Student Veterans Housing Act of 2019

II 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 1946 To amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the payment of monthly housing stipends under the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Program, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JUNE 24, 2019 Ms. STABENOW (for herself and Mr. ROBERTS) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the payment of monthly housing stipends under the Post- 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Program, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Student Veterans 4 Housing Act of 2019’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:28 Jun 27, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1946.IS S1946 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 2 •S 1946 IS SEC. 2. PAYMENT OF MONTHLY HOUSING STIPEND UNDER 1 POST-9/11 VETERANS EDUCATIONAL ASSIST- 2 ANCE PROGRAM. 3 (a) PAYMENT OF MONTHLY.—Section 3313 of title 4 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 5 the following new subsection (k): 6 ‘‘(k) PAYMENT OF MONTHLY HOUSING STIPEND.— 7 The Secretary may pay a monthly housing stipend under 8 this section to an individual in connection with the pursuit 9 of a program of education at an educational institution 10 during a period in which the institution is closed during 11 a school term in which the individual is pursuing the pro- 12 gram of education.’’. 13 (b) PAYMENT FOR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS BETWEEN 14 SCHOOL TERMS.—Such section is further amended by 15 adding at the end the following new subsection (l): 16 ‘‘(l) PAYMENT OF MONTHLY HOUSING STIPEND FOR 17 CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS BETWEEN SCHOOL TERMS.— 18 ‘‘(1) CONSECUTIVE TERMS AT SAME INSTITU- 19 TION.—If educational assistance is payable under 20 this chapter to an individual for the pursuit of a 21 program of education at an educational institution 22 in consecutive school terms, the second of which 23 does not begin immediately after the first, the 24 monthly housing stipend payable to the individual 25 under this section in connection with such assistance 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:28 Jun 27, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1946.IS S1946 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 3 •S 1946 IS as of the end of the first term may be payable to 1 the individual during the period between such terms 2 if— 3 ‘‘(A) the institution certifies to the Sec- 4 retary that the individual is enrolled in the in- 5 stitution on an individual term basis; 6 ‘‘(B) the period between such terms does 7 not exceed eight weeks; and 8 ‘‘(C) the length of each such term is not 9 less than the length of the period between such 10 terms. 11 ‘‘(2) CONSECUTIVE TERMS AT DIFFERENT IN- 12 STITUTIONS.—If an individual being paid edu- 13 cational assistance under this chapter for a school 14 term at an institution of higher learning (the pre- 15 ceding term) transfers at the end of the preceding 16 term to another institution of higher learning for the 17 pursuit of a qualifying program of education com- 18 mencing in the next school term (the following 19 term), the individual may be paid the amount of the 20 monthly housing stipend payable to the individual 21 under this section in connection with such assistance 22 for the preceding term during the period between 23 the preceding term and the following term if the 24 length of such period does not exceed 30 days. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:28 Jun 27, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1946.IS S1946 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 4 •S 1946 IS ‘‘(3) NO CHARGE AGAINST ENTITLEMENT.—A 1 monthly housing stipend paid to an individual under 2 this subsection shall not be charged against the enti- 3 tlement of the individual to educational assistance 4 under this chapter.’’. 5 (c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in the 6 amendments made by this section shall be construed to 7 alter eligibility for monthly housing stipends under the 8 Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Program 9 under chapter 33 of title 38, United States Code, or any 10 other program of educational assistance carried out by the 11 Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 12 (d) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con- 13 gress that, in carrying out any program of educational as- 14 sistance in addition to the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational 15 Assistance Program in which a monthly housing stipend 16 is payable in connection with receipt of such assistance 17 under such program, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 18 should apply the requirements and limitations in sub- 19 sections (k) and (l) of section 3313 of title 38, United 20 States Code (as amended by this section), in the payment 21 of such stipends, to the extent applicable. 22 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:28 Jun 27, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S1946.IS S1946 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS