I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7952 
To make certain improvements in the laws administered by the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs relating to education, burial benefits, and other 
matters, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 7, 2020 
Mr. BOST (for himself, Mr. BERGMAN, Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee, Mr. 
BILIRAKIS, Mr. BARR, Mr. BANKS, Mr. LAMALFA, and Mr. KINZINGER) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, 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 com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To make certain improvements in the laws administered by 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating to education, 
burial benefits, and other matters, and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Veteran Benefits Enhancement and Expansion Act of 
2020’’. 
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(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title. 
TITLE I—EDUCATION MATTERS 
Sec. 101. Expansion of eligibility for Fry Scholarship to children and spouses 
of certain deceased members of the Armed Forces. 
Sec. 102. Period for election to receive benefits under All-Volunteer Edu-
cational Assistance Program of Department of Veterans Af-
fairs. 
Sec. 103. Phase out of All-Volunteer Educational Assistance Program. 
Sec. 104. Requirements for in-State tuition. 
Sec. 105. Expansion of authority for certain qualifying work-study activities for 
purposes of the educational assistance programs of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs to include outreach services provided 
through congressional offices. 
TITLE II—BURIAL MATTERS 
Sec. 201. Transportation of deceased veterans to veterans’ cemeteries. 
Sec. 202. Increase in certain funeral benefits under laws administered by the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 
Sec. 203. Outer burial receptacles for each new grave in cemeteries that are the 
subjects of certain grants made by the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs. 
Sec. 204. Provision of inscriptions for spouses and children on certain 
headstones and markers furnished by Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs. 
TITLE III—PENSION MATTERS 
Sec. 301. Plan to address the financial exploitation of veterans receiving pen-
sion from the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
Sec. 302. Overpayments of pension to veterans receiving pension from the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs. 
Sec. 303. Evaluation of additional actions for verifying direct deposit informa-
tion provided by veterans on applications for veterans pension. 
Sec. 304. Annual report on efforts of Department of Veterans Affairs to ad-
dress the financial exploitation of veterans receiving pension. 
Sec. 305. Notice regarding fees charged in connection with filing an application 
for veterans pension. 
Sec. 306. Outreach plan for educating vulnerable veterans about potential fi-
nancial exploitation relating to the receipt of pension. 
Sec. 307. Penalties for representing veterans as agents and attorneys without 
recognition by Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 
TITLE IV—OTHER MATTERS 
Sec. 401. Medal of Honor special pension for surviving spouses. 
Sec. 402. Modernization of service-disabled veterans insurance. 
Sec. 403. Eligibility of certain members of the reserve components of the 
Armed Forces for home loans from the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs. 
Sec. 404. Adjustment of housing loan fees. 
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Sec. 405. Clarification of licensure requirements for contractor medical profes-
sionals to perform medical disability examinations for the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs. 
Sec. 406. Publication and acceptance of disability benefit questionnaire forms 
of Department of Veterans Affairs. 
Sec. 407. Determination of budgetary effects. 
TITLE I—EDUCATION MATTERS 
SEC. 101. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR FRY SCHOLAR-
SHIP TO CHILDREN AND SPOUSES OF CER-
TAIN DECEASED MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 
FORCES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (b) of section 3311 of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraph (10) as para-
graph (12); and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (9) the fol-
lowing new paragraphs (10) and (11): 
‘‘(10) An individual who is the child or spouse 
of a person who dies on or after September 11, 
2001, in the line of duty while serving on duty other 
than active duty as a member of the Armed Forces. 
‘‘(11) An individual who is the child or spouse 
of a member who dies on or after September 11, 
2001, while serving in the Selected Reserve, from a 
service-connected disability.’’. 
(b) APPLICABILITY DATE.—The amendments made 
by subsection (a) apply with respect to a quarter, semes-
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ter, or term, as applicable, commencing on or after August 
1, 2021. 
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) Subsection (f) of such section is amended 
by striking ‘‘paragraph (9)’’ each place it appears 
and inserting ‘‘paragraphs (9), (10), and (11)’’. 
(2) Section 3322 of such title is amended— 
(A) in subsection (e), by striking both 
‘‘sections 3311(b)(9) and 3319’’ and inserting 
‘‘section 3319 and paragraph (9), (10), or (11) 
of section 3311 of this title’’; 
(B) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘section 
3311(b)(9)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph (9), 
(10), or (11) of section 3311 of this title’’; and 
(C) in subsection (h)(2), by striking ‘‘ei-
ther section 3311(b)(9) or chapter 35’’ and in-
serting ‘‘either chapter 35 or paragraph (9), 
(10), or (11) of section 3311’’. 
SEC. 102. PERIOD FOR ELECTION TO RECEIVE BENEFITS 
UNDER ALL-VOLUNTEER EDUCATIONAL AS-
SISTANCE PROGRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF 
VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3011 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended— 
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(1) in subsection (c)(1), by striking ‘‘Any such 
election shall be made at the time the individual ini-
tially enters on active duty as a member of the 
Armed Forces’’ and inserting ‘‘Any such election 
shall be made during the 90-day period beginning on 
the day that is 180 days after the date on which the 
individual initially enters initial training’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ‘‘that such 
individual is entitled to such pay’’ and inserting 
‘‘that begin after the date that is 270 days after the 
date on which the individual initially enters initial 
training’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
subsection (a) shall take effect 180 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 103. PHASE OUT OF ALL-VOLUNTEER EDUCATIONAL 
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 
Subsection (a)(1)(A) of section 3011 of title 38, 
United States Code, as amended by section 1, is further 
amended by striking ‘‘after June 30, 1985’’ and inserting 
‘‘during the period beginning July 1, 1985, and ending 
September 30, 2030’’. 
SEC. 104. REQUIREMENTS FOR IN-STATE TUITION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3679(c) of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended— 
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(1) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ‘‘less than 
three years before the date of enrollment in the 
course concerned’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (4)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘It shall’’ and inserting 
‘‘(A) It shall’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
‘‘(B) To the extent feasible, the Secretary shall make 
publicly available on the internet website of the Depart-
ment a database explaining any requirements described in 
subparagraph (A) that are established by a public institu-
tion of higher learning for an individual to be charged tui-
tion and fees at a rate that is equal to or less than the 
rate the institution charges for tuition and fees for resi-
dents of the State in which the institution is located. The 
Secretary shall disapprove a course of education provided 
by such an institution that does not provide the Sec-
retary— 
‘‘(i) an initial explanation of such requirements; 
and 
‘‘(ii) not later than 90 days after the date on 
which any such requirements change, the updated 
requirements.’’. 
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(b) APPLICATION.—The amendments made by this 
section shall apply with respect to a quarter, semester, or 
term, as applicable, commencing on or after August 1, 
2021. 
SEC. 105. EXPANSION OF AUTHORITY FOR CERTAIN QUALI-
FYING WORK-STUDY ACTIVITIES FOR PUR-
POSES OF THE EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE 
PROGRAMS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VET-
ERANS AFFAIRS TO INCLUDE OUTREACH 
SERVICES PROVIDED THROUGH CONGRES-
SIONAL OFFICES. 
Section 3485(a)(4) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(K) The following activities carried out at the 
offices of Members of Congress for such Members: 
‘‘(i) The distribution of information to 
members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and 
their dependents about the benefits and services 
under laws administered by the Secretary and 
other appropriate governmental and nongovern-
mental programs. 
‘‘(ii) The preparation and processing of pa-
pers and other documents, including documents 
to assist in the preparation and presentation of 
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claims for benefits under laws administered by 
the Secretary.’’. 
TITLE II—BURIAL MATTERS 
SEC. 201. TRANSPORTATION OF DECEASED VETERANS TO 
VETERANS’ CEMETERIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (a) of section 2308 of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘in 
a national cemetery’’ and inserting ‘‘in a national ceme-
tery or a covered veterans’ cemetery’’. 
(b) COVERED VETERANS’ CEMETERY DEFINED.— 
Section 2308 of such title is amended by adding at the 
end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(c) COVERED VETERANS’ CEMETERY DEFINED.— 
In this section, the term ‘covered veterans’ cemetery’ 
means a veterans’ cemetery— 
‘‘(1) in which a deceased veteran described in 
subsection (b) is eligible to be buried; and 
‘‘(2) for which the Secretary has made a grant 
under section 2408 of this title.’’. 
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 2308 of 
such title is amended in the section heading by adding 
at the end the following: ‘‘or a veterans’ cemetery’’. 
(d) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 23 of such title is amended 
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