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H.R. 8426House116th Congress (2019-2021)In Committee

Protecting Apprenticeship Training for Veterans Act

Sponsored by Conor LambRep. Conor Lamb (D-PA)
Introduced September 29, 2020

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 14, 2026 at 3:16 PM UTC

The Protecting Apprenticeship Training for Veterans Act changes how the Department of Veterans Affairs counts apprenticeship and on‑job training hours for veterans receiving educational assistance during the COVID‑19 emergency. It relaxes the usual 120‑hour‑per‑month requirement, especially for veterans who are unemployed, furloughed, or have reduced hours, so they don’t lose benefits because of the pandemic.

Key Provisions

  • For the period March 1 2020 – December 21 2021, the monthly 120‑hour training requirement can be reduced proportionally if a veteran can’t complete the full hours, and the amount of VA training assistance is reduced accordingly.
  • If a veteran is unemployed (including furloughed or scheduled for zero hours), the 120‑hour requirement is lowered to match the unemployment period, and no reduction in monthly assistance is applied.
  • Unemployment periods do not count against a veteran’s overall entitlement to VA educational assistance or the total time limit for receiving benefits.
  • Any excess training hours a veteran earns in one month can be applied to a later month where they fell short of 120 hours, but only once per shortfall.
  • Definitions are clarified: “unemployed” includes furloughs, and “fails to complete 120 hours” means completing at least one hour but fewer than 120 in a month.

Legislative Activity

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

September 29, 2020

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

September 29, 2020

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

September 29, 2020

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued September 29, 2020

I

116th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 8426

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 29, 2020

Mr. Lamb (for himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, and Mr. Cisneros) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

A BILL

To provide for modified requirements relating to apprenticeship and on-job training programs during the COVID–19 emergency under the educational assistance programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Protecting Apprenticeship Training for Veterans Act.

2.

Apprenticeship or on-job training requirements

(a)

In general

During the period described in subsection (b), subsection (e) of section 3687 of title 38, United States Code, shall be applied by substituting the following for paragraph (2):

(2)
(A)

Subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C), for any month in which an individual fails to complete 120 hours of training, the entitlement otherwise chargeable under paragraph (1) shall be reduced in the same proportion as the monthly training assistance allowance payable is reduced under subsection (b)(3).

(B)

In the case of an individual who is unemployed during any month, the 120-hour requirement under subparagraph (A) for that month shall be reduced proportionately to reflect the individual’s period of unemployment, except that the amount of monthly training assistance otherwise payable to the individual under subsection (b)(3) shall not be reduced.

(C)

Any period during which an individual is unemployed shall not—

(i)

be charged against any entitlement to educational assistance of the individual; or

(ii)

be counted against the aggregate period for which section 3695 of this title limits the receipt of educational assistance by such individual.

(D)

Any amount by which the entitlement of an individual is reduced under subparagraph (A) shall not—

(i)

be charged against any entitlement to educational assistance of the individual; or

(ii)

be counted against the aggregate period for which section 3695 of this title limits the receipt of educational assistance by such individual.

(E)

In the case of an individual who fails to complete 120 hours of training during a month, but who completed more than 120 hours of training during the preceding month, the individual may apply the number of hours in excess of 120 that the individual completed for that month to the month for which the individual failed to complete 120 hours. If the addition of such excess hours results in a total of 120 hours or more, the individual shall be treated as an individual who has completed 120 hours of training for that month. Any excess hours applied to a different month under this subparagraph may only be applied to one such month.

(F)

This paragraph applies to amounts described in section 3313(g)(3)(B)(iv) and section 3032(c)(2) of this title and section 16131(d)(2) of title 10.

(G)

In this paragraph:

(i)

The term unemployed includes being furloughed or being scheduled to work zero hours.

(ii)

The term fails to complete 120 hours of training means, with respect to an individual, that during any month, the individual completes at least one hour, but fewer than 120 hours, of training, including in a case in which the individual is unemployed for part of, but not the whole, month.

.

(b)

Applicability period

The period described in this section is the period beginning on March 1, 2020, and ending on December 21, 2021.