I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 637 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide retraining assistance 

to certain veterans unemployed by reason of the COVID–19 public health 

emergency. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 1, 2021 

Mr. BOST introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide retraining assistance to certain veterans unemployed by 

reason of the COVID–19 public health emergency. 

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 ‘‘Veterans Economic 

5 Recovery Act of 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. COVID–19 VETERAN RAPID RETRAINING ASSIST7 ANCE PROGRAM. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

9 shall carry out a program under which the Secretary shall 


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1 provide up to 12 months of retraining assistance to an 

2 eligible veteran for the pursuit of a covered program of 

3 education. Such retraining assistance shall be in addition 

4 to any other entitlement to educational assistance or bene5 fits for which a veteran is, or has been, eligible. 

6 (b) ELIGIBLE VETERANS.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of this section, 

8 the term ‘‘eligible veteran’’ means a veteran who— 

9 (A) as of the date of the receipt by the De10 partment of Veterans Affairs of the application 

11 for assistance under this section, is at least 22 

12 years of age but not more than 66 years of age; 

13 (B) as of such date, is unemployed by rea14 son of the covered public health emergency, as 

15 certified by the veteran; 

16 (C) as of such date, is not eligible to re17 ceive educational assistance under chapter 30, 

18 31, 32, 33, or 35 of title 38, United States 

19 Code, or chapter 1606 of title 10, United States 

20 Code; 

21 (D) is not enrolled in any Federal or State 

22 jobs program; 

23 (E) is not in receipt of compensation for a 

24 service-connected disability rated totally dis25 abling by reason of unemployability; and 


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1 (F) will not be in receipt of unemployment 

2 compensation (as defined in section 85(b) of the 

3 Internal Revenue Code of 1986), including any 

4 cash benefit received pursuant to subtitle A of 

5 title II of division A of the CARES Act (Public 

6 Law 116–136), as of the first day on which the 

7 veteran would receive a housing stipend pay8 ment under this section. 

9 (2) TREATMENT OF VETERANS WHO TRANSFER

10 ENTITLEMENT.—For purposes of paragraph (1)(C), 

11 a veteran who has transferred all of the veteran’s 

12 entitlement to educational assistance under section 

13 3319 of title 38, United States Code, shall be con14 sidered to be a veteran who is not eligible to receive 

15 educational assistance under chapter 33 of such 

16 title. 

17 (3) FAILURE TO COMPLETE.—A veteran who 

18 receives retraining assistance under this section to 

19 pursue a program of education and who fails to com20 plete the program of education shall not be eligible 

21 to receive additional assistance under this section. 

22 (c) COVERED PROGRAMS OF EDUCATION.— 

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of this section, 

24 a covered program of education is a program of edu25 cation (as such term is defined in section 3452(b) of 


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1 title 38, United States Code) for training, pursued 

2 on a full-time or part-time basis— 

3 (A) that— 

4 (i) is approved under chapter 36 of 

5 such title; 

6 (ii) does not lead to a bachelors or 

7 graduate degree; and 

8 (iii) is designed to provide training for 

9 a high-demand occupation, as determined 

10 under paragraph (3); or 

11 (B) that is a high technology program of 

12 education offered by a qualified provider, under 

13 the meaning given such terms in section 116 of 

14 the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational 

15 Assistance Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–48; 38 

16 U.S.C. 3001 note). 

17 (2) ACCREDITED PROGRAMS.—In the case of an 

18 accredited program of education, the program of 

19 education shall not be considered a covered program 

20 of education under this section if the program has 

21 received a show cause order from the accreditor of 

22 the program during the five-year period preceding 

23 the date of the enactment of this Act. 

24 (3) DETERMINATION OF HIGH-DEMAND OCCU25 PATIONS.— 


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1 (A) INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION.—In car2 rying out this section, the Secretary shall use 

3 the list of high-demand occupations compiled by 

4 the Commissioner of Labor Statistics until the 

5 final list under subparagraph (C) is complete. 

6 (B) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Secretary of 

7 Veterans Affairs shall enter into an agreement 

8 with a federally funded research and develop9 ment corporation or another appropriate non10 Department entity for the conduct of a study to 

11 determine which occupations are high-demand 

12 occupations. Such study shall be completed not 

13 later than 90 days after the date of the enact14 ment of this Act. 

15 (C) FINAL LIST.—The Secretary— 

16 (i) may add or remove occupation 

17 from the list in use pursuant to subpara18 graph (A) during the 90-day period fol19 lowing the completion of the study required 

20 by subparagraph (B); 

21 (ii) shall issue a final list of high-de22 mand occupations for use under this sec23 tion by not later than 90 days after the 

24 date of the completion of the study; and 


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1 (iii) shall make such final list publicly 

2 available on a website of the Department. 

3 (D) USE OF LIST.—The Secretary shall 

4 use the list developed under this paragraph in 

5 order to apply the requirement that retraining 

6 assistance under this section is used for train7 ing for a high-demand occupation, but the Sec8 retary may remove occupations from the list as 

9 the Secretary determines appropriate. 

10 (4) FULL-TIME DEFINED.—For purposes of 

11 this subsection, the term ‘‘full-time’’ has the mean12 ing given such term under section 3688 of title 38, 

13 United States Code. 

14 (d) AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE.— 

15 (1) RETRAINING ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary 

16 of Veterans Affairs shall provide to an eligible vet17 eran pursuing a covered program of education under 

18 the retraining assistance program under this section 

19 an amount equal to the amount of educational as20 sistance payable under section 3313(c)(1)(A) of title 

21 38, United States Code, for each month the veteran 

22 pursues the covered program of education. Such 

23 amount shall be payable directly to the educational 

24 institution offering the covered program of education 

25 pursued by the veteran as follows: 


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1 (A) 50 percent of the total amount payable 

2 shall be paid when the eligible veteran begins 

3 the program of education. 

4 (B) 25 percent of the total amount payable 

5 shall be paid when the eligible veteran com6 pletes the program of education. 

7 (C) 25 percent of the total amount payable 

8 shall be paid when the eligible veteran finds em9 ployment in a field related to the program of 

10 education. 

11 (2) FAILURE TO COMPLETE.— 

12 (A) PRO-RATED PAYMENTS.—In the case 

13 of a veteran who pursues a covered program of 

14 education under the retraining assistance pro15 gram under this section, but who does not com16 plete the program of education, the Secretary 

17 shall pay to the educational institution offering 

18 such program of education a pro-rated amount 

19 based on the number of months the veteran 

20 pursued the program of education in accordance 

21 with this paragraph. 

22 (B) PAYMENT OTHERWISE DUE UPON

23 COMPLETION OF PROGRAM.—The Secretary 

24 shall pay to the educational institution a pro25 rated amount under paragraph (1)(B) when the 


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1 veteran provides notice to the educational insti2 tution that the veteran no longer intends to 

3 pursue the program of education. 

4 (C) NONRECOVERY FROM VETERAN.—In 

5 the case of a veteran referred to in subpara6 graph (A), the educational institution may not 

7 seek payment from the veteran for any amount 

8 that would have been payable under paragraph 

9 (1)(B) had the veteran completed the program 

10 of education. 

11 (D) PAYMENT DUE UPON EMPLOYMENT.— 

12 (i) VETERANS WHO FIND EMPLOY13 MENT.—In the case of a veteran referred 

14 to in subparagraph (A) who finds employ15 ment in a field related to the program of 

16 education during the 180-day period begin17 ning on the date on which the veteran 

18 withdraws from the program of education, 

19 the Secretary shall pay to the educational 

20 institution a pro-rated amount under para21 graph (1)(C) when the veteran finds such 

22 employment. 

23 (ii) VETERANS WHO DO NOT FIND EM24 PLOYMENT.—In the case of a veteran re25 ferred to in subparagraph (A) who does 


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1 not find employment in a field related to 

2 the program of education during the 180- 

3 day period beginning on the date on which 

4 the veteran withdraws from the program of 

5 education— 

6 (I) the Secretary shall not make 

7 a payment to the educational institu8 tion under paragraph (1)(C); and 

9 (II) the educational institution 

10 may not seek payment from the vet11 eran for any amount that would have 

12 been payable under paragraph (1)(C) 

13 had the veteran found employment 

14 during such 180-day period. 

15 (3) HOUSING STIPEND.—For each month that 

16 an eligible veteran pursues a covered program of 

17 education under the retraining assistance program 

18 under this section, the Secretary shall pay to the 

19 veteran a monthly housing stipend in an amount 

20 equal to— 

21 (A) in the case of a covered program of 

22 education leading to a degree, or a covered pro23 gram of education not leading to a degree, at 

24 an institution of higher learning (as that term 

25 is defined in section 3452(f) of title 38, United 


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1 States Code) pursued on more than a half-time 

2 basis, the amount specified under subsection 

3 (c)(1)(B) of section 3313 of title 38, United 

4 States Code; 

5 (B) in the case of a covered program of 

6 education other than a program of education 

7 leading to a degree at an institution other than 

8 an institution of higher learning pursued on 

9 more than a half-time basis, the amount speci10 fied under subsection (g)(3)(A)(ii) of such sec11 tion; or 

12 (C) in the case of a covered program of 

13 education pursued on less than a half-time 

14 basis, or a covered program of education pur15 sued solely through distance learning on more 

16 than a half-time basis, the amount specified 

17 under subsection (c)(1)(B)(iii) of such section. 

18 (4) FAILURE TO FIND EMPLOYMENT.—The 

19 Secretary shall not make a payment under para20 graph (1)(C) with respect to an eligible veteran who 

21 completes or fails to complete a program of edu22 cation under the retraining assistance program 

23 under this section if the veteran fails to find employ24 ment in a field related to the program of education 

25 within the 180-period beginning on the date on 


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1 which the veteran withdraws from or completes the 

2 program. 

3 (e) NO TRANSFERABILITY.—Retraining assistance 

4 provided under this section may not be transferred to an5 other individual. 

6 (f) EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Labor shall 

8 contact each veteran who pursues a covered program 

9 of education under this section— 

10 (A) not later than 30 days after the date 

11 on which the veteran begins the program of 

12 education to notify the veteran of the avail13 ability of employment placement services upon 

14 completion of the program; and 

15 (B) not later than 14 days after the date 

16 on which the veteran completes, or terminates 

17 participation in, such program to facilitate the 

18 provision of employment placement services to 

19 such veteran. 

20 (2) PROVISION OF INFORMATION.—The Sec21 retary of Veterans Affairs shall provide to the Sec22 retary of Labor such information as may be nec23 essary to carry out paragraph (1). 

24 (g) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 

2 Affairs shall seek to enter into a memorandum of 

3 understanding with one or more qualified nonprofit 

4 organizations for the purpose of facilitating the em5 ployment of veterans who participate in the retrain6 ing assistance program under this section. 

7 (2) QUALIFIED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.— 

8 For purposes of this subsection, a qualified non9 profit organization is a nonprofit organization 

10 that— 

11 (A) is an association of businesses; and 

12 (B) has at least two years of experience 

13 providing job placement services for veterans. 

14 (h) FOLLOW UP OUTREACH.—The Secretary of Vet15 erans Affairs, in coordination with the Secretary of Labor 

16 shall contact each veteran who completes a covered pro17 gram of education under the retraining assistance pro18 gram under this section 30, 60, 90, and 180 days after 

19 the veteran completes such program of education to ask 

20 the veteran about the experience of the veteran in the re21 training assistance program and the veteran’s employment 

22 status. 

23 (i) QUARTERLY REPORTS.—Not later than the date 

24 that is one year after the date of the enactment of this 

25 Act, and quarterly thereafter, the Secretary of Labor shall 


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1 submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Sen2 ate and House of Representatives a report containing the 

3 following information about veterans who participate in 

4 the retraining assistance program under this section: 

5 (1) The percentage of such veterans who found 

6 employment before the end of the second calendar 

7 quarter after exiting the program. 

8 (2) The percentage of such veterans who found 

9 employment before the end of the fourth calendar 

10 quarter after exiting the program. 

11 (3) The median earnings of all such veterans 

12 for the second quarter after exiting the program. 

13 (4) The percentage of such veterans who attain 

14 a recognized postsecondary credential during the 12- 

15 month period after exiting the program. 

16 (j) LIMITATION.—Not more than 35,000 eligible vet17 erans may receive retraining assistance under this section. 

18 (k) TERMINATION.—No retraining assistance may be 

19 paid under this section after the date that is 21 months 

20 after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

21 (l) GAO REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the 

22 termination of the retraining assistance program under 

23 subsection (k), the Comptroller General shall submit to 

24 the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and 


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1 House of Representatives a report on the outcomes and 

2 effectiveness of the program. 

3 (m) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

4 (1) The term ‘‘covered public health emer5 gency’’ means the declaration— 

6 (A) of a public health emergency, based on 

7 an outbreak of COVID–19 by the Secretary of 

8 Health and Human Services under section 319 

9 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 

10 247d); or 

11 (B) of a domestic emergency, based on an 

12 outbreak of COVID–19 by the President, the 

13 Secretary of Homeland Security, or State, or 

14 local authority. 

15 (2) The term ‘‘veteran’’ means— 

16 (A) a person who served in the active mili17 tary, naval, or air service, and who was dis18 charged or released therefrom under conditions 

19 other than dishonorable; or 

20 (B) a member of a reserve component of 

21 the Armed Forces who performs active service 

22 for a period of 30 days or longer by reason of 

23 the covered public health emergency. 


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1 (3) The term ‘‘active service’’ has the meaning 

2 given such term in section 101 of title 10, United 

3 States Code. 

4 (n) FUNDING.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—For each fiscal year for 

6 which the Secretary provides retraining assistance 

7 under this section, such sums as may be necessary 

8 shall be made available for such assistance from 

9 funds appropriated to, or otherwise made available 

10 to, the Department for the payment of readjustment 

11 benefits. 

12 (2) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—There is author13 ized to be appropriated $15,000,000 to carry out ad14 ministrative functions of this section. 

15 (o) INITIATION OF PAYMENTS.—The Secretary may 

16 begin providing retraining assistance under this section on 

17 the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment 

18 of this Act. 

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