H.R. 297

Veteran Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Subsistence Allowance Improvement Act of 2009

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I

111th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 297

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 8, 2009

Mr. Buyer (for himself, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Boozman, and Mr. Buchanan) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the amount of subsistence allowance payable by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to veterans participating in vocational rehabilitation programs, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Veteran Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Subsistence Allowance Improvement Act of 2009.

2.

Increase in amount of subsistence allowance payable to veterans participating in vocational rehabilitation program

(a)

Increase in subsistence allowance

Section 3108(b)(1) is amended by striking the table and inserting the following new table:

Column
I
Column
II
Column
III
Column
IV

Column V
Type of
program
No
dependents
One
dependent
Two
dependents
More than
two dependents
The amount in column IV, plus the following for each dependent in excess of two:
Full-time$1,200$1,500$1,800$120
Three-quarter time$900$1,125$1,350$90
Half-time$600$750$900$60
(b)

Effective date

The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to a payment made for the third month beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act and each subsequent month.

3.

Expansion of availability of employment assistance allowance for veterans using employment services

Section 3108(a) is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following new sentence: In the case of a veteran with a service-connected disability who the Secretary determines has reached a point of employability and who is participating only in a program of employment services provided under section 3104(a)(5) of this title, the Secretary shall pay the veteran a subsistence allowance as prescribed in this section for three months while the veteran is satisfactorily pursuing such program.; and

(2)

by striking paragraph (2) and redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (2).