House Report 117-225 - PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE BILL (H.R. 1836) TO AMEND TITLE 38, UNITED STATES CODE, TO ENSURE THAT THE TIME DURING WHICH MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES SERVE ON ACTIVE DUTY FOR TRAINING QUALIFIES FOR EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE UNDER THE POST-9/11 EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE BILL (H.R. 4673) TO AMEND TITLE 38, UNITED STATES CODE, TO PROVIDE FOR THE AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT OF ELIGIBLE VETERANS IN PATIENT ENROLLMENT SYSTEM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

[House Report 117-225]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

117th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 117-225

======================================================================

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE BILL (H.R. 1836) TO AMEND TITLE 38,
UNITED STATES CODE, TO ENSURE THAT THE TIME DURING WHICH MEMBERS OF THE
ARMED FORCES SERVE ON ACTIVE DUTY FOR TRAINING QUALIFIES FOR
EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE UNDER THE POST-9/11 EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES;
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE BILL (H.R. 4673) TO AMEND TITLE 38,
UNITED STATES CODE, TO PROVIDE FOR THE AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT OF ELIGIBLE
VETERANS IN PATIENT ENROLLMENT SYSTEM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

_______

January 10, 2022.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be
printed

_______

Mr. Perlmutter, from the Committee on Rules,
submitted the following

R E P O R T

[To accompany H. Res. 860]

The Committee on Rules, having had under consideration
House Resolution 860, by a record vote of 8 to 4, report the
same to the House with the recommendation that the resolution
be adopted.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS OF THE RESOLUTION

The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 1836, the
Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2021, under a
structured rule. The resolution provides one hour of general
debate on the bill equally divided and controlled by the chair
and ranking minority member of the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs or their designees. The resolution waives all points of
order against consideration of the bill. The resolution
provides that an amendment in the nature of a substitute
consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 117-25 shall be
considered as adopted and the bill, as amended, shall be
considered as read. The resolution waives all points of order
against provisions in the bill, as amended. The resolution
makes in order only those amendments printed in part A of this
report. Each further amendment printed in part A of this report
shall be considered only in the order printed in this report,
may be offered only by a Member designated in this report,
shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time
specified in this report equally divided and controlled by the
proponent and an opponent, may be withdrawn by the proponent at
any time before the question is put thereon, shall not be
subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for
division of the question. The resolution waives all points of
order against the amendments printed in part A of this report.
The resolution provides one motion to recommit. The resolution
provides for consideration of H.R. 4673, the EVEST Act, under a
structured rule. The resolution provides one hour of general
debate on the bill equally divided and controlled by the chair
and ranking minority member of the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs or their designees. The resolution waives all points of
order against consideration of the bill. The resolution
provides that an amendment in the nature of a substitute
consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 117-26 shall be
considered as adopted and the bill, as amended, shall be
considered as read. The resolution waives all points of order
against provisions in the bill, as amended. The resolution
provides that following debate, each further amendment printed
in part B of this report not earlier considered as part of
amendments en bloc pursuant to section 5 shall be considered
only in the order printed in this report, may be offered only
by a Member designated in this report, shall be considered as
read, shall be debatable for the time specified in this report
equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an
opponent, may be withdrawn by the proponent at any time before
the question is put thereon, shall not be subject to amendment,
and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the
question. Section 5 of the resolution provides that at any time
after debate the chair of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs or
his designee may offer amendments en bloc consisting of further
amendments printed in part B of this report not earlier
disposed of. Amendments en bloc shall be considered as read,
shall be debatable for 20 minutes equally divided and
controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the
Committee on Veterans Affairs' or their designees, shall not be
subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for
division of the question. The resolution waives all points of
order against the amendments printed in part B of this report
and amendments en bloc described in section 5 of the
resolution. The resolution provides for one motion to recommit.
The resolution provides that House Resolution 188, agreed to
March 8, 2021 (as most recently amended by House Resolution
829, agreed to December 2, 2021), is amended by striking
``January 21, 2022'' each place it appears and inserting (in
each instance) ``February 4, 2022''.

EXPLANATION OF WAIVERS

Although the resolution waives all points of order against
consideration of H.R. 1836, the Committee is not aware of any
points of order. The waiver is prophylactic in nature.
Although the resolution waives all points of order against
provisions in H.R. 1836, as amended, the Committee is not aware
of any points of order. The waiver is prophylactic in nature.
Although the resolution waives all points of order against
the amendments printed in part A of this report, the Committee
is not aware of any points of order. The waiver is prophylactic
in nature.
The waiver of all points of order against consideration of
H.R. 4673 includes waivers of the following:
--Clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, which requires committee
reports to include a statement of general performance goals and
objectives, including outcome-related goals and objectives for
which the measure authorizes funding.
--Clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII, which requires committee
reports on a bill that establish or reauthorize Federal
programs to indicate whether any such program is known to be
duplicative of another such program.
Although the resolution waives all points of order against
provisions in H.R. 4673, as amended, the Committee is not aware
of any points of order. The waiver is prophylactic in nature.
Although the resolution waives all points of order against
the amendments printed in part B of this report and amendments
en bloc described in section 5 of the resolution, the Committee
is not aware of any points of order. The waiver is prophylactic
in nature.

COMMITTEE VOTES

The results of each record vote on an amendment or motion
to report, together with the names of those voting for and
against, are printed below:

Rules Committee record vote No. 178

Motion by Mr. Cole to strike the language in the rule that
would continue the tolling of days for Resolutions of Inquiry.
Defeated: 4-8

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Majority Members Vote Minority Members Vote
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mrs. Torres..................................... Nay Mr. Cole.......................... Yea
Mr. Perlmutter.................................. Nay Mr. Burgess....................... Yea
Mr. Raskin...................................... Nay Mr. Reschenthaler................. Yea
Ms. Scanlon..................................... Nay Mrs. Fischbach.................... Yea
Mr. Morelle..................................... Nay
Mr. DeSaulnier.................................. Nay
Ms. Ross........................................ Nay
Mr. Neguse...................................... ............
Mr. McGovern, Chairman.......................... Nay
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rules Committee record vote No. 179

Motion by Mrs. Fischbach to amend the rule to H.R. 1836 to
make in order amendment #3, offered by Rep. Fitzgerald (WI),
which ensures members of the Armed Forces granted a general
discharge under honorable conditions solely for refusing the
COVID 19 vaccine are eligible for GI Bill education benefits.
Defeated: 4-8

Rules Committee record vote No. 180

Motion by Mrs. Torres to report the rule. Adopted: 8-4

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Majority Members Vote Minority Members Vote
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mrs. Torres..................................... Yea Mr. Cole.......................... Nay
Mr. Perlmutter.................................. Yea Mr. Burgess....................... Nay
Mr. Raskin...................................... Yea Mr. Reschenthaler................. Nay
Ms. Scanlon..................................... Yea Mrs. Fischbach.................... Nay
Mr. Morelle..................................... Yea
Mr. DeSaulnier.................................. Yea
Ms. Ross........................................ Yea
Mr. Neguse...................................... ............
Mr. McGovern, Chairman.......................... Yea
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY OF THE AMENDMENTS TO H.R. 1836 IN PART A MADE IN ORDER

1. Ross (NC), Gonzalez-Colon, Jenniffer (PR), Bowman (NY),
Moore (WI): Requires the VA to inform new veterans of the
medical care and services for which they are eligible,
including community care under the MISSION Act; mental health
care, including the Veterans Crisis Line; care relating to
military sexual trauma; and any other information the Secretary
deems appropriate. (10 minutes)
2. Moore, Barry (AL), Bost (IL): Replaces the base text of
the bill with a fully paid-for expansion of GI Bill benefits to
members of the Guard and Reserve who are on Federal Active Duty
orders for missions other than training. (10 minutes)

SUMMARY OF THE AMENDMENTS TO H.R. 4673 IN PART B MADE IN ORDER

1. Delgado (NY): Allows the VA Secretary to consider mass
texting as a way to notify veterans about VA services. (10
minutes)
2. Delgado (NY): Directs GAO to submit a report to Congress
determining the best methods for the VA to provide notice of
the automatic enrollment in the patient enrollment system.
Report must consider different demographics, including age and
location. (10 minutes)
3. Escobar (TX): Extends automatic enrollment to Veterans
who were discharged within 90 days before the enactment of this
Act. (10 minutes)
4. Hayes (CT): Clarifies that notices shall include
instructions for how the veteran may elect to enroll at a later
date, as well as ensuring that notices be provided via physical
mail and, to the extent practical, via electronic mail to
ensure veterans are aware of notice and information related to
this Act. (10 minutes)
5. Tlaib (MI): Requires a report on the automatic
enrollment not later than one year after the first veteran is
enrolled to preserve lessons learned from the rollout of this
automatic registration program for other agencies and entities
that may pursue similar initiatives in the future. (10 minutes)

PART A--TEXT OF AMENDMENTS TO H.R. 1836 MADE IN ORDER

1. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Ross of North Carolina
or Her Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes

Add at the end the following new section:

SEC. 4. PROVISION OF INFORMATION TO VETERANS DURING TRANSITION TO
CIVILIAN LIFE.

(a) Requirement.--In providing information to new veterans
regarding benefits administered by the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs, the Secretary shall ensure that the information
includes the following:
(1) A description of the medical care and services
for which the veteran will be eligible under chapter 17
of title 38, United States Code, including with respect
to--
(A) community care under section 1703 of such
title;
(B) mental health care, including how to
access the Veterans Crisis Line established
under section 1720F(h) of such title; and
(C) care relating to military sexual trauma
(as defined in section 1166 of such title).
(2) Any other information that the Secretary
determines appropriate, including information about the
services and benefits to which the veteran may be
entitled.
(b) Manner.--The Secretary shall provide the information
under subsection (a) in a manner that promotes the
destigmatization of mental health care and encourages veterans
to reach out for support.
----------

2. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Moore of Alabama or His
Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:

SECTION 1. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR POST-9/11 EDUCATIONAL
ASSISTANCE TO MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD WHO
PERFORM CERTAIN FULL-TIME DUTY.

(a) In General.--Section 3301(1)(C)(ii) of title 38, United
States Code, is amended--
(1) by inserting ``(not including training)'' after
``title 32''; and
(2) by striking ``for the purpose of responding to a
national emergency declared by the President and
supported by Federal funds''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a)
shall take effect on October 1, 2022.

SEC. 2. ADJUSTMENTS OF IRRRL RATE.

Subparagraph (E) of the loan fee table under section
3729(b)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read
as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
``(E)(i) Interest rate reduction 0.85 0.85 NA
refinancing loan (closed on or
after July 1, 2022, and before
August 8, 2022).................
(ii) Interest rate reduction 0.50 0.50 NA''.
refinancing loan (closed during
a period not covered by clause
(i))............................
------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART B--TEXT OF AMENDMENTS TO H.R. 4673 MADE IN ORDER

1. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Delgado of New York or
His Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes

Page 1, line 15, insert ``(A)'' before ``Not later''.
Page 1, line 18, strike ``(A)'' and insert ``(i)''.
Page 2, line 1, strike ``(B)'' and insert ``(ii)''.
Page 2, after line 3, insert the following:
``(B) In carrying out subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall
consider using, to the extent practical, mass texting
capabilities through mobile telephones.''.
----------

2. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Delgado of New York or
His Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes

At the end of the bill, add the following:

SEC. 3. GAO REPORT ON NOTICE OF AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT IN PATIENT
ENROLLMENT SYSTEM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS.

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall
submit to Congress a report containing the results of a study
to determine the best methods for the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs to provide notice under paragraph (2) of subsection (d)
of section 1705 of title 38, United States Code, as added by
section 2. In making such determination, the Comptroller
General shall consider needs of veterans based on--
(1) age;
(2) residence in urban areas; and
(3) residence in rural areas.
----------

3. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Escobar of Texas or Her
Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes

Page 2, line 12, insert after ``a veteran'' the following:
``who is discharged or separated from the Armed Forces on or
after the date that is 90 days before the date of the enactment
of this Act and''.
----------

4. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Hayes of Connecticut or
Her Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes

Page 1, line 15, insert ``(A)'' before ``Not later''.
Page 1, line 18, strike ``(A)'' and insert ``(i)''.
Page 1, line 18, strike ``and''.
Page 2, line 1, strike ``(B)'' and insert ``(ii)''.
Page 2, line 3, strike the period and insert ``; and''.
Page 2, after line 3, insert the following:
``(iii) instructions for how the veteran may elect to
enroll at a later date.
``(B) Any notice or instructions required to be provided
under this paragraph shall be provided in the form of a
physical copy delivered by mail and, to the extent practical,
in the form of an electronic copy delivered by electronic
mail.''.
Page 3, after line 5, insert the following:
(d) Provision of Notice and Information.--The notice and
instructions required to be provided under subsection (d)(2) of
section 1705 of title 38, United States Code, as added by
subsection (a), shall be provided in accordance with the
established procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs
with respect to the provision of similar types of notices and
instructions.
----------

5. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Tlaib of Michigan or
Her Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes

Add at the end the following:
(d) Report on Automatic Enrollment.--
(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the
first veteran is enrolled in the patient enrollment
system of the Department of Veterans Affairs under
subsection (d) of section 1705 of title 38, United
States Code, as added by subsection (a), the Secretary
shall submit to Congress a report on the enrollment
process under such subsection. Such report shall
include each of the following:
(A) A discussion of any anticipated
challenges that occurred in implementing such
subsection, the strategies used to address such
challenges, and the effectiveness of such
strategies.
(B) A discussion of any unanticipated
challenges that occurred in implementing such
subsection, the strategies used to address such
challenges, and the effectiveness of such
strategies.
(C) Any additional information the Secretary
determines appropriate, including information
that may be useful to other Federal departments
and agencies considering the implementation of
similar automatic enrollment programs.
(2) Form of report.--The report required under
paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form,
but may include a classified annex.

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