[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 83 (Monday, May 16, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H4997-H4999]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         VETERANS ELIGIBLE TO TRANSFER SCHOOL (VETS) CREDIT ACT

  Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 6604) to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the 
method by which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines the 
effects of a closure or disapproval of an educational institution on 
individuals who do not transfer credits from such institution, as 
amended.

[[Page H4998]]

  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6604

       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 ``Veterans Eligible to 
     Transfer School (VETS) Credit Act''.

     SEC. 2. CHARGE TO ENTITLEMENT TO EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR 
                   INDIVIDUALS WHO DO NOT TRANSFER CREDITS FROM 
                   CERTAIN CLOSED OR DISAPPROVED PROGRAMS OF 
                   EDUCATION.

       Section 3699(c)(2)(A) of title 38, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking ``An individual'' and inserting ``(i) An 
     individual'';
       (2) by designating the second sentence as clause (iv) and 
     indenting appropriately; and
       (3) by inserting after clause (i), as designated by 
     paragraph (1), the following new clauses:
       ``(ii) In carrying out clause (i), the Secretary shall--
       ``(I) require an individual to certify in writing that the 
     individual has transferred fewer than 12 credits as described 
     in such clause;
       ``(II) require an individual who makes a certification 
     under subclause (I) to acknowledge in writing that if the 
     individual transfers 12 or more credits as described in such 
     clause (i)--
       ``(aa) the individual may not be deemed under such clause 
     to be an individual who did not receive such credits; and
       ``(bb) the Secretary shall rescind the certificate of 
     eligibility provided under subclause (IV);
       ``(III) accept a certification under subclause (I) as proof 
     of the individual transferring fewer than 12 credits; and
       ``(IV) provide to the individual who makes a certification 
     under subclause (I) and makes the acknowledgment under 
     subclause (II) a certificate of eligibility that the 
     individual may provide to an educational institution as proof 
     of the individual being covered by this paragraph.
       ``(iii) The Secretary shall notify individuals described in 
     subparagraph (B) of being eligible to be covered by this 
     paragraph.''.

     SEC. 3. ELIMINATION OF REQUIREMENT TO SPECIFY AN EFFECTIVE 
                   PERIOD OF A TRANSFER OF POST-9/11 EDUCATIONAL 
                   ASSISTANCE TO A DEPENDENT.

       Section 3319(e) of title 38, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1), by adding ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a 
     period; and
       (3) by striking paragraph (3).

     SEC. 4. 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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Trone) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland.


                             General Leave

  Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
to insert extraneous material on H.R. 6604, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Maryland?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I wish to speak in strong support of H.R. 6604, as 
amended, the Veterans Eligible to Transfer School (VETS) Credit Act.
  This bipartisan legislation is a product of work from the gentleman 
from Florida (Mr. Buchanan) and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. 
Murphy) that, together, will make it easier for veterans and their 
dependents to use their earned benefits.
  Representative Buchanan's legislation would provide students that 
qualify a new provisional certificate of eligibility for benefits that 
may have been unfairly lost due to circumstances outside of their 
control. That means if a student veteran is left in the unfortunate 
situation where their school closes, they will be provided detailed 
information from the VA on how to reserve their benefits or have their 
benefits restored or transferred to a new institution.
  H.R. 6604, as amended, would also ensure that clerical errors don't 
rob veterans of transferring their benefits to a dependent. Under 
current law, if a servicemember accidentally makes a mistake on their 
paperwork, such as indicating an expiration date for the benefits, and 
the servicemember passes away before the benefits are used, there is no 
way for the paperwork to be changed to allow the dependent to use the 
benefits.
  This bill clarifies existing law and ensures that clerical errors do 
not prevent dependents from receiving educational assistance.
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the hard work of the members of the 
committee on this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6604, as amended, the 
Veterans Eligible to Transfer School Credit Act. This bill, authored by 
my friend from Florida (Mr. Buchanan), would help student veterans 
continue to use their GI Bill benefits if their school closes in the 
middle of a semester.
  Under current law, when a school closes, an eligible student can have 
their GI Bill benefits restored for the time they spent attending the 
shuttered school. This bill would streamline that process for these 
students to use their restored benefits at a new school. This will help 
student veterans quickly transfer to a new school and complete their 
degree using their GI Bill benefits.
  H.R. 6604, as amended, also includes the text of Congressman Murphy's 
bill, H.R. 6458. This bill eliminates the existing requirement for the 
servicemember to set a specific date for when any transferred Post-9/11 
GI Bill benefits would expire.

                              {time}  1600

  Thus, this bill would prevent those who are entitled to these 
benefits from accidentally inputting the wrong date.
  These wrong dates have led to dependents being barred from taking 
advantage of their education benefits. For example, there have been 
instances where a servicemember has put in their child's 18th birthday 
by accident which then prevents the child from using the benefit. If 
the servicemember is alive, they can easily change this date in the 
system. However, if the servicemember has passed away before they make 
this change, then it is irreversible and the child can't use their GI 
Bill benefit.
  I thank the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, or TAPS, for 
bringing this transfer issue and solution to us. I also thank both 
Congressman Buchanan and Congressman Murphy for their hard work on 
these bills. I encourage all my colleagues to support H.R. 6604, as 
amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared 
to close.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North 
Carolina (Mr. Murphy).
  Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member 
Bost for yielding.
  I rise today to advocate for H.R. 6604, as amended, the Veterans 
Eligible to Transfer Schools (VETS) Credit Act. It corrects issues that 
veterans are having when using their GI benefits when transferring 
schools after a school closure. The bill also includes provisions from 
my bill, H.R. 6458, which eliminates the requirement to specify an 
effective period of a transfer of post-9/11 educational assistance to a 
dependent.
  I am grateful to Representative Vern Buchanan for attaching my bill 
to H.R. 6604.
  As Members of Congress, we realize the overall importance of the 
Post-9/11 GI Bill. It has been a huge success in recruiting and 
retaining servicemembers. Many servicemembers use the added benefit of 
being able to transfer their education benefits to their family 
members. With the cost of college education so astronomical in this 
era, many servicemembers are using this opportunity.
  Under current law servicemembers are eligible to transfer their 36 
months of Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility to their dependents if they 
have served at least 6 years and incur a service obligation to serve an 
additional 4 years.
  The nonprofit Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, otherwise 
known as TAPS, has brought to our attention that under current practice 
if a

[[Page H4999]]

servicemember accidentally puts on their GI Bill transfer form that the 
benefits for a child or other dependent expire on a certain date and 
the servicemember later dies before the benefit is used, there is no 
way for the record to be changed to allow a dependent to use the 
benefit.
  If the veteran were still alive, they could go back in the system and 
change the date at any time. TAPS has seen this happen to several 
family members and has asked us to look into it and try to correct the 
problem. When we contacted the Department of Defense to see if they 
could address this with an administrative fix, we were told that a 
legislative correction was needed, and this is why we are here today to 
introduce my bill.
  The bill, as amended, includes this change that would eliminate the 
requirement to specify a period of transfer of Post-9/11 GI Bill 
entitlement to a dependent. This would prevent those entitled to post-
9/11 education benefits from accidentally inputting the wrong date and 
therefore preventing the dependent from taking advantage of the 
benefit.
  It may seem a small detail, but for those individuals it is a very, 
very large benefit. I am grateful to TAPS for identifying this issue 
and grateful for Congressman Buchanan as well as Chairman Takano and 
Ranking Member Bost for their support. I would like to thank the House 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs for their assistance.
  Mr. TRONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in 
passing this important piece of legislation, H.R. 6604, as amended, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this 
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Trone) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 6604, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas 
and nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

                          ____________________