Sgt. Isaac Woodard, Jr. and Sgt. Joseph H. Maddox GI Bill Repair Act of 2020

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 8889 To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend to Black veterans of World War II, and surviving spouses and certain direct descendants of such veterans, eligibility for certain housing loans and educational assistance administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DECEMBER 7, 2020 Mr. MOULTON (for himself and Mr. CLYBURN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend to Black veterans of World War II, and surviving spouses and certain direct descendants of such veterans, eligibility for certain housing loans and educational assistance ad- ministered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 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 ‘‘Sgt. Isaac Woodard, 4 Jr. and Sgt. Joseph H. Maddox GI Bill Repair Act of 5 2020’’. 6 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:13 Dec 15, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8889.IH H8889 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 8889 IH SEC. 2. HOUSING LOANS GUARANTEED BY THE SECRETARY 1 OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR BLACK VET- 2 ERANS OF WORLD WAR II AND SURVIVORS 3 AND CERTAIN DIRECT DESCENDANTS OF 4 SUCH VETERANS. 5 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Chapter 37 of title 38, 6 United States Code, is amended as follows: 7 (1) DEFINITION.—Section 3701(b) of such title 8 is amended by adding at the end the following new 9 paragraphs: 10 ‘‘(7) The term ‘veteran’ also includes, for pur- 11 poses of housing loans, a former member of the 12 Armed Forces who— 13 ‘‘(A) is Black; and 14 ‘‘(B) served on active duty at any time 15 during World War II. 16 ‘‘(8) The term ‘veteran’ also includes, for pur- 17 poses of housing loans, an individual who— 18 ‘‘(A) is the surviving spouse, child, grand- 19 child, or other direct descendant of a veteran 20 described in paragraph (7); and 21 ‘‘(B) is living on the date of the enactment 22 of the Sgt. Isaac Woodard, Jr. and Sgt. Joseph 23 H. Maddox GI Bill Repair Act of 2020.’’. 24 (2) BASIC ENTITLEMENT.—Section 25 3702(a)(2)(E) of such title is amended by striking 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:13 Dec 15, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8889.IH H8889 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 8889 IH ‘‘section 3701(b)(5)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph (5), 1 (7), or (8) of section 3701(b)’’. 2 (b) DEADLINE.—The Secretary shall carry out the 3 amendment made by this section not later than 90 days 4 after the date of the enactment of this Act. 5 (c) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Veterans Af- 6 fairs shall prescribe regulations to carry out the amend- 7 ment made by this section. 8 (d) GAO REPORT.—Not later than one year after the 9 deadline under subsection (b), the Comptroller General of 10 the United States shall submit to Congress a report re- 11 garding— 12 (1) the number of individuals who received 13 housing loan benefits pursuant to the amendment 14 made by this section; and 15 (2) the total value of housing loan benefits ad- 16 ministered by the Secretary pursuant to the amend- 17 ment made by this section. 18 SEC. 3. EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR SURVIVORS AND 19 CERTAIN DIRECT DESCENDANTS OF BLACK 20 VETERANS OF WORLD WAR II. 21 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subsection (b) of section 22 3311 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by add- 23 ing at the end the following new paragraph: 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:12 Dec 19, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8889.IH H8889 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 8889 IH ‘‘(11) An individual described in section 1 3701(b)(8) of this title.’’. 2 (b) DEADLINE.—The Secretary shall carry out the 3 amendment made by this section not later than 90 days 4 after the date of the enactment of this Act. 5 (c) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Veterans Af- 6 fairs shall prescribe regulations to carry out the amend- 7 ment made by this section. 8 (d) GAO REPORT.—Not later than one year after the 9 deadline under subsection (b), the Comptroller General of 10 the United States shall submit to Congress a report re- 11 garding— 12 (1) the number of individuals who received edu- 13 cational assistance pursuant to the amendment 14 made by this section; and 15 (2) the total amount of educational assistance 16 paid by the Secretary pursuant to the amendment 17 made by this section. 18 SEC. 4. BLUE RIBBON PANEL ON BENEFITS AND ASSIST- 19 ANCE FOR FEMALE AND MINORITY VET- 20 ERANS. 21 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 30 days after 22 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 23 Veterans Affairs shall establish a panel of independent ex- 24 perts on— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:13 Dec 15, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8889.IH H8889 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 8889 IH (1) inequities in the distribution of benefits and 1 assistance administered by the Secretary; and 2 (2) military service by female and minority 3 members of the Armed Forces. 4 (b) DUTIES.—The panel shall develop recommenda- 5 tions regarding additional benefits and assistance for indi- 6 viduals described in subsection (a)(2), and related legisla- 7 tion. 8 (c) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 9 of the enactment of this Act, the panel shall submit to 10 Congress and the President a report containing the rec- 11 ommendations developed under this section. 12 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:13 Dec 15, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H8889.IH H8889 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS