[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 154 (Friday, September 19, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6796-S6797]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3909. Mr. BOOKER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to 
amendment SA 3748 proposed by Mr. Wicker (for himself and Mr. Reed) to 
the bill S. 2296, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2026 for 
military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the appropriate place in title X, insert the following:

     SEC. 10__. ADDITIONAL ENTITLEMENT TO POST-9/11 EDUCATIONAL 
                   ASSISTANCE FOR CERTAIN VETERANS AND MEMBERS OF 
                   THE ARMED FORCES WHO REQUIRE EXTRA TIME TO 
                   COMPLETE REMEDIAL COURSES.

       (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 33 of title 38, 
     United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new section:

     ``Sec. 3320A. Additional assistance

       ``(a) In General.--The number of months of educational 
     assistance under section 3313 of this title an eligible 
     individual is entitled to under section 3312 of this title is 
     hereby increased by the lesser of--
       ``(1) 15 months; or
       ``(2) in the case of an eligible individual who attempted 
     or completed remedial and deficiency courses as described in 
     subsection (b)(4), the full-time equivalent number of months 
     of educational assistance used under this chapter to complete 
     such remedial and deficiency courses.
       ``(b) Eligibility.--For purposes of this section, an 
     eligible individual is an individual--
       ``(1) who is or was entitled to educational assistance 
     under section 3311 of this title;
       ``(2) has received educational assistance under this 
     chapter at any time during the most recent six month period;
       ``(3) who has used all of the educational assistance to 
     which the individual is entitled under this chapter; and
       ``(4) who has attempted or completed remedial and 
     deficiency courses in pursuit of completing a program of 
     education at an institution of higher learning and in doing 
     so requires more than the standard 120 semester (or 180 
     quarter) credit hours for completion of a program of 
     education at an institution of higher learning.
       ``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
       ``(1) The term `institution of higher learning' has the 
     meaning given such term in section 3452 of this title.
       ``(2) The term `remedial and deficiency course' means a 
     course offered by an institution of higher learning that is 
     designed to overcome a deficiency.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
     item relating to section 3320 the following new item:

``3320A. Additional assistance.''.
       (c) Conforming Amendment.--Section 3695 of title 38, United 
     States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following 
     new subsection:
       ``(d) In the case of an individual who receives additional 
     educational assistance under section 3320A of this title, the 
     number of months specified in subsection (a) shall instead be 
     construed to specify the number of months that is equal to 
     the sum of--
       ``(1) such number of months; and
       ``(2) the amount of the increase in number of months of 
     educational assistance to which the individual is entitled 
     pursuant to section 3320A(a) of such title.''.

     SEC. 10__. INCREASED FLEXIBILITY IN TRANSFERRING ENTITLEMENT 
                   TO POST-9/11 EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE.

       Section 3319 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--

[[Page S6797]]

       (1) in subsection (e)--
       (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as 
     subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and indenting such 
     subparagraphs appropriately;
       (B) in the matter before subparagraph (A), as redesignated 
     by subparagraph (A), by striking ``An'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(1) In general.--An''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following new paragraph (2):
       ``(2) Timing of designation.--In the case of an individual 
     who elects to transfer entitlement under subsection (a) but 
     who at the time of the election does not have any eligible 
     dependents, the individual may carry out the designations 
     required by paragraph (1) when the individual comes to have 
     an eligible dependent to whom the individual would like to 
     transfer entitlement under this section.''; and
       (2) in subsection (f)--
       (A) by striking paragraph (1);
       (B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs 
     (1) and (2), respectively; and
       (C) in paragraph (1)(A), as redesignated by subparagraph 
     (B), by inserting ``, including by designating a new 
     dependent or dependents to receive the unused entitlement'' 
     before the period.
                                 ______