GI Bill Work Study Improvement Act of 2019

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3535 To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the work-study allowance program administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 27, 2019 Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois (for himself, Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee, Mrs. LEE of Nevada, and Mr. BOST) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the work-study allowance program administered by the Sec- retary of Veterans Affairs. 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 ‘‘GI Bill Work Study 4 Improvement Act of 2019’’. 5 SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENT TO WORK-STUDY ALLOWANCE PRO- 6 GRAM. 7 (a) PAYMENT OF ALLOWANCE.—Subsection (a) of 8 section 3485 of title 38, United States Code, is amended— 9 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:44 Jul 06, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3535.IH H3535 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 3535 IH (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Individuals’’ 1 and inserting ‘‘In accordance with paragraph (4), in- 2 dividuals’’; 3 (2) by redesignating paragraphs (4), (5), and 4 (6) as paragraphs (5), (6), and (7), respectively; and 5 (3) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol- 6 lowing new paragraph: 7 ‘‘(4)(A) The Secretary shall carry out this section by 8 providing to educational institutions an annual amount for 9 the institution to use in paying work-study allowance 10 under paragraph (1) to individuals enrolled at the institu- 11 tion. 12 ‘‘(B) With respect to an educational institution that 13 participated in the work-study program under this section 14 during the academic year beginning August 1, 2018, the 15 Secretary shall determine the annual amount to provide 16 to the educational institution under subparagraph (A) as 17 follows: 18 ‘‘(i) For the academic year beginning August 1, 19 2020, the amount shall be the total amount the Sec- 20 retary paid under this section to individuals enrolled 21 at such educational institution during the academic 22 year beginning August 1, 2018. 23 ‘‘(ii) Except as provided by subparagraph 24 (D)(ii), for each academic year beginning on or after 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:44 Jul 06, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3535.IH H3535 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 3535 IH August 1, 2021, the amount shall be the total 1 amount the educational institution paid under this 2 section for work-study allowance to individuals en- 3 rolled at such educational institution during the pre- 4 vious academic year in which individuals participated 5 in the work-study program. 6 ‘‘(C) With respect to an educational institution that 7 did not participate in the work-study program under this 8 section during the academic year beginning August 1, 9 2018, the Secretary shall determine the annual amount 10 to provide to the educational institution under subpara- 11 graph (A) as follows: 12 ‘‘(i) For the first academic year in which the 13 educational institution participates in the work-study 14 program beginning on or after August 1, 2020, the 15 amount shall be an amount the Secretary determines 16 appropriate based on amounts provided to similar 17 educational institutions pursuant to subparagraph 18 (B). 19 ‘‘(ii) Except as provided by subparagraph 20 (D)(ii), for each academic year occurring after the 21 academic year specified in clause (i), the amount 22 shall be the total amount the educational institution 23 paid under this section for work-study allowance to 24 individuals enrolled at such educational institution 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:44 Jul 06, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3535.IH H3535 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 3535 IH during the previous academic year in which individ- 1 uals enrolled at such educational institution partici- 2 pated in the work-study program. 3 ‘‘(D)(i) Except as provided in clause (ii), if the Sec- 4 retary provides an annual amount to an educational insti- 5 tution under subparagraph (B) or (C) that is more than 6 the total amount the educational institution pays to indi- 7 viduals under paragraph (1), the educational institution 8 shall return to the Secretary the unpaid amount and the 9 Secretary shall transfer such amount into the general fund 10 of the Treasury. 11 ‘‘(ii) If the annual amount provided to an educational 12 institution under subparagraph (B) or (C) is more, but 13 less than ten percent more, than the total amount the edu- 14 cational institution pays to individuals under paragraph 15 (1), and the educational institution plans to participate 16 in the work-study program under this section during the 17 subsequent academic year, the educational institution may 18 retain the amount of the overpayment if the educational 19 institution notifies the Secretary of the amount of the 20 overpayment and the intention of the educational institu- 21 tion to retain such amount. Any amount retained by an 22 educational institution under this clause may only be used 23 by the educational institution to provide work-study allow- 24 ance to individuals enrolled at the educational institution. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:44 Jul 06, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3535.IH H3535 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 •HR 3535 IH ‘‘(iii) At any time an educational institution may re- 1 quest the Secretary to increase the annual amount that 2 the Secretary provides the educational institution under 3 subparagraph (B) or (C). 4 ‘‘(E) Pursuant to section 3690(c), section 3693, and 5 other provisions of chapter 36 of this title, the Secretary 6 shall ensure that educational institutions carry out the 7 work-study allowance program in compliance with this sec- 8 tion.’’. 9 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Subsection (e)(1) 10 of such section is amended by striking ‘‘subsection (a)(4)’’ 11 and inserting ‘‘subsection (a)(5)’’. 12 (c) APPLICATION.—The amendments made by this 13 section shall apply with respect to a quarter, semester, or 14 term, as applicable, commencing on or after August 1, 15 2020. 16 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:44 Jul 06, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3535.IH H3535 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS