Sgt. Isaac Woodard, Jr. and Sgt. Joseph H. Maddox GI Bill Restoration Act of 2023

To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend to Black veterans of World War II, and surviving spouses and certain direct descendants of such veterans, eligibility for certain housing loans and educational assistance administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Sgt. Isaac Woodard, Jr. and Sgt. Joseph H. Maddox GI Bill Restoration Act of 2023 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) African Americans played a pivotal role in the war effort during World War II, with more than 1,200,000 African Americans serving in the Armed Forces, and, by 1945, approximately 1.9 percent of all officers in the Armed Forces were African Americans. (2) Following World War II, the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (58 Stat. 284, commonly known as the GI Bill (3) The GI Bill offered a range of economic and educational benefits administered by the Federal Government through the Secretary of the Veterans Administration, including monetary assistance to access higher education, government guarantees for housing loans, unemployment allowances, and civilian workforce reentry assistance. (4) Though the legislative text of the GI Bill was race neutral, the administration of benefits through national, State, and local offices of the Veterans Administration resulted in a pattern of discrimination against racial minorities, especially African Americans. (5) Veterans Administration benefits counselors denied African Americans access to educational benefits at certain universities and funneled applicants into industrial and vocational schools rather than higher education opportunities, with just 6 percent of African-American veterans of World War II earning a college degree, compared to 19 percent of White veterans of World War II. (6) In administering its housing guaranty program, the Veterans Administration adopted the racial exclusion programs of the Federal Housing Administration, also known as redlining, which excluded a significant number of African Americans from taking full advantage of the housing guaranty program. (7) The GI Bill created substantial economic growth and wealth accumulation for those who could benefit, but discriminatory administration of the program prevented many African-American veterans of World War II from enjoying the full economic prosperity of the post-war period. 3. Housing loans guaranteed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Black veterans of World War II and survivors and certain direct descendants of such veterans (a) Establishment (1) Definition Section 3701(b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraphs: (8) The term veteran (A) is Black; (B) served on active duty as a member of the Armed Forces during World War II; and (C) certifies to the Secretary that such individual was denied a specific benefit under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (58 Stat. 284) on the basis of race. (9) The term veteran (A) is the surviving spouse, child, grandchild, or other direct descendant of a veteran described in paragraph (8); (B) certifies to the Secretary that such veteran described in paragraph (8) was denied a specific benefit under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (58 Stat. 284) on the basis of race; and (C) is living on the date of the enactment of the Sgt. Isaac Woodard, Jr. and Sgt. Joseph H. Maddox GI Bill Restoration Act of 2023 . (2) Basic entitlement Section 3702(a)(2)(E) of such title is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (H) Each individual— (i) described in paragraph (8) or (9) of section 3701(b) of this title; and (ii) who applies for a housing loan during the five-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of the Sgt. Isaac Woodard, Jr. and Sgt. Joseph H. Maddox GI Bill Restoration Act of 2023 . (b) Deadline The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out the amendments made by this section not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) Regulations The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall prescribe regulations to carry out the amendments made by this section. (d) GAO report Not later than one year after the deadline under subsection (b), the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report regarding— (1) the number of individuals who received housing loan benefits pursuant to the amendments made by this section; and (2) the total value of housing loan benefits administered by the Secretary pursuant to the amendments made by this section. 4. Educational assistance for survivors and certain direct descendants of Black veterans of World War II (a) Entitlement Subsection (b) of section 3311 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (12) An individual— (A) described in section 3701(b)(9) of this title; and (B) who applies for educational assistance under this chapter during the five-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of the Sgt. Isaac Woodard, Jr. and Sgt. Joseph H. Maddox GI Bill Restoration Act of 2023 . (b) Deadline The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out the amendment made by this section not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) Regulations The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall prescribe regulations to carry out the amendment made by this section. (d) GAO report Not later than one year after the deadline under subsection (b), the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report regarding— (1) the number of individuals who received educational assistance pursuant to the amendment made by this section; and (2) the total amount of educational assistance paid by the Secretary pursuant to the amendment made by this section. 5. Blue Ribbon panel on benefits and assistance for female and minority veterans (a) Establishment Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, pursuant to chapter 10 Federal Advisory Committee Act (1) inequities in the distribution of benefits and assistance administered by the Secretary; and (2) military service by female and minority members of the Armed Forces. (b) Duties The panel required to be appointed under subsection (a) shall develop recommendations regarding additional benefits and assistance for individuals described in paragraph (2) of such subsection, and related legislation. (c) Report Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the panel required to be appointed under subsection (a) shall submit to Congress and the President a report containing the recommendations developed under this section.

Summary: Sgt. Isaac Woodard, Jr. and Sgt. Joseph H. Maddox GI Bill Restoration Act of 2023 This bill expands eligibility for Post-9/11 GI bill benefits and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) home loan program by updating terminology related to certain Black veterans. Specifically, the bill explicitly includes the following individuals as eligible veterans under the programs: Black veterans who served on active duty during World War II and can certify they were denied a specific benefit on the basis of race; and the living surviving spouses, children, grandchildren, or other direct descendants of such veterans described above who can certify the veteran was denied a specific benefit on the basis of race. Eligible veterans must apply for educational or home loan benefits within the five-year period after the bill is enacted. The Government Accountability Office must report on the number of individuals who received VA educational or housing loan benefits due to the amendments made by the bill and the total value of such benefits. Finally, the VA must appoint a panel of independent experts to develop recommendations regarding additional benefits and assistance for female and minority members of the Armed Forces.