Protecting Veterans From School Closures Act of 2017

Protecting Our Veterans From School Closures Act of 2017

This bill declares that if, as a result of a permanent school closure, a veteran is forced to discontinue a course or did not receive credit, or lost training time, toward completion of the education program, Department of Veterans Affairs educational assistance payments for such discontinued course or program shall not be: (1) charged against the individual's entitlement to educational assistance, or (2) counted against the aggregate period for which such assistance may be provided.

The bill applies to courses and programs of education discontinued after August 1, 2016.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1216 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1216

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide veterans affected by 
school closures certain relief and restoration of educational benefits, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 24, 2017

   Mr. Messer (for himself, Mr. Banks of Indiana, Mrs. Walorski, Mr. 
  Bucshon, Mrs. Brooks of Indiana, Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois, Mr. 
Barletta, Mr. DeSantis, and Mr. LaMalfa) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide veterans affected by 
school closures certain relief and restoration of educational benefits, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting Veterans From School 
Closures Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. RESTORATION OF ENTITLEMENT TO POST-9/11 EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE 
              FOR VETERANS AFFECTED BY CLOSURES OF EDUCATIONAL 
              INSTITUTIONS.

            (1) Educational assistance.--Section 3312 of title 38, 
        United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
        following new subsection:
    ``(d) Discontinuation of Education Due to Closure of Educational 
Institution.--
            ``(1) In general.--Any payment of educational assistance 
        described in paragraph (2) shall not--
                    ``(A) be charged against any entitlement to 
                educational assistance of the individual concerned 
                under this chapter; or
                    ``(B) be counted against the aggregate period for 
                which section 3695 of this title limits the 
                individual's receipt of educational assistance under 
                this chapter.
            ``(2) Description of payment of educational assistance.--
        Subject to paragraph (3), the payment of educational assistance 
        described in this paragraph is the payment of such assistance 
        to an individual for pursuit of a course or courses under this 
        chapter if the Secretary finds that the individual--
                    ``(A) was forced to discontinue such course of 
                study pursuit as a result of a permanent or temporary 
                closure of an educational institution; or
                    ``(B) did not receive credit, or lost training 
                time, toward completion of the program of education 
                being pursued at the time of such closure.
            ``(3) Period for which payment not charged.--The period for 
        which, by reason of this subsection, educational assistance is 
        not charged against entitlement or counted toward the 
        applicable aggregate period under section 3695 of this title 
        shall not exceed the aggregate period permitted under such 
        section.''.
            (2) Applicability.--Subsection (d) of such section, as 
        added by paragraph (1), shall apply with respect to courses and 
        programs of education discontinued as described in paragraph 
        (2) of such subsection after August 1, 2016.
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