To provide for the continuation of Department of Veterans Affairs educational assistance benefits during emergency situations, and for other purposes.

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 6212 To provide for the continuation of Department of Veterans Affairs educational assistance benefits during emergency situations, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 11, 2020 Mr. TAKANO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To provide for the continuation of Department of Veterans Affairs educational assistance benefits during emergency situations, 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. CONTINUATION OF DEPARTMENT OF VET- 3 ERANS AFFAIRS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE 4 BENEFITS DURING EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. 5 (a) CONTINUATION OF BENEFITS.—During the 180- 6 day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this 7 Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may treat a pro- 8 gram of education offered by distance learning as if such 9 program of education were offered on-site at an edu- 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:00 Mar 19, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6212.IH H6212 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 6212 IH cational institution for purposes of the laws administered 1 by the Secretary, if such program of education is— 2 (1) converted from being offered on-site at an 3 educational institution to being offered by distance 4 learning by reason of an emergency or health-related 5 situation, as determined by the Secretary; or 6 (2) offered by distance learning by reason of 7 the existence of an emergency or health-related situ- 8 ation, as so determined. 9 (b) CONTINUATION OF PAYMENT OF ALLOWANCES IN 10 EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.—Section 3680(a) of title 38, 11 United States Code, is amended— 12 (1) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ‘‘4 weeks’’ 13 and inserting ‘‘eight weeks’’; and 14 (2) by adding at the end the following new 15 paragraph: 16 ‘‘(3) For purposes of this subsection, the term 17 ‘emergency situation’ means— 18 ‘‘(A) a public health crisis; 19 ‘‘(B) a state of emergency declared by the 20 Federal Government or by a State or local gov- 21 ernment; or 22 ‘‘(C) any other situation, as determined by 23 the Secretary.’’. 24 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:00 Mar 19, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H6212.IH H6212 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS