[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.
____________________