Veterans Education Assistance Improvement Act

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3874 To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in the administration of the educational assistance programs of the Depart- ment of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 6, 2023 Mr. ROSENDALE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in the administration of the educational assistance programs of the Department of Veterans Af- fairs, 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 ‘‘Veterans Education 4 Assistance Improvement Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:51 Jul 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3874.IH H3874 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 3874 IH SEC. 2. PAYMENT OF FULL MONTHLY HOUSING STIPEND 1 FOR VETERANS ENROLLED IN FINAL SEMES- 2 TER USING EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE 3 UNDER POST-9/11 EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE 4 PROGRAM. 5 (a) HOUSING ALLOWANCE.—Section 3680(a)(3) of 6 title 38, United States Code, is amended— 7 (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and 8 (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively (and by re- 9 designating each subordinate provision and the mar- 10 gins thereof accordingly); 11 (2) by striking ‘‘Notwithstanding paragraph 12 (1)’’ and inserting ‘‘(A) Notwithstanding paragraph 13 (1)’’; 14 (3) by striking ‘‘, including a monthly housing 15 stipend described in section 3313(c) of this title,’’; 16 and 17 (4) by adding at the end the following new sub- 18 paragraph (B): 19 ‘‘(B) For purposes of providing a monthly housing 20 stipend described in section 3313(c) to an eligible veteran 21 or eligible person for whom the Secretary is providing edu- 22 cational assistance under chapter 33 of this title during 23 a period that is the last semester, term, or academic period 24 pursuant to subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall treat 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:51 Jul 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3874.IH H3874 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 3874 IH the veteran or person as pursuing a program of education 1 on more than a half-time basis.’’. 2 (b) APPLICATION.—The amendments made by sub- 3 section (a) shall take effect on the date of the enactment 4 of this Act and apply with respect to a quarter, semester, 5 or term, as applicable, commencing on or after August 1, 6 2023. 7 SEC. 3. NOTICE OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 8 RULEMAKINGS AFFECTING THE EDU- 9 CATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS OF THE 10 DEPARTMENT. 11 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter III of chapter 36 of 12 title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 13 end the following new section: 14 ‘‘§ 3699C. Notice of rulemakings relating to edu- 15 cational assistance programs 16 ‘‘In the case of a rulemaking by the Secretary that 17 is not subject to notice requirements under section 18 553(b)(A) of title 5, and that relates to any educational 19 assistance program of the Department, the Secretary may 20 not implement the rule before the date that is 180 days 21 after the date on which the Secretary makes available to 22 students, educational institutions, and the Committees on 23 Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representa- 24 tives notice of, and justification for, the rulemaking.’’. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:40 Jul 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3874.IH H3874 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HR 3874 IH (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 1 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 2 after the item relating to section 3699B the following new 3 item: 4 ‘‘3699C. Notice of rulemakings relating to educational assistance programs.’’. (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Section 3699C of title 38, 5 United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall take 6 effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and apply 7 with respect to a rulemaking on or after August 1, 2024. 8 SEC. 4. NOTICE TO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OF RISK- 9 BASED SURVEYS. 10 Section 3673A(d) of title 38, United States Code, is 11 amended by striking ‘‘one business day’’ and inserting 12 ‘‘two business days’’. 13 SEC. 5. MULTI-YEAR WAIVERS FOR EDUCATIONAL INSTITU- 14 TIONS. 15 (a) ACCREDITED COURSES.—Section 3675(b) of title 16 38, United States Code, is amended— 17 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through 18 (4) as subparagraphs (A) through (D); 19 (2) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘As a condition’’; 20 and 21 (3) by adding at the end the following new 22 paragraph: 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:40 Jul 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3874.IH H3874 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •HR 3874 IH ‘‘(2) The Secretary may waive the requirement under 1 paragraph (1)(D) for an educational institution for mul- 2 tiple years.’’. 3 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 4 3672(b)(2)(A) is amended by inserting ‘‘(A) and (B)’’ 5 after ‘‘3675(b)(1)’’. 6 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:51 Jul 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3874.IH H3874 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB