VETS Opportunity Act of 2025

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1458) to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the criteria for approval of certain independent study programs for purposes of the educational assistance programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 1458, as amended.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1458, as amended, offered by my friend and colleague, Representative Juan Ciscomani of Arizona.

This bill would modernize the GI Bill by approving hybrid and online independent study programs to meet veterans' needs. During the COVID pandemic, these institutions offered classes in both online and hybrid settings to stop the spread of COVID. These institutions also received GI Bill funding during that time. Many of these institutions were even told to move their programs to fully remote.

This bill would allow these education programs to receive funding again and get more veterans into successful programs. It is clearer than ever that VA education programs need to meet veterans where they are and not the other way around.

Additionally, this bill would ensure guard and reserves who get called up on orders during a semester can receive a grade. This bill would also give school certifying officials, or SCOs, time to prepare for a required survey to ensure there is no fraud, waste, or abuse at the GI Bill-eligible institution.

Finally, this bill would also allow servicemembers and veterans who paid into the Montgomery GI Bill to receive their $1,200 refund if they chose to fully use their post-9/11 GI Bill.

I am fully supportive of this bill as we must ensure that VA services veterans first.

This bill would not only give freedom of choice for what institution veterans can attend, but when a veteran does go to school, they would receive more protection when they are called up to protect this country.

I thank Representative John James of Michigan and Representative Ronny Jackson of Texas for introducing important provisions to this language, and I thank my friend, Representative Ciscomani, for introducing this bill and continuing to be a champion of improving education opportunities for veterans and their dependents.

My committee will continue to seek ways to level the playing field for veterans seeking education and employment so that every veteran has access to the opportunities that they want, all the while protecting the taxpayers' investment and these programs.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1458, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the concerns of the minority, and I would like to dispel some misinformation provided by the ranking member.

H.R. 1458 would expand the way in which the GI Bill benefits can be used by veterans, but it would not remove any of the guardrails in place to keep out bad actors. In fact, the bill would require regular and additional interaction between students and instructors, which would add an additional meaningful guardrail for veteran providers.

In the most recent VA ``Annual Benefits Report,'' only 3.5 percent of veterans pursued vocational or technical education, even though skilled trades are among the fastest growing career opportunities in the United States.

This bill would help tackle the current workforce shortage in skills and trades in the U.S. while maintaining the oversight that VA has over bad actors. Now the GI Bill already has limits on tuition payments approval and quality standards to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in the program.

Often, veterans may need to attend school or training online or hybrid, not due to performance but due to the necessity of taking care of their families or loved ones. This bill would respond to those realities, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to get the bill signed into law.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Ciscomani), the sponsor of this bill.

Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers. I am ready to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise to express my qualified support for H.R. 1458, the VETS Opportunity Act of 2025, as amended. I support the improvements made by most of the bill, but I have concerns about some of the provisions within this legislation.

Specifically, I worry that section 3 of the bill, which would authorize the use of post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for independent study programs taught at non-degree-granting, for-profit institutions, might be used by predatory operators to target veterans with subpar programs and rob them of the benefits they have so rightfully earned.

While I believe that student veterans should have the freedom to pursue higher education in the manner that is most effective for them, H.R. 1458 risks unnecessarily exposing student veterans to bad actors and scams. With the U.S. Department of Education's ability to provide oversight in jeopardy, expanding program approvals for new programs now is misguided.

The GI Bill is one of the most important tools we have to support the long-term success and economic mobility of veterans. With that comes a responsibility to ensure that the programs we approve for GI Bill funding are high quality and accountable and lead to meaningful employment.

H.R. 1458, while well intentioned, opens the door for a surge in non- degree-granting, for-profit providers seeking to enroll veterans in high-cost, low-quality programs that, in a troubling number of cases, fail to deliver on their promises.

The lack of minimal quality assurance mechanisms for non-degree programs is what led to congressional action to exclude them from eligibility for the Department of Defense Tuition Assistance Program in 2013.

While I strongly support expanding educational access for our Nation's veterans, H.R. 1458, as it is currently

drafted, may have unintended consequences. Veterans deserve the widest possible array of educational opportunities, but not at the cost of diminished quality, oversight, or value.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, before I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina, I do want to point out that the chairman was referring to hybrid programs. Our concern is not about the hybrid programs, but independent study, and that independent study loophole for for-profit, private educational providers may allow for some abuse and targeting of veterans in unintended ways. I do hope that our colleagues in the Senate will give this a second look and possibly return this legislation for final passage here.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Davis), my good friend.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Madam Speaker, I again express my qualified support for H.R. 1458, the VETS Opportunity Act of 2025, as amended. I can't express that enough.

I urge my colleagues to work with the Senate to improve this bill and ensure that it is veterans who benefit from this legislation and not bad actors.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1458, the VETS Opportunity Act of 2025, a bill I introduced to modernize veterans' education benefits and align them with today's workforce needs.

As I represent nearly 80,000 veterans in southern Arizona, I know firsthand when servicemembers transition to civilian life, they bring discipline, leadership, and a strong work ethic, but too often the system limits how they can use the benefits that they earned. This bill changes that by modernizing the GI Bill and expanding access to high- quality certificates and technical training programs, possibly offered in a hybrid format, that lead directly to good-paying jobs in high- demand fields.

Not every veteran wants or needs a traditional 4-year degree. Many want fast, skills-based training that connects them to careers in the trades, healthcare, technology, and other critical fields. This bill recognizes reality, and it gives veterans the flexibility to choose the path that works best for them and their families.

Furthermore, this legislation includes clear protections to ensure the program operates efficiently and that veterans' benefits are used responsibly as well. Programs like this one must be accredited, approved by the VA, and provide regular and substantive interaction between instructors and students.

The VETS Opportunity Act is about modernizing our VA benefits and programs to empower veterans, strengthen the workforce, and honor the promise this country made to those who served. By strengthening education benefits, we empower veterans, build a stronger workforce, and drive a stronger economy.

This bill turns service into opportunity and commitment into careers. That is what our veterans deserve, and that is what our communities need.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1458 and vote ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano for their leadership.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1458, the VETS Opportunity Act of 2025. As a proud United States Air Force veteran and voice for over 56,000 veterans and their families in North Carolina's First Congressional District, it was an honor to join and work with the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Ciscomani) in introducing this bipartisan legislation.

For too many veterans, the transition from military service to civilian life comes with uncertainty about how to build a new career and support their families. By expanding in-person and hybrid training options for skilled trade programs, we are bridging skills gaps across the country, empowering our veterans, and contributing to our local economies.

Madam Speaker, I believe it is time to equip eastern North Carolina's veterans and beyond with the training and skills they so need. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.