I

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1280

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the annual determination of the rate of the basic benefit of active duty educational assistance

under the Montgomery GI Bill, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 28, 2001

Mr. SHOWS (for himself, Mr. BALDACCI, Mr. FILNER, and Mr. BISHOP) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on

Vetarans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services,

for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case

for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the

committee concerned

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the

annual determination of the rate of the basic benefit

of active duty educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill, 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 ‘‘Veterans’ Higher Edu5 cation Opportunities Act of 2001’’.
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1 SEC. 2. ANNUAL DETERMINATION OF BASIC BENEFIT OF

2 ACTIVE DUTY EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE

3 UNDER THE MONTGOMERY GI BILL.

4 (a) BASIC BENEFIT.—Section 3015 of title 38,

5 United States Code, is amended—

6 (1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ‘‘of $650

7 (as increased from time to time under)’’ and insert8 ing ‘‘equal to the average monthly costs of tuition

9 and expenses for commuter students at public insti10 tutions of higher education that award baccalaureate

11 degrees (as determined under subsection (h))’’; and

12 (2) in subsection (b)(1) by striking ‘‘of $528

13 (as increased from time to time under)’’ and insert14 ing ‘‘equal to 75 percent of the average monthly

15 costs of tuition and expenses for commuter students

16 at public institutions of higher education that award

17 baccalaureate degrees (as determined under sub18 section (h))’’.

19 (b) DETERMINATION OF AVERAGE MONTHLY

20 COSTS.—Subsection (h) of that section is amended to read

21 as follows:

22 ‘‘(h)(1) Not later than September 30 each year, the

23 Secretary shall determine the average monthly costs of tui24 tion and expenses for commuter students at public institu25 tions of higher education that award baccalaureate de26 grees for purposes of subsections (a)(1) and (b)(1) for the
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1 succeeding fiscal year. The Secretary shall determine such

2 costs utilizing information obtained from the College

3 Board or information provided annually by the College

4 Board in its annual survey of institutions of higher edu5 cation.

6 ‘‘(2) In determining the costs of tuition and expenses

7 under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall take into account

8 the following:

9 ‘‘(A) Tuition and fees.

10 ‘‘(B) The cost of books and supplies.

11 ‘‘(C) The cost of board.

12 ‘‘(D) Transportation costs.

13 ‘‘(E) Other nonfixed educational expenses.

14 ‘‘(3) A determination made under paragraph (1) in

15 a year shall take effect on October 1 of that year and

16 apply with respect to basic educational assistance allow17 ances payable under this section for the fiscal year begin18 ning in that year.

19 ‘‘(4) Not later than September 30 each year, the Sec20 retary shall publish in the Federal Register the average

21 monthly costs of tuition and expenses as determined under

22 paragraph (1) in that year.

23 ‘‘(5) For purposes of this section, the term ‘institu24 tion of higher education’ has the meaning given that term
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1 in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20

2 U.S.C. 1001).’’.

3 (c) STYLISTIC AMENDMENT.—Subsection (b) of that

4 section is further amended in the matter preceding para5 graph (1) by striking ‘‘as provided in the succeeding sub6 sections of this section’’ and inserting ‘‘as otherwise pro7 vided in this section’’.

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