What This Bill Does
This bill requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to send certificates of eligibility and award letters to certain people using email or other electronic methods instead of paper mail. People who receive veterans educational benefits can choose to get these documents by mail instead if they prefer.
Who It Affects
Individuals who are eligible to receive covered educational assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Key Provisions
• The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must provide certificates of eligibility and award letters using electronic means to eligible individuals (Sec. 2(a)).
• Individuals can choose to receive these documents by mail instead of electronically, and can change their choice at any time by using the method the Secretary sets up (Sec. 2(b)).
• "Covered educational assistance" includes educational assistance programs under specific chapters of veterans law, plus the high technology pilot program created by the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 (Sec. 2(c)).
What Changes
The Department of Veterans Affairs will begin sending eligibility certificates and award letters electronically by default instead of by mail. People can request paper copies if they want them instead.
Important Definitions
Covered educational assistance means educational assistance under specific veterans programs and a high technology pilot program from 2017.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1169
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs to provide certificates of eligibility and award letters to certain
individuals using electronic means.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 24, 2023
Mr. ARRINGTON (for himself and Mr. LEVIN) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs to provide certificates of eligi-
bility and award letters to certain individuals using elec-
tronic means.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘VA E-Notification En-
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hancement Act’’.
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•HR 1169 IH
SEC. 2. PROVISION OF CERTIFICATES OF ELIGIBILITY AND
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AWARD LETTERS USING ELECTRONIC MEANS.
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Chapter 36 of title 38, United States Code, is amend-
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ed by inserting after section 3698 the following new sec-
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tion (and conforming the table of sections at the beginning
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of such chapter accordingly):
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‘‘§ 3698A. Provision of certificates of eligibility and
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award letters using electronic means
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‘‘(a) REQUIREMENT.—Except as provided by sub-
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section (b), the Secretary shall provide to an individual
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the following documents using electronic means:
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‘‘(1) A certificate of eligibility for the entitle-
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ment of the individual to covered educational assist-
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ance.
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‘‘(2) An award letter regarding the authoriza-
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tion of the individual to receive covered educational
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assistance.
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‘‘(b) ELECTION TO OPT OUT.—An individual may
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elect to receive the documents specified in subsection (a)
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by mail rather than through electronic means under sub-
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section (a). An individual may revoke such an election at
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any time, by means prescribed by the Secretary.
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‘‘(c) COVERED EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE.—In this
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section, the term ‘covered educational assistance’ means
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educational assistance under chapter 30, 33, or 35 of this
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title, or the high technology pilot program under section
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•HR 1169 IH
116 of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational As-
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sistance Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–48; 38 U.S.C. 3001
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note).’’.
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Æ
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