I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2108 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs to provide additional educational assistance benefits under the 

Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs to certain eligible individuals. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 20, 2017 

Mr. MCKINLEY (for himself, Ms. SINEMA, and Ms. TITUS) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the 

Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide additional educational assistance benefits under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs to certain eligible individuals. 

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 ‘‘GI Bill STEM Exten5 sion Act of 2017’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE UNDER 

2 POST-9/11 EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PRO3 GRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF4 FAIRS. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 33 of 

6 title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

7 end the following new section: 

8 ‘‘§ 3320. Additional benefits 

9 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the limitation under 

10 subsection (f), the Secretary shall provide additional bene11 fits to eligible individuals selected by the Secretary under 

12 this section. 

13 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY.—For purposes of this section, an 

14 eligible individual is an individual— 

15 ‘‘(1) who is or was entitled to educational as16 sistance under section 3311 of this title; 

17 ‘‘(2) who has used all of the educational assist18 ance to which the individual is entitled under this 

19 chapter; 

20 ‘‘(3) who applies for assistance under this sec21 tion; and 

22 ‘‘(4) who— 

23 ‘‘(A) is enrolled in a program of education 

24 leading to a post-secondary degree that requires 

25 more than the standard 128 semester (or 192 

26 quarter) credit hours for completion in— 


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1 ‘‘(i) biological or biomedical science; 

2 ‘‘(ii) physical science; 

3 ‘‘(iii) science technologies or techni4 cians; 

5 ‘‘(iv) computer and information 

6 science and support services; 

7 ‘‘(v) mathematics or statistics; 

8 ‘‘(vi) engineering; 

9 ‘‘(vii) engineering technologies or an 

10 engineering-related field; 

11 ‘‘(viii) a health profession or related 

12 program; or 

13 ‘‘(ix) a medical residency program; or 

14 ‘‘(B) has earned a post-secondary degree 

15 in a field referred to in subparagraph (A) and 

16 is enrolled in a program of education leading to 

17 a teaching certification. 

18 ‘‘(c) PRIORITY.—In selecting eligible individuals to 

19 receive additional benefits under this section, the Sec20 retary shall give priority to the following individuals: 

21 ‘‘(1) Individuals who require the most credit 

22 hours described in subsection (b)(4). 

23 ‘‘(2) Individuals who are entitled to educational 

24 assistance under this chapter by reason of para25 graph (1) or (2) of section 3311(b) of this title. 


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1 ‘‘(d) AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall 

2 pay to each eligible individual who receives additional ben3 efits under this section a one-time, lump sum payment 

4 that is the lesser of the following amounts (adjusted with 

5 respect to the individual pursuant to paragraphs (2) 

6 through (7) of section 3313(c), as appropriate): 

7 ‘‘(1) The amount payable under section 3313 of 

8 this title for nine months of the program of edu9 cation in which the individual is enrolled. 

10 ‘‘(2) $30,000. 

11 ‘‘(e) PROHIBITION ON TRANSFER.—An individual 

12 who receives additional benefits under this section may not 

13 transfer any amount of such additional benefits under sec14 tion 3319 of this title. 

15 ‘‘(f) MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF TOTAL ASSISTANCE.— 

16 The total amount of benefits paid to all eligible individuals 

17 under this section may not exceed $100,000,000 for any 

18 fiscal year.’’. 

19 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

20 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 

21 after the item relating to section 3319 the following new 

22 item: 

‘‘3320. Additional benefits.’’. 

Æ 


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