraph (B)''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
                    ``(C) Emergency situations.--In any case in which 
                the Secretary determines that an individual to whom 
                entitlement is transferred under this section has been 
                prevented from pursuing the individual's chosen program 
                of education before the individual attains the age of 
                26 years because the educational institution closed 
                (temporarily or permanently) under an established 
                policy based on an Executive order of the President or 
                due to an emergency situation, the Secretary shall 
                extend the period during which the individual may use 
                such entitlement for a period equal to the number of 
                months that the individual was so prevented from 
                pursuing the program of education, as determined by the 
                Secretary.''.
    (c) Vocational Rehabilitation and Training.--
            (1) Period for use.--During the covered period, the 
        Secretary of Veterans affairs shall apply section 3103 of such 
        title as if it were amended--
                    (A) in subsection (a), by striking ``or (e)'' and 
                inserting ``(e), or (g)''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new 
                subsection:
    ``(g) In any case in which the Secretary determines that a veteran 
has been prevented from participating in a vocational rehabilitation 
program under this chapter within the twelve-year period of eligibility 
prescribed in subsection (a) by reason of an Executive order of the 
President or due to an emergency situation, such twelve-year period--
            ``(1) shall not run during the period the individual is so 
        prevented from participating such program; and
            ``(2) shall again begin running on the first day after the 
        individual is able to resume participation in such program.''.
            (2) Duration of program.--During the covered period, the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall apply section 3105(b) of 
        such title as if it were amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``paragraph (2)'' 
                and inserting ``paragraphs (2) and (3)''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
    ``(3)(A) In any case in which the Secretary determines that a 
veteran has been prevented from participating in counseling and 
placement and postplacement services described in section 3104(a)(2) 
and (5) of this title by reason of an Executive order of the President 
or due to an emergency situation, the Secretary shall extend the period 
during which the Secretary may provide such counseling and placement 
and postplacement services for the veteran for a period equal to the 
number of months that the veteran was so prevented from participating 
in such counseling and services, as determined by the Secretary.
    ``(B) In any case in which the Secretary determines that a veteran 
has been prevented from participating in a vocational rehabilitation 
program under this chapter by reason of an Executive order of the 
President or due to an emergency situation, the Secretary shall extend 
the period of the veteran's vocational rehabilitation program for a 
period equal to the number of months that the veteran was so prevented 
from participating in the vocational rehabilitation program, as 
determined by the Secretary.''.
    (d) Educational Assistance for Members of the Selected Reserve.--
During the covered period, the Secretary concerned shall apply section 
16133(b) of title 10, United States Code, as if it were amended by 
adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(5) In any case in which the Secretary concerned determines that 
a person entitled to educational assistance under this chapter has been 
prevented from using such person's entitlement by reason of an 
Executive order of the President or due to an emergency situation, the 
Secretary concerned shall extend the period of entitlement prescribed 
in subsection (a) for a period equal to the number of months that the 
person was so prevented from using such entitlement, as determined by 
the Secretary.''.

SEC. 7. RESTORATION OF ENTITLEMENT TO REHABILITATION PROGRAMS FOR 
              VETERANS AFFECTED BY SCHOOL CLOSURE OR DISAPPROVAL.

    (a) Entitlement.--During the covered period, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall apply section 3699 of title 38, United States 
Code, as if it were amended by striking ``chapter 30,'' each time it 
appears and inserting ``chapter 30, 31,''.
    (b) Payment of Subsistence Allowances.--During the covered period, 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall apply section 3680(a)(2)(B) of 
title 38, United States Code, as if it were amended--
            (1) by inserting ``or a subsistence allowance described in 
        section 3108'' before ``, during''; and
            (2) by inserting ``or allowance'' after ``such a stipend''.

SEC. 8. EXTENSION OF PAYMENT OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION SUBSISTENCE 
              ALLOWANCES.

    In the case of any veteran whom the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
determines is satisfactorily following a program of employment services 
provided under section 3104(a)(5) of title 38, United States Code, 
during the covered period, the Secretary may pay the veteran a 
subsistence allowance, as prescribed in section 3108 of such title for 
full-time training for the type of program that the veteran was 
pursuing, for two additional months.

SEC. 9. EMERGENCY DESIGNATIONS.

    (a) In General.--This Act is designated as an emergency requirement 
pursuant to section 4(g) of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (2 
U.S.C. 933(g)).
    (b) Designation in Senate.--In the Senate, this Act is designated 
as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 4112(a) of H. Con. Res. 
71 (115th Congress), 


              

the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018.

            Passed the House of Representatives March 31, 2020.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.
116th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 6322

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

  To make certain improvements in the educational assistance benefits 
under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in the 
    case of changes to courses of education by reason of emergency 
                  situations, and for other purposes.