I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2531 

To amend section 701 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability 

Act of 2014 to clarify the period of eligibility during which certain 

spouses are entitled to assistance under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant 

John David Fry Scholarship. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 21, 2015 

Ms. DUCKWORTH (for herself, Mr. RIGELL, Ms. TITUS, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. 

LIPINSKI, Mr. RUSH, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, Mr. ASHFORD, Mr. GALLEGO, 

Mr. COOK, Mr. TAKAI, Mr. ZINKE, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. 

COSTA, Mr. WALZ, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. KIND, Mr. 

GOHMERT, Mr. WESTERMAN, and Ms. LOFGREN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend section 701 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and 

Accountability Act of 2014 to clarify the period of eligibility during which certain spouses are entitled to assistance under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David 

Fry Scholarship. 

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


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 2531 IH

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Military Spouses 

3 Achieving College Education for Survivors Act of 2015’’ 

4 or the ‘‘ACES Act of 2015’’. 

5 SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR MARINE GUN6 NERY SERGEANT JOHN DAVID FRY SCHOLAR7 SHIP. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 701(d) of the Veterans 

9 Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public 

10 Law 113–146; 128 Stat. 1796; 38 U.S.C. 3311 note) is 

11 amended to read as follows: 

12 ‘‘(d) APPLICABILITY.— 

13 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by 

14 this section shall apply with respect to a quarter, se15 mester, or term, as applicable, commencing on or 

16 after January 1, 2015. 

17 ‘‘(2) DEATHS THAT OCCURRED BETWEEN SEP18 TEMBER 11, 2001, AND DECEMBER 31, 2005.—For 

19 purposes of section 3311(f)(2) of title 38, United 

20 States Code, any member of the Armed Forces who 

21 died during the period beginning on September 11, 

22 2001, and ending on December 31, 2005, is deemed 

23 to have died on January 1, 2006.’’. 

24 (b) ELECTION ON RECEIPT OF CERTAIN BENE25 FITS.—Section 3311(f) of title 38, United States Code, 

26 is amended— 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 2531 IH

1 (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘A surviving 

2 spouse’’ and inserting, ‘‘Except as provided in para3 graph (4), a surviving spouse’’; 

4 (2) by redesignating paragraph (4) as para5 graph (5); and 

6 (3) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol7 lowing new paragraph (4): 

8 ‘‘(4) EXCEPTION FOR CERTAIN ELECTIONS.— 

9 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—An election made 

10 under paragraph (3) by a spouse described in 

11 subparagraph (B) may not be treated as irrev12 ocable if such election occurred before the date 

13 of the enactment of this paragraph. 

14 ‘‘(B) ELIGIBLE SURVIVING SPOUSE.—A 

15 spouse described in this subparagraph is an in16 dividual— 

17 ‘‘(i) who is entitled to assistance 

18 under subsection (a) pursuant to para19 graph (9) of subsection (b); and 

20 ‘‘(ii) who was the spouse of a member 

21 of the Armed Forces who died during the 

22 period beginning on September 11, 2001, 

23 and ending on December 31, 2005.’’. 

Æ 


smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS