H.R. 1212House108th Congress (2003-2005)In Committee

Veterans' Education Affordability Act

To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the amount of basic educational assistance for veterans under the Montgomery GI Bill, and to eliminate reductions of basic pay for eligibility for such assistance.

Legislative Activity

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5 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Executive Comment Requested from DOD.

Armed Services Committee

April 11, 2003

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

March 11, 2003

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

March 11, 2003

HouseIntro Referral

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E435)

March 12, 2003

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Benefits.

March 26, 2003

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Total Force.

April 11, 2003

HouseCommittee

Executive Comment Requested from DOD.

Armed Services Committee

April 11, 2003

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 1212 on the floor

1 Republican

Rep. Christopher H. SmithR-NJ-4 · Mar 12, 2003

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Evans, Mr. Brown of South Carolina, Mr. Rodriguez, and Mr. Michaud join me in introducing H.R. 1212, the Veterans' Education Affordability Act, to increase the Montgomery GI Bill…

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Evans, Mr. Brown of South Carolina, Mr. Rodriguez, and Mr. Michaud join me in introducing H.R. 1212, the Veterans' Education Affordability Act, to increase the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) monthly educational assistance allowance to $1,200 for full-time students and repeal the $1,200 pay reduction for MGIB eligibility.

The original World War II GI Bill exceeded all expectations and had enormous benefits beyond the immediate ones given to deserving war veterans. College enrollment grew dramatically: in 1947, GI Bill enrollees accounted for almost half of the total college population. This resulted in a need for more and larger colleges and universities. In my home state of New Jersey, Rutgers University saw its admissions grow from a pre-war high of 7,000 to almost 16,000.

In the decade following World War II, more than 2 million eligible men and women went to college using GI Bill educational benefits. The result was an American workforce enriched by 450,000 engineers, 238,000 teachers, 91,000 scientists, 67,000 doctors, 22,000 dentists and another million college-educated men and women.

Building upon the success of the original GI Bill, Congress subsequently approved a second bill following the Korean Conflict; then a third bill following the Vietnam Conflict; and a fourth bill for the post-Vietnam War era. In 1985, under the dedicated leadership of former Veterans' Committee Chairman Sonny Montgomery, Congress approved the modern version of the GI Bill which is fittingly called the Montgomery GI Bill. The MGIB was designed not only to help veterans make a transition into the workforce through additional education and training, but also to serve as a powerful recruitment tool for our all- volunteer armed forces.

With the enactment of Public Law 107-103, the Veterans Education and Benefits Expansion Act of 2001, Congress significantly increased MGIB purchasing power for veterans and servicemembers. I was privileged to author this legislation which increased the MGIB basic benefit in January 2002 from $672 to $800 per month. It further increased the benefit in October 2002 to $900 and will increase the benefit in October of this year to $985--a 46 percent increase from the $672 per month.

But according to data furnished by the College Board, for the current academic year the MGIB benefit remains below the level needed for a veteran-student to attend a public, four-year institution as a commuter student. This increase to $1,200 would be another significant step toward a more realistic educational benefit.

This legislation would also eliminate the $1,200 reduction in pay required for a servicemember to gain eligibility for the MGIB. We view the $1,200 as an unnecessary GI education tax and a hardship on the most junior servicemembers, many of whom qualify for food stamps. No other federal education program charges such a participation fee and H.R. 1212 will repeal it.

I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation to help both servicemembers and veterans get the most valuable benefit possible--a quality education and training for the workplace.

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Introduced in HouseIssued March 11, 2003

        [Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1212 Introduced in House (IH)]

108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1212

To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the amount of basic
educational assistance for veterans under the Montgomery GI Bill, and
to eliminate reductions of basic pay for eligibility for such
assistance.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 11, 2003

Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. Evans, Mr. Brown of South
Carolina, Mr. Rodriguez, and Mr. Michaud) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in
addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the amount of basic
educational assistance for veterans under the Montgomery GI Bill, and
to eliminate reductions of basic pay for eligibility for such
assistance.

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' Education Affordability
Act''.

SEC. 2. INCREASE IN AMOUNT OF BASIC EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE.

(a) In General.--(1) Subsection (a)(1) of section 3015 of title 38,
United States Code, is amended--
(A) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E);
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following new
subparagraph:
``(D) for months occurring during fiscal year 2005,
$1,200; and''; and
(C) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (C).
(2) Subsection (b)(1) of such section is amended--
(A) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E);
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following new
subparagraph:
``(D) for months occurring during fiscal year 2005,
$975; and''; and
(C) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (C).
(b) No CPI Adjustment for Fiscal Year 2005.--Subsection (h) of such
section 3015 shall not apply to rates of basic educational assistance
paid under such section during fiscal year 2005.

SEC. 3. ELIMINATION OF REDUCTIONS OF BASIC PAY.

(a) Repeals.--Sections 3011(b) and 3012(c) of title 38, United
States Code, are each amended by adding at the end the following new
sentence: ``This subsection shall cease to have effect beginning on the
first day of the first month that begins after the date of the
enactment of the Montgomery GI Bill Enhancement Act of 2003.''.
(b) Termination of Reductions in Progress.--Any reduction in the
basic pay of an individual referred to in section 3011(b) of title 38,
United States Code, by reason of such section 3011(b), or of any
individual referred to in section 3012(c) of such title by reason of
such section 3012(c), as of the date of the enactment of this Act shall
cease commencing with the first month beginning after such date, and
any obligation of such individual under such section 3011(b) or
3012(c), as the case may be, as of the day before such date shall be
deemed to be fully satisfied as of such date.
(c) Conforming Amendment.--Section 3034(e)(1) of title 38, United
States Code, is amended in the second sentence by striking ``as soon as
practicable'' and all that follows through ``such additional times''
and inserting ``at such times''.
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