Gi Bill National Emergency Extended Deadline Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak on H.R. 2167, as amended, the GI Bill National Emergency Extended Deadline, or GI Bill NEED Act, introduced by Congresswoman Sherrill.
The COVID-19 pandemic didn't only impact veterans' health, but it also put a serious strain on veterans' access to educational benefits. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the limit on VA authority to extend the time for use of its educational assistance program benefits amid an emergency.
Representative Sherrill's bill fixes these limits during times of emergency for Montgomery GI bill users and those participating in the Veteran Readiness and Employment Program.
Mr. Speaker, this bill authorizes VA to pause the clock as needed when an institution must close temporarily, or permanently, due to an emergency, or when a student is prevented from continuing his or her program for other reasons. This was an authority VA lacked during COVID-19, and if not for the quick action by Congress, thousands of veterans would have seen their benefits wasted.
Now it is time to take the lessons from the pandemic and fix this problem once and for all. Not only that, but H.R. 2167, as amended, includes additional improvements to VA education programs used by veterans and their families. This legislation would require that VA ensure the modern information technology (IT) service can process claims faster and more efficiently through improved processing integration and accuracy, data exchange and reporting, customer integration, and simplification of the online experience.
The legislation would also expand in-State tuition rates at public universities to participants in the Dependents' Educational Assistance program.
Guaranteeing in-State tuition for those survivors using Dependents Education Assistance, otherwise known as DEA, under Chapter 35, is a low-cost lift that will drastically improve educational options for surviving families and reduce their need for student loans.
I, therefore, ask my colleagues to join me in supporting the GI Bill National Emergency Extended Deadline, or GI Bill NEED Act.
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