S.Amdt. 3909

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.
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