[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5545 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.5545

                    One Hundred Seventeenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE FIRST SESSION

           Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,
         the fourth day of January, two thousand and twenty-one


                                 An Act


 
   To extend certain expiring provisions of law relating to benefits 
  provided under Department of Veterans Affairs educational assistance 
       programs during COVID-19 pandemic, 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 ``Responsible Education Mitigating 
Options and Technical Extensions Act'' or the ``REMOTE Act''.
SEC. 2. EXTENSIONS OF CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF LAW RELATING TO BENEFITS 
PROVIDED UNDER DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE 
PROGRAMS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
    (a) Extension of Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 
2020.--Section 2 of the Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 
2020 (Public Law 116-140; 38 U.S.C. 3031 note), as amended by section 
5202(a) of the Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act 
of 2020 (Division E of Public Law 116-159), is further amended by 
striking ``December 21, 2021'' and inserting ``June 1, 2022''.
    (b) Extension of Period for Continuation of Department of Veterans 
Affairs Educational Assistance Benefits for Certain Programs of 
Education Converted to Distance Learning by Reason of Emergencies and 
Health-related Situations.--Section 1(b) of Public Law 116-128 (38 
U.S.C. 3001 note prec.), as amended by section 5202(b) of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2020 
(Division E of Public Law 116-159), is further amended by striking 
``December 21, 2021'' and inserting ``June 1, 2022''.
SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO REQUIREMENTS FOR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS 
PARTICIPATING IN THE EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS OF THE DEPARTMENT 
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
    (a) Waiver of Verification of Enrollment for Certain Educational 
Institutions.--Section 3313(l) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
        ``(4) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive the requirements of this 
    subsection for an educational institution that the Secretary has 
    determined uses a flat tuition and fee structure that would make 
    the use of a second verification under this subsection 
    unnecessary.''.
    (b) Limitations on Authority to Disapprove of Courses.--
        (1) In general.--Subsection (f) of section 3679 of title 38, 
    United States Code, is amended--
            (A) in paragraph (2)(B)--
                (i) by inserting ``, except for the recruitment of 
            foreign students residing in foreign countries who are not 
            eligible to receive Federal student assistance'' after 
            ``assistance''; and
                (ii) by adding at the end the following new 
            subparagraph:
        ``(C) In determining whether a violation of subparagraph (B) 
    has occurred, the State approving agency, or the Secretary when 
    acting in the place of the State approving agency, shall construe 
    the requirements of this paragraph in accordance with the 
    regulations and guidance prescribed by the Secretary of Education 
    under section 487(a)(20) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
    U.S.C. 1094(a)(20)).'';
            (B) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (8); and
            (C) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following new 
        paragraph (7):
    ``(7) This subsection shall not apply to an educational 
institution--
        ``(A) located in a foreign country; or
        ``(B) that provides to a covered individual consumer 
    information regarding costs of the program of education (including 
    financial aid available to such covered individual) using a form or 
    template developed by the Secretary of Education.''.
        (2) Application date.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may 
    not carry out subsection (f) of section 3679 of title 38, United 
    States Code, until August 1, 2022, except that, beginning on June 
    15, 2022, an educational institution may submit an application for 
    a waiver under paragraph (5) of such subsection.
        (3) Conforming amendments.--Subsection (c) of section 3696 of 
    such title is amended--
            (A) by inserting ``(1)'' before ``An educational'';
            (B) by inserting ``, except for the recruitment of foreign 
        students residing in foreign countries who are not eligible to 
        receive Federal student assistance'' after ``assistance''; and
            (C) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(2) In determining whether a violation of paragraph (1) has 
occurred, the Under Secretary for Benefits shall construe the 
requirements of this paragraph in accordance with the regulations and 
guidance prescribed by the Secretary of Education under section 
487(a)(20) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1094(a)(20)).''.
    (c) Exemption of Foreign Schools From Certain Requirements.--
        (1) Information relating to tests.--Section 3689(c) of title 
    38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
    following new paragraph:
    ``(3) Subparagraph (G) of paragraph (1) shall not apply with 
respect to an educational institution located in a foreign country.''.
        (2) Examination of records.--Section 3690(c) of title 38, 
    United States Code, is amended--
            (A) by striking ``Notwithstanding'' and inserting ``(1) 
        Except as provided in paragraph (2), notwithstanding''; and
            (B) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to the records and accounts--
        ``(A) of an educational institution located in a foreign 
    country; and
        ``(B) that pertain to an individual who is not receiving 
    educational assistance under this chapter.''.
SEC. 4. PROVISION OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE TO STUDENTS WHO ARE 
``ROUNDING OUT'' UNDER EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS OF DEPARTMENT OF 
VETERANS AFFAIRS.
    (a) In General.--Section 3680(a) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended--
        (1) in paragraph (1), in the matter before subparagraph (A), by 
    striking ``in paragraph (2)'' and inserting ``in paragraphs (2) and 
    (3)''; and
        (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
        ``(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), in the case of an eligible 
    veteran or eligible person who is pursuing a program of education 
    on less than a half-time basis during a period that is the last 
    semester, term, or academic period the veteran or person will be 
    enrolled in the program of education because the veteran or person 
    will complete the program of education at the end of that semester, 
    term, or academic period, the Secretary may, pursuant to such 
    regulations as the Secretary shall prescribe, provide to the 
    veteran or person educational assistance under chapter 30, 31, 32, 
    33, 34, or 35 of this title or under chapter 1606 of title 10, 
    including a monthly housing stipend described in section 3313(c) of 
    this title, on the basis of the total number of credits or courses 
    in which the veteran or person is enrolled, if--
            ``(A) the number of credits the veteran or person needs to 
        complete the program of education is less than the number of 
        credits that would constitute enrollment on a more than half-
        time basis for that last semester, term, or academic period; 
        and
            ``(B) the veteran or person--
                ``(i) is enrolled in, or has completed, every course 
            offered by the program of education during the last 
            semester, term, or academic period in which the veteran or 
            person is enrolled in the program of education; and
                ``(ii) enrolls in an additional course that is not 
            required for the completion of such program of education 
            and the enrollment in the non-required course in addition 
            to the required course or courses in which the veteran or 
            person is enrolled constitutes enrollment on more than a 
            half-time basis.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on January 1, 2022, and apply with respect to any semester, 
term, or academic period that begins on or after that date.
SEC. 5. EXTENSION OF RELIEF RELATING TO VETERANS EDUCATIONAL 
ASSISTANCE.
    (a) Extension of Modification of Time Limitations on Use of 
Entitlement to Montgomery GI Bill and Vocational Rehabilitation and 
Training.--Section 1105 of the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. 
Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 (Public Law 
116-315) is amended by striking ``December 21, 2021'' each place it 
appears and inserting ``June 1, 2022''.
    (b) Extension of Continuation of Department of Veterans Affairs 
Educational Assistance Benefits During COVID-19 Emergency.--Section 
1102(e) of such Act is amended by striking ``December 21, 2021'' and 
inserting ``June 1, 2022''.
    (c) Extension of Provisions Relating to Effects of Closure of 
Educational Institution and Modification of Courses by Reason of COVID-
19 Emergency.--Section 1103(h) of such Act is amended by striking 
``December 21, 2021'' and inserting ``June 1, 2022''.
    (d) Extension of Provision Relating to Payment of Educational 
Assistance in Cases of Withdrawal.--Section 1104(a) of such Act is 
amended by striking ``December 21, 2021'' and inserting ``June 1, 
2022''.
    (e) Extension of Provision Relating to Apprenticeship or On-Job 
Training Requirements.--Section 1106(b) of such Act is amended by 
striking ``December 21, 2021'' and inserting ``June 1, 2022''.
    (f) Extension of Payment of Work-Study Allowances During Emergency 
Situation.--Section 3 of the Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act 
of 2020 (Public Law 116-140; 38 U.S.C. 3485 note) is amended by 
striking ``During the covered period'' and inserting ``During the 
period beginning on March 1, 2020, and ending on June 1, 2022''.
SEC. 6. ADJUSTMENTS OF CERTAIN LOAN FEES.
    The loan fee table in section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ``October 1, 2030'' each place it appears 
and inserting ``January 14, 2031''.
SEC. 7. ELIMINATION OF CAP ON FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 
VETERANS AFFAIRS WHO PROVIDE EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COUNSELING.
    (a) In General.--Section 516 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
        (1) by striking subsection (g); and
        (2) by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (g).
    (b) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the 
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of 
Representatives a report regarding the effect of the amendment under 
subsection (a).
SEC. 8. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.
    The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying 
with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by 
reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO 
Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional 
Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that 
such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

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