I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8607 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain legatees of certain 

veterans eligible for housing loans guaranteed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 4, 2024 

Mr. CLYBURN (for himself and Mr. MOULTON) 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 

legatees of certain veterans eligible for housing loans 

guaranteed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘VA Housing Loan For5 ever Act of 2024’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. TRANSFER OF ELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN VETERANS 

2 FOR HOUSING LOANS GUARANTEED BY THE 

3 SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO CER4 TAIN LEGATEES. 

5 (a) TRANSFER OF BENEFITS.—Chapter 37 of title 

6 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after sec7 tion 3736 the following new section (and conforming the 

8 table of sections at the beginning of such chapter accord9 ingly): 

10 ‘‘§ 3737. Authority to transfer housing loan benefits to 

11 legatees 

12 ‘‘(a) BENEFITS TRANSFERRED FROM A LIVING VET13 ERAN.—(1) A veteran described in paragraph (2) may 

14 elect to transfer the housing loan benefits of the veteran 

15 to one or more legatees of the veteran. 

16 ‘‘(2) A veteran described in this paragraph is a vet17 eran— 

18 ‘‘(A) whose service in the active military, naval, 

19 air, or space service (or any part of such service) oc20 curred between January 1, 1944, and December 31, 

21 1977; and 

22 ‘‘(B) who has not received housing loan benefits 

23 under this chapter. 

24 ‘‘(b) BENEFITS TRANSFERRED FROM A DECEASED

25 VETERAN.—(1) During the 10-year period beginning one 

26 year after the date of the enactment of the VA Housing 


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1 Loan Forever Act of 2024, the Secretary shall transfer 

2 the housing loan benefits of a veteran described in para3 graph (2) to each individual— 

4 ‘‘(A) who applies to the Secretary for purposes 

5 of this subsection during such 10-year period; and 

6 ‘‘(B) whom the Secretary determines is a leg7 atee of such veteran. 

8 ‘‘(2) A veteran described in this paragraph is a vet9 eran— 

10 ‘‘(A) whose service in the active military, naval, 

11 air, or space service (or any part of such service) oc12 curred between January 1, 1944, and December 31, 

13 1977; 

14 ‘‘(B) who is deceased; 

15 ‘‘(C) who died before the end of the period de16 scribed in paragraph (1); 

17 ‘‘(D) who died before the individual applied as 

18 described in paragraph (1); 

19 ‘‘(E) who did not receive housing loan benefits 

20 under this chapter during the lifetime of the veteran; 

21 and 

22 ‘‘(F) who did not elect to transfer such housing 

23 loan benefits pursuant to subsection (a) before 

24 dying. 


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1 ‘‘(3) A determination of the Secretary under this sub2 section shall be subject to section 5104C of this title with3 out regard to the time period described in paragraph (1). 

4 ‘‘(c) TREATMENT OF A LEGATEE.—A legatee to 

5 whom housing loan benefits are transferred pursuant to 

6 this section shall be treated as a veteran for purposes of 

7 housing loans under this chapter. 

8 ‘‘(d) AMOUNT OF TRANSFERRED BENEFIT.—Each 

9 legatee to whom housing loan benefits is transferred pur10 suant to this section shall receive the full housing loan 

11 benefits of the veteran from whom such benefits are trans12 ferred. 

13 ‘‘(e) COMMENCEMENT OF USE.—A legatee to whom 

14 housing loan benefits are transferred pursuant to this sec15 tion may use such housing loan benefits immediately upon 

16 such transfer. 

17 ‘‘(f) NONTRANSFERABILITY OF TRANSFERRED BEN18 EFITS.—A legatee to whom housing loan benefits are 

19 transferred pursuant to this section may not transfer such 

20 benefits. 

21 ‘‘(g) REVOCATION OF TRANSFER.—A veteran who 

22 transfers housing loan benefits pursuant to subsection (a) 

23 may, before the legatee uses such benefit, revoke such 

24 transfer by submission of written notice of such revocation 

25 to the Secretary. 


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1 ‘‘(h) LEGATEE WHO BECOMES AN ELIGIBLE VET2 ERAN.—(1) Nothing in this section shall be construed to 

3 prohibit a legatee to whom housing loan benefits are trans4 ferred pursuant to this section from becoming otherwise 

5 eligible for housing loan benefits under this chapter. 

6 ‘‘(2) A legatee described in paragraph (1) may elect 

7 to use such transferred benefits or such benefits to which 

8 the legatee is otherwise eligible. 

9 ‘‘(i) PAYMENT OF CERTAIN FEES.—A legatee to 

10 whom housing loan benefits are transferred pursuant to 

11 this section may not be exempt from paying a fee under 

12 section 3729(c) of this title. 

13 ‘‘(j) LEGATEE DEFINED.—In this section, the term 

14 ‘legatee’ means, with regards to a veteran— 

15 ‘‘(1) a spouse or surviving spouse; 

16 ‘‘(2) a biological or legally adopted child; 

17 ‘‘(3) a grandchild; and 

18 ‘‘(4) any other direct descendant.’’. 

19 (b) EXPANSION OF DEFINITION OF VETERAN FOR

20 PURPOSES OF HOUSING LOAN BENEFITS.—Section 

21 3701(b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 

22 adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

23 ‘‘(8) The term ‘veteran’ also includes, for pur24 poses of housing loans, a legatee to whom housing 


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1 loan benefits are transferred pursuant to section 

2 3737 of this title.’’. 

3 (c) EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY.—Section 

4 3702(a)(2) of such title is amended by adding at the end 

5 the following new subparagraph: 

6 ‘‘(H) Each legatee to whom housing loan bene7 fits are transferred pursuant to section 3737 of this 

8 title.’’. 

9 (d) REGULATIONS.—Not later than one year after the 

10 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet11 erans Affairs shall prescribe regulations to carry out the 

12 amendments made by this section. 

Æ 


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