II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 3247 

To extend certain expiring provisions of law relating to benefits provided 

under Department of Veterans Affairs educational assistance programs 

during the COVID–19 pandemic, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 18, 2021 

Ms. CORTEZ MASTO (for herself, Mr. TESTER, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Ms. 

ROSEN, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. BROWN, and Mr. KELLY) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To extend certain expiring provisions of law relating to benefits provided under Department of Veterans Affairs educational assistance programs during the COVID–19 pandemic, 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 ‘‘Responsible Education 

5 Mitigating Options and Technical Extensions Act of 

6 2021’’ or the ‘‘REMOTE Act of 2021’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. EXTENSIONS OF CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF LAW RE2 LATING TO BENEFITS PROVIDED UNDER DE3 PARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS EDU4 CATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS DURING 

5 COVID–19 PANDEMIC. 

6 (a) EXTENSION OF STUDENT VETERAN

7 CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE ACT OF 2020.—Section 2 of the 

8 Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 (Pub9 lic Law 116–140; 38 U.S.C. 3031 note), as amended by 

10 section 5202(a) of the Department of Veterans Affairs 

11 Expiring Authorities Act of 2020 (division E of Public 

12 Law 116–159), is further amended by striking ‘‘December 

13 21, 2021’’ and inserting ‘‘June 1, 2022’’. 

14 (b) EXTENSION OF PAYMENT OF WORK-STUDY AL15 LOWANCES DURING EMERGENCY SITUATION.—Section 3 

16 of the Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 

17 (38 U.S.C. 3485 note) is amended by striking ‘‘During 

18 the covered period’’ and inserting ‘‘During the period be19 ginning on March 1, 2020, and ending on June 1, 2022’’. 

20 (c) EXTENSION OF PERIOD FOR CONTINUATION OF

21 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS EDUCATIONAL AS22 SISTANCE BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN PROGRAMS OF EDU23 CATION CONVERTED TO DISTANCE LEARNING BY REASON

24 OF EMERGENCIES AND HEALTH-RELATED SITUA25 TIONS.—Section 1(b) of Public Law 116–128 (38 U.S.C. 

26 3001 note prec.), as amended by section 5202(b) of the 


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1 Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act 

2 of 2020 (division E of Public Law 116–159), is further 

3 amended by striking ‘‘December 21, 2021’’ and inserting 

4 ‘‘June 1, 2022’’. 

5 (d) EXTENSION OF MODIFICATION OF TIME LIMITA6 TIONS ON USE OF ENTITLEMENT TO MONTGOMERY GI 

7 BILL AND VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND TRAIN8 ING.—Section 1105 of the Johnny Isakson and David P. 

9 Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improve10 ment Act of 2020 (Public Law 116–315) is amended by 

11 striking ‘‘December 21, 2021’’ each place it appears and 

12 inserting ‘‘June 1, 2022’’. 

13 (e) EXTENSION OF CONTINUATION OF DEPARTMENT

14 OF VETERANS AFFAIRS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE BEN15 EFITS DURING COVID–19 EMERGENCY.—Section 

16 1102(e) of the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. 

17 Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 

18 2020 (Public Law 116–315) is amended by striking ‘‘De19 cember 21, 2021’’ and inserting ‘‘June 1, 2022’’. 

20 (f) EXTENSION OF PROVISIONS RELATING TO EF21 FECTS OF CLOSURE OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION AND

22 MODIFICATION OF COURSES BY REASON OF COVID–19 

23 EMERGENCY.—Section 1103(h) of such Act is amended 

24 by striking ‘‘December 21, 2021’’ and inserting ‘‘June 1, 

25 2022’’. 


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1 (g) EXTENSION OF PROVISION RELATING TO PAY2 MENT OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE IN CASES OF WITH3 DRAWAL.—Section 1104(a) of such Act is amended by 

4 striking ‘‘December 21, 2021’’ and inserting ‘‘June 1, 

5 2022’’. 

6 (h) EXTENSION OF PROVISION RELATING TO AP7 PRENTICESHIP OR ON-JOB TRAINING REQUIREMENTS.— 

8 Section 1106(b) of such Act is amended by striking ‘‘De9 cember 21, 2021’’ and inserting ‘‘June 1, 2022’’. 

10 SEC. 3. MODIFICATIONS TO REQUIREMENTS FOR EDU11 CATIONAL INSTITUTIONS PARTICIPATING IN 

12 THE EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS 

13 OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF14 FAIRS. 

15 (a) WAIVER OF VERIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT FOR

16 CERTAIN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.—Section 3313(l) 

17 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at 

18 the end the following new paragraph: 

19 ‘‘(4) WAIVER.—The Secretary may waive the 

20 requirements of this subsection for an educational 

21 institution that the Secretary has determined uses a 

22 flat tuition and fee structure that would make the 

23 use of a second verification under this subsection 

24 unnecessary.’’. 


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1 (b) LIMITATIONS ON AUTHORITY TO DISAPPROVE OF

2 COURSES.— 

3 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (f) of section 

4 3679 of title 38, United States Code, is amended— 

5 (A) in paragraph (2)(B), 

6 (i) by inserting ‘‘, except for the re7 cruitment of foreign students residing in 

8 foreign countries who are not eligible to re9 ceive Federal student assistance’’ after 

10 ‘‘assistance’’; and 

11 (ii) by adding at the end the following 

12 new subparagraph: 

13 ‘‘(C) In determining whether a violation of sub14 paragraph (B) has occurred, the State approving 

15 agency, or the Secretary when acting in the place of 

16 the State approving agency, shall construe the re17 quirements of this paragraph in accordance with the 

18 regulations and guidance prescribed by the Secretary 

19 of Education under section 487(a)(20) of the Higher 

20 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1094(a)(20)).’’; 

21 (B) by redesignating paragraph (7) as 

22 paragraph (8); and 

23 (C) by inserting after paragraph (6) the 

24 following new paragraph (7): 


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1 ‘‘(7) This subsection shall not apply to an educational 

2 institution— 

3 ‘‘(A) located in a foreign country; or 

4 ‘‘(B) that provides to a covered individual con5 sumer information regarding costs of the program of 

6 education (including financial aid available to such 

7 covered individual) using a form or template devel8 oped by the Secretary of Education.’’. 

9 (2) APPLICATION DATE.—The Secretary of Vet10 erans Affairs may not carry out subsection (f) of 

11 section 3679 of title 38, United States Code, until 

12 August 1, 2022, except that, beginning on June 15, 

13 2022, an educational institution may submit an ap14 plication for a waiver under paragraph (5) of such 

15 subsection. 

16 (3) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Subsection 

17 (c) of section 3696 of such title is amended— 

18 (A) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘An edu19 cational’’; 

20 (B) by inserting ‘‘, except for the recruit21 ment of foreign students residing in foreign 

22 countries who are not eligible to receive Federal 

23 student assistance’’ after ‘‘assistance’’; and 

24 (C) by adding at the end the following new 

25 paragraph: 


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1 ‘‘(2) In determining whether a violation of paragraph 

2 (1) has occurred, the Under Secretary for Benefits shall 

3 construe the requirements of this paragraph in accordance 

4 with the regulations and guidance prescribed by the Sec5 retary of Education under section 487(a)(20) of the High6 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1094(a)(20)).’’. 

7 (c) EXEMPTION OF FOREIGN SCHOOLS FROM CER8 TAIN REQUIREMENTS.— 

9 (1) INFORMATION RELATING TO TESTS.—Sec10 tion 3689(c) of title 38, United States Code, is 

11 amended by adding at the end the following new 

12 paragraph: 

13 ‘‘(3) Subparagraph (G) of paragraph (1) shall not 

14 apply with respect to an educational institution located in 

15 a foreign country.’’. 

16 (2) EXAMINATION OF RECORDS.—Section 

17 3690(c) of title 38, United States Code, is amend18 ed— 

19 (A) by striking ‘‘Notwithstanding’’ and in20 serting ‘‘(1) Except as provided in paragraph 

21 (2), notwithstanding’’; and 

22 (B) by adding at the end the following new 

23 paragraph: 

24 ‘‘(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to the records and 

25 accounts— 


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1 ‘‘(A) of an educational institution located in a 

2 foreign country; and 

3 ‘‘(B) that pertain to an individual who is not 

4 receiving educational assistance under this chap5 ter.’’. 

6 SEC. 4. CONTINUATION OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF7 FAIRS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE BENEFITS 

8 FOR CERTAIN PROGRAMS OF EDUCATION 

9 CONVERTED TO DISTANCE LEARNING BY 

10 REASON OF EMERGENCIES AND HEALTH-RE11 LATED SITUATIONS. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a program of edu13 cation approved by a State approving agency, or the Sec14 retary of Veterans Affairs when acting in the role of a 

15 State approving agency, that is converted from being of16 fered on-site at an educational institution to being offered 

17 by distance learning by reason of an emergency or health18 related situation, as determined by the Secretary, the Sec19 retary may continue to provide educational assistance 

20 under the laws administered by the Secretary without re21 gard to such conversion, including with respect to paying 

22 any— 

23 (1) monthly housing stipends under chapter 33 

24 of title 38, United States Code; or 


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1 (2) payments or subsistence allowances under 

2 chapters 30, 31, 32, and 35 of such title and chap3 ters 1606 and 1607 of title 10, United States Code. 

4 (b) APPLICABILITY PERIOD.—Subsection (a) shall 

5 apply during the period beginning on December 21, 2021, 

6 and ending on June 1, 2022. 

7 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

8 (1) EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION.—The term 

9 ‘‘educational institution’’ has the meaning given that 

10 term in section 3452 of title 38, United States Code, 

11 and includes an institution of higher learning (as de12 fined in such section). 

13 (2) PROGRAM OF EDUCATION.—The term ‘‘pro14 gram of education’’ has the meaning given that term 

15 in section 3002 of title 38, United States Code. 

16 (3) STATE APPROVING AGENCY.—The term 

17 ‘‘State approving agency’’ has the meaning given 

18 that term in section 3671 of title 38, United States 

19 Code. 

20 SEC. 5. BUDGETARY EFFECTS. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—Amounts provided to carry out 

22 the amendments made by this Act are designated as an 

23 emergency requirement pursuant to section 4(g) of the 

24 Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 933(g)). 


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1 (b) DESIGNATION IN SENATE.—In the Senate, 

2 amounts provided to carry out the amendments made by 

3 this Act are designated as an emergency requirement pur4 suant to section 4112(a) of H. Con. Res. 71 (115th Con5 gress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal 

6 year 2018. 

Æ 


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