II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2265 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the work-study allowance 

program administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 25, 2019 

Mr. TESTER (for himself and Mr. ROUNDS) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

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

work-study allowance program administered 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 ‘‘GI Bill Work Study 

5 Improvement Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENT TO WORK-STUDY ALLOWANCE PRO7 GRAM. 

8 (a) PAYMENT OF ALLOWANCE.—Subsection (a) of 

9 section 3485 of title 38, United States Code, is amended— 


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1 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Individuals’’ 

2 and inserting ‘‘In accordance with paragraph (4), in3 dividuals’’; 

4 (2) by redesignating paragraphs (4), (5), and 

5 (6) as paragraphs (5), (6), and (7), respectively; and 

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

8 ‘‘(4)(A) The Secretary shall carry out this section by 

9 providing to an educational institution an annual amount 

10 for the institution to use in paying work-study allowance 

11 under paragraph (1) to individuals enrolled at the institu12 tion. 

13 ‘‘(B) With respect to an educational institution that 

14 participated in the work-study program under this section 

15 during the academic year beginning August 1, 2018, the 

16 Secretary shall determine the annual amount to provide 

17 to the educational institution under subparagraph (A) as 

18 follows: 

19 ‘‘(i) For the academic year beginning August 1, 

20 2020, the amount shall be the total amount the Sec21 retary paid under this section to individuals enrolled 

22 at such educational institution during the academic 

23 year beginning August 1, 2018. 

24 ‘‘(ii) Except as provided by subparagraph 

25 (D)(ii), for each academic year beginning on or after 


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1 August 1, 2021, the amount shall be the total 

2 amount the educational institution paid under this 

3 section for work-study allowance to individuals en4 rolled at such educational institution during the pre5 vious academic year in which individuals participated 

6 in the work-study program. 

7 ‘‘(C) With respect to an educational institution that 

8 did not participate in the work-study program under this 

9 section during the academic year beginning August 1, 

10 2018, the Secretary shall determine the annual amount 

11 to provide to the educational institution under subpara12 graph (A) as follows: 

13 ‘‘(i) For the first academic year in which the 

14 educational institution participates in the work-study 

15 program beginning on or after August 1, 2020, the 

16 amount shall be an amount the Secretary determines 

17 appropriate based on an amount provided to a simi18 lar educational institution pursuant to subparagraph 

19 (B). 

20 ‘‘(ii) Except as provided by subparagraph 

21 (D)(ii), for each academic year occurring after the 

22 academic year specified in clause (i), the amount 

23 shall be the total amount the educational institution 

24 paid under this section for work-study allowance to 

25 individuals enrolled at such educational institution 


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1 during the previous academic year in which individ2 uals enrolled at such educational institution partici3 pated in the work-study program. 

4 ‘‘(D)(i) Except as provided in clause (ii), if the Sec5 retary provides an annual amount to an educational insti6 tution under subparagraph (B) or (C) that is more than 

7 the total amount the educational institution pays to indi8 viduals under paragraph (1)— 

9 ‘‘(I) the educational institution shall return to 

10 the Secretary the unpaid amount; and 

11 ‘‘(II) the Secretary shall transfer the returned 

12 amount into the general fund of the Treasury. 

13 ‘‘(ii)(I) If the annual amount provided to an edu14 cational institution under subparagraph (B) or (C) is 

15 more, but less than 10 percent more, than the total 

16 amount the educational institution pays to individuals 

17 under paragraph (1), and the educational institution plans 

18 to participate in the work-study program under this sec19 tion during the subsequent academic year, the educational 

20 institution may retain the amount of the overpayment if 

21 the educational institution notifies the Secretary of the 

22 amount of the overpayment and the intention of the edu23 cational institution to retain such amount. 

24 ‘‘(II) Any amount retained by an educational institu25 tion under this clause may only be used by the educational 


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1 institution to provide work-study allowance to individuals 

2 enrolled at the educational institution. 

3 ‘‘(iii) At any time an educational institution may re4 quest the Secretary to increase the annual amount that 

5 the Secretary provides the educational institution under 

6 subparagraph (B) or (C). 

7 ‘‘(E) Pursuant to section 3690(c), section 3693, and 

8 other provisions of chapter 36 of this title, the Secretary 

9 shall ensure that an educational institution carries out the 

10 work-study allowance program in compliance with this sec11 tion.’’. 

12 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Subsection (e)(1) 

13 of such section is amended by striking ‘‘subsection (a)(4)’’ 

14 and inserting ‘‘subsection (a)(5)’’. 

15 (c) APPLICATION.—The amendments made by this 

16 section shall apply with respect to a quarter, semester, or 

17 term, as applicable, commencing on or after August 1, 

18 2020. 

Æ 


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