Veterans Eligible to Transfer School (VETS) Credit Act

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Bost for yielding.

I rise today to advocate for H.R. 6604, as amended, the Veterans Eligible to Transfer Schools (VETS) Credit Act. It corrects issues that veterans are having when using their GI benefits when transferring schools after a school closure. The bill also includes provisions from my bill, H.R. 6458, which eliminates the requirement to specify an effective period of a transfer of post-9/11 educational assistance to a dependent.

I am grateful to Representative Vern Buchanan for attaching my bill to H.R. 6604.

As Members of Congress, we realize the overall importance of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. It has been a huge success in recruiting and retaining servicemembers. Many servicemembers use the added benefit of being able to transfer their education benefits to their family members. With the cost of college education so astronomical in this era, many servicemembers are using this opportunity.

Under current law servicemembers are eligible to transfer their 36 months of Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility to their dependents if they have served at least 6 years and incur a service obligation to serve an additional 4 years.

The nonprofit Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, otherwise known as TAPS, has brought to our attention that under current practice if a

servicemember accidentally puts on their GI Bill transfer form that the benefits for a child or other dependent expire on a certain date and the servicemember later dies before the benefit is used, there is no way for the record to be changed to allow a dependent to use the benefit.

If the veteran were still alive, they could go back in the system and change the date at any time. TAPS has seen this happen to several family members and has asked us to look into it and try to correct the problem. When we contacted the Department of Defense to see if they could address this with an administrative fix, we were told that a legislative correction was needed, and this is why we are here today to introduce my bill.

The bill, as amended, includes this change that would eliminate the requirement to specify a period of transfer of Post-9/11 GI Bill entitlement to a dependent. This would prevent those entitled to post- 9/11 education benefits from accidentally inputting the wrong date and therefore preventing the dependent from taking advantage of the benefit.

It may seem a small detail, but for those individuals it is a very, very large benefit. I am grateful to TAPS for identifying this issue and grateful for Congressman Buchanan as well as Chairman Takano and Ranking Member Bost for their support. I would like to thank the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs for their assistance.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6604) to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the method by which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines the effects of a closure or disapproval of an educational institution on individuals who do not transfer credits from such institution, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 6604, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to speak in strong support of H.R. 6604, as amended, the Veterans Eligible to Transfer School (VETS) Credit Act.

This bipartisan legislation is a product of work from the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Buchanan) and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Murphy) that, together, will make it easier for veterans and their dependents to use their earned benefits.

Representative Buchanan's legislation would provide students that qualify a new provisional certificate of eligibility for benefits that may have been unfairly lost due to circumstances outside of their control. That means if a student veteran is left in the unfortunate situation where their school closes, they will be provided detailed information from the VA on how to reserve their benefits or have their benefits restored or transferred to a new institution.

H.R. 6604, as amended, would also ensure that clerical errors don't rob veterans of transferring their benefits to a dependent. Under current law, if a servicemember accidentally makes a mistake on their paperwork, such as indicating an expiration date for the benefits, and the servicemember passes away before the benefits are used, there is no way for the paperwork to be changed to allow the dependent to use the benefits.

This bill clarifies existing law and ensures that clerical errors do not prevent dependents from receiving educational assistance.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the hard work of the members of the committee on this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing this important piece of legislation, H.R. 6604, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6604, as amended, the Veterans Eligible to Transfer School Credit Act. This bill, authored by my friend from Florida (Mr. Buchanan), would help student veterans continue to use their GI Bill benefits if their school closes in the middle of a semester.

Under current law, when a school closes, an eligible student can have their GI Bill benefits restored for the time they spent attending the shuttered school. This bill would streamline that process for these students to use their restored benefits at a new school. This will help student veterans quickly transfer to a new school and complete their degree using their GI Bill benefits.

H.R. 6604, as amended, also includes the text of Congressman Murphy's bill, H.R. 6458. This bill eliminates the existing requirement for the servicemember to set a specific date for when any transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits would expire.

Thus, this bill would prevent those who are entitled to these benefits from accidentally inputting the wrong date.

These wrong dates have led to dependents being barred from taking advantage of their education benefits. For example, there have been instances where a servicemember has put in their child's 18th birthday by accident which then prevents the child from using the benefit. If the servicemember is alive, they can easily change this date in the system. However, if the servicemember has passed away before they make this change, then it is irreversible and the child can't use their GI Bill benefit.

I thank the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, or TAPS, for bringing this transfer issue and solution to us. I also thank both Congressman Buchanan and Congressman Murphy for their hard work on these bills. I encourage all my colleagues to support H.R. 6604, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Murphy).

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be discharged and that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of the following bills en bloc: H.R. 6064, H.R. 6604, H.R. 6961, H.R. 7299, H.R. 7335, and S. 4949.

I ask unanimous consent that the bills, en bloc, be considered read a third time and passed and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all en bloc.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.