Veterans in STEM Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 6140 To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship program. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 9, 2020 Ms. UNDERWOOD (for herself and Mr. BARR) 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 Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship program. 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 ‘‘Veterans in STEM 4 Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Mar 13, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6140.IH H6140 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 6140 IH SEC. 2. EDITH NOURSE ROGERS STEM SCHOLARSHIP PRO- 1 GRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF- 2 FAIRS. 3 (a) CLARIFICATION AND EXPANSION OF ELIGI- 4 BILITY.—Subsection (b)(4) of section 3320 of title 38, 5 United States Code, is amended— 6 (1) in subparagraph (A)(i)— 7 (A) in the matter preceding subclause (I), 8 by inserting ‘‘, or a dual degree program that 9 includes such an undergraduate college degree,’’ 10 after ‘‘undergraduate college degree’’; 11 (B) by striking subclause (IX); and 12 (C) by redesignating subclauses (X) and 13 (XI) as subclauses (IX) and (X), respectively; 14 (2) in subparagraph (B)— 15 (A) by inserting ‘‘covered clinical training 16 program for health care professionals or a’’ be- 17 fore ‘‘program of education’’; and 18 (B) by striking the period at the end and 19 inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 20 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub- 21 paragraph: 22 ‘‘(C) is an individual who has earned a 23 graduate degree in a field referred to in sub- 24 paragraph (A)(i) and is enrolled in a covered 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Mar 13, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6140.IH H6140 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 6140 IH clinical training program for health care profes- 1 sionals.’’. 2 (b) PRIORITY.—Subsection (c) of such section is 3 amended to read as follows: 4 ‘‘(c) PRIORITY.—(1) If the Secretary determines that 5 there are insufficient funds available in a fiscal year to 6 provide additional benefits under this section to all eligible 7 individuals, the Secretary may give priority to the fol- 8 lowing eligible individuals: 9 ‘‘(A) Individuals who require the most credit 10 hours described in subsection (b)(4). 11 ‘‘(B) Individuals who are entitled to educational 12 assistance under this chapter by reason of para- 13 graph (1), (2), (8), or (9) of section 3311(b) of this 14 title. 15 ‘‘(2) The Secretary shall give priority to individuals 16 under paragraph (1) in the following order: 17 ‘‘(A) Individuals who are enrolled in a program 18 of education leading to an undergraduate degree in 19 a field referred to in subsection (b)(4)(A)(i). 20 ‘‘(B) Individuals who are enrolled in a program 21 of education leading to a teaching certificate. 22 ‘‘(C) Individuals who are enrolled in a dual-de- 23 gree program leading to both an undergraduate and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Mar 13, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6140.IH H6140 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 6140 IH graduate degree in a field referred to in subsection 1 (b)(4)(A)(i). 2 ‘‘(D) Individuals who have earned an under- 3 graduate degree and are enrolled in a covered clin- 4 ical training program for health care professionals. 5 ‘‘(E) Individuals who have earned a graduate 6 degree and are enrolled in a covered clinical training 7 program for health care professionals.’’. 8 (c) AMOUNTS NOT SUBJECT TO CERTAIN LIMITA- 9 TION.—Subsection (d) of such section is amended by add- 10 ing at the end the following new paragraph: 11 ‘‘(4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this 12 chapter or chapter 36 of this title, any additional benefits 13 under this section may not be counted toward the aggre- 14 gate period for which section 3695 of this title limits an 15 individual’s receipt of allowance or assistance.’’. 16 (d) COVERED CLINICAL TRAINING PROGRAM DE- 17 FINED.—Such section is further amended by adding at the 18 end the following new subsection: 19 ‘‘(h) COVERED CLINICAL TRAINING PROGRAM DE- 20 FINED.—In this section, the term ‘covered clinical training 21 program defined’ means any clinical training required by 22 a health care professional to be licensed to practice in a 23 State or locality.’’. 24 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Mar 13, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H6140.IH H6140 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS