I 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5023

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

stipends to veterans who pursue doctoral degrees in science or technology. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 7, 2004

Mr. SWEENEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL

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

payment of stipends to veterans who pursue doctoral 

degrees in science or technology.

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 ‘‘G.I. Advanced Edu5 cation in Science and Technology Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 

8 (1) The United States is starting to lose domi9 nance in science and technology. 
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1 (2) Increasingly the mothers and fathers of sci2 entific and technological invention are not American, 

3 and the number of new doctorates in the sciences, 

4 and the number of doctoral students from other 

5 countries staying in the United States, are on the 

6 decline. 

7 (3) This decline has serious implications for 

8 jobs, industry, and national security in the United 

9 States. 

10 (4) Shortages in the science and technology 

11 base of the United States will be addressed, in part, 

12 by creating a scientific and technology doctoral 

13 study program in math, science, engineering, and 

14 technology for veterans. 

15 SEC. 3. STIPENDS FOR PURSUIT OF DOCTORAL DEGREES 

16 IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. 

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 30 of title 38, United 

18 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol19 lowing new subchapter: 
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1 ‘‘SUBCHAPTER V—STIPENDS FOR VETERANS 

2 PURSUING DOCTORAL DEGREES IN 

3 SCIENCE OR TECHNOLOGY 

4 ‘‘§ 3041. Stipend for pursuit of certain doctoral de5 grees 

6 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of ap7 propriations for such purpose, the Secretary shall pay a 

8 monthly stipend to each eligible doctoral candidate under 

9 this subchapter for each month that the candidate is pur10 suing full-time a doctoral degree in the physical or natural 

11 sciences, engineering, mathematics, or other scientific or 

12 technology disciplines. 

13 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE DOCTORAL CANDIDATES DEFINED.—

14 In this subchapter, the term ‘eligible doctoral candidate’ 

15 means an individual who meets the following require16 ments: 

17 ‘‘(1) The individual meets the requirements 

18 that apply under section 3011 for entitlement to 

19 basic educational assistance under subchapter II of 

20 this title, other than requirement under subsection 

21 (c) of such section 3011 (relating to reductions in 

22 basic pay). 

23 ‘‘(2) The individual is pursuing full-time a doc24 toral degree in the physical or natural sciences, engi25 neering, mathematics, or other scientific or tech-
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1 nology disciplines, after having completed a bach2 elor’s degree program in any academic discipline at 

3 an institution of higher education. 

4 ‘‘(c) RELATION TO BASIC MONTGOMERY GI BILL

5 EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE.—Payment of educational as6 sistance under this subchapter is in addition to payment 

7 of educational assistance under subchapter II or III of this 

8 chapter. 

9 ‘‘§ 3042. Duration of payments 

10 ‘‘Payments of stipends under section 3041 of this 

11 title to an eligible doctoral candidate may be made for a 

12 period not to exceed a total of 60 months. 

13 ‘‘§ 3043. Amount of stipend 

14 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), the 

15 Secretary shall pay to an eligible doctoral candidate pur16 suing a course at an institution of higher learning leading 

17 to a doctoral degree referred to in section 3041(a) of this 

18 title at the monthly rate of $1,200. 

19 ‘‘(b) ADJUSTMENT FOR INFLATION.—With respect to 

20 any fiscal year beginning after fiscal year 2005, the Sec21 retary shall provide a percentage increase (rounded to the 

22 nearest dollar) in the rate payable under subsection (a) 

23 equal to the percentage by which—

24 ‘‘(1) the Consumer Price Index (all items, 

25 United States city average) for the 12-month period 
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1 ending on the June 30 preceding the beginning of 

2 the fiscal year for which the increase is made, ex3 ceeds 

4 ‘‘(2) such Consumer Price Index for the 12-

5 month period preceding the 12-month period de6 scribed in paragraph (1). 

7 ‘‘(c) DISREGARD OF STIPEND AMOUNT IN DETER8 MINATION OF ASSISTANCE FROM INSTITUTION OF HIGH9 ER LEARNING.—Notwithstanding any other provision of 

10 law, an institution of higher learning may not take into 

11 account payments made to an eligible doctoral candidate 

12 under section 3041 of this title in determining the amount 

13 of financial assistance (such as stipends and tuition remit14 tance) the institution would otherwise provide to the eligi15 ble doctoral candidate. 

16 ‘‘§ 3044. Requirements 

17 ‘‘Payments of stipends under section 3041 of this 

18 title to an eligible doctoral candidate may be made only 

19 insofar as the eligible doctoral candidate—

20 ‘‘(1) has been accepted into an accredited doc21 toral program at an institution of higher learning; 

22 ‘‘(2) provides annual documentation to the Sec23 retary of full-time matriculation in the doctoral pro24 gram; and 

25 ‘‘(3) maintains good academic standing. 
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1 ‘‘§ 3045. Time limitation for payment of stipends 

2 ‘‘The period during which the Secretary may make 

3 payments of stipends under section 3041 of this title to 

4 an eligible doctoral candidate under this subchapter ex5 pires at the end of the 10-year period beginning on the 

6 date on which the eligible doctoral candidate first begins 

7 pursuing full-time such doctoral degree. 

8 ‘‘§ 3046. Annual authorization of appropriations 

9 ‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec10 retary to carry out this subchapter for each fiscal year, 

11 beginning with fiscal year 2005, $14,900,000.’’. 

12 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—(1) Section 3011 

13 of such title is amended in subsection (f)(1) and (g) by 

14 striking ‘‘chapter’’ each place it appears and inserting 

15 ‘‘subchapter’’. 

16 (2) Section 3018A(a) of such title is amended by 

17 striking ‘‘education assistance under this chapter’’ and in18 serting ‘‘educational assistance under this subchapter’’. 

19 (3) Section 3018B of such title is amended by strik20 ing ‘‘education assistance under this chapter’’ each place 

21 it appears and inserting ‘‘educational assistance under 

22 this subchapter’’. 

23 (4) Section 3018C of such title is amended by strik24 ing ‘‘educational assistance under this chapter’’ each place 

25 it appears and inserting ‘‘educational assistance under 

26 this subchapter’’. 
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1 (5) Section 3019 of such title is amended by striking 

2 ‘‘chapter’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘sub3 chapter’’. 

4 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

5 at the beginning of chapter 30 of title 38, United States 

6 Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 

7 items:

‘‘SUBCHAPTER V—STIPENDS FOR VETERANS PURSUING DOCTORAL DEGREES

IN SCIENCE OR TECHNOLOGY

‘‘3041. Stipend for pursuit of certain doctoral degrees. 

‘‘3042. Duration of payments. 

‘‘3043. Amount of stipend. 

‘‘3044. Requirements. 

‘‘3045. Time limitation for payment of stipends. 

‘‘3046. Annual authorization of appropriations.’’.

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