I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2385 
To provide and enhance education, housing, and entrepreneur assistance for 
veterans who serve in the Armed Forces after September 11, 2001, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 17, 2007 
Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to 
the Committees on Armed Services and Small Business, for a period to 
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To provide and enhance education, housing, and entrepreneur 
assistance for veterans who serve in the Armed Forces 
after September 11, 2001, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘21st Century GI Bill 
of Rights Act of 2007’’. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:44 May 19, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2385.IH
H2385
jcorcoran on PROD1PC65 with BILLS
SEC. 2. EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR MEMBERS OF THE 
ARMED FORCES WHO SERVE AFTER SEP-
TEMBER 11, 2001. 
(a) EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Part III of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after chapter 
32 the following new chapter: 
‘‘CHAPTER 
33—EDUCATIONAL 
ASSIST-
ANCE 
FOR 
SERVICE 
AFTER 
SEP-
TEMBER 11, 2001 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER I—DEFINITIONS 
‘‘Sec. 
‘‘3301. Definitions. 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER II—EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE 
‘‘3311. Educational assistance for service in the Armed Forces after September 
11, 2001: entitlement. 
‘‘3312. Educational assistance: duration. 
‘‘3313. Educational assistance: payment; amount. 
‘‘3314. Tutorial assistance. 
‘‘3315. Licensure and certification tests. 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER III—ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS 
‘‘3321. Time limitation for use of and eligibility for entitlement. 
‘‘3322. Bar to duplication of educational assistance benefits. 
‘‘3323. Administration. 
‘‘3324. Allocation of administration and costs. 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER I—DEFINITIONS 
‘‘§ 3301. Definitions 
‘‘In this chapter: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘active duty’ has the meaning 
given such term in sections 101 and 3002(7) of this 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:44 May 19, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2385.IH
H2385
jcorcoran on PROD1PC65 with BILLS
title and includes the limitations specified in section 
3002(6) of this title. 
‘‘(2) The terms ‘program of education’, ‘Sec-
retary of Defense’, and ‘Selected Reserve’ have the 
meaning given such terms in section 3002 of this 
title. 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER II—EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE 
‘‘§ 3311. Educational assistance for service in the 
Armed Forces after September 11, 2001: 
entitlement 
‘‘(a) ENTITLEMENT.—Except as provided in sub-
section (c), each individual described in subsection (b) is 
entitled to educational assistance under this chapter. 
‘‘(b) COVERED INDIVIDUALS.—An individual de-
scribed in this subsection is any individual as follows: 
‘‘(1) A member of the Armed Forces who, while 
serving on active duty in the Armed Forces after 
September 11, 2001, is deployed overseas. 
‘‘(2) A member of the Armed Forces or a Re-
serve of the Armed Forces (including a member of 
the National Guard and a member of the Reserves) 
who— 
‘‘(A) serves on active duty in the Armed 
Forces after September 11, 2001, for an aggre-
gate of at least two years; or 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:44 May 19, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2385.IH
H2385
jcorcoran on PROD1PC65 with BILLS
‘‘(B) before completing the aggregate of 
service described in subparagraph (A) while 
serving on active duty in the Armed Forces 
after September 11, 2001, is discharged as de-
scribed in subsection (d) after that date. 
‘‘(c) EXCEPTION FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO RECEIVE A 
COMMISSION AS AN OFFICER UPON GRADUATION FROM 
AN ACADEMY.—An individual who receives a commission 
as an officer in the Armed Forces upon graduation from 
the United States Military Academy, the United States 
Naval Academy, the United States Air Force Academy, 
the United States Merchant Marine Academy, or the 
Coast Guard Academy is not entitled to educational assist-
ance under this chapter. 
‘‘(d) CERTAIN DISCHARGE OR RELEASE PROVIDING 
EXCEPTION FROM SERVICE REQUIREMENTS.—A dis-
charge or release described in this subsection is a dis-
charge or release from service in the Armed Forces for— 
‘‘(1) a service-connected disability; 
‘‘(2) a medical condition which preexisted such 
service and which the Secretary determines is not 
service-connected; 
‘‘(3) hardship; or 
‘‘(4) a physical or mental condition that was 
not characterized as a disability and did not result 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:44 May 19, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2385.IH
H2385
jcorcoran on PROD1PC65 with BILLS
from the individual’s own willful misconduct but did 
interfere with the individual’s performance of duty, 
as determined by the Secretary of each military de-
partment in accordance with regulations prescribed 
by the Secretary of Defense. 
‘‘§ 3312. Educational assistance: duration 
‘‘Subject to section 3695 of this title, an individual 
entitled to educational assistance under section 3311 of 
this title is entitled to 36 months, which is the equivalent 
of four academic years, of educational assistance under 
section 3313 of this title. 
‘‘§ 3313. Educational assistance: payment; amount 
‘‘(a) PAYMENT.—The Secretary shall pay to each in-
dividual entitled to educational assistance under this chap-
ter who is pursuing an approved program of education 
(other than a program covered by subsections (e) and (f)) 
the amounts specified in subsection (c) to meet the ex-
penses of such individual’s subsistence, tuition, fees, and 
other educational costs for pursuit of such program of 
education. 
‘‘(b) APPROVED PROGRAMS
OF EDUCATION.—(1) 
Except as provided in paragraph (1), a program of edu-
cation is an approved program of education for purposes 
of this chapter if the program of education is approved 
for purposes of chapter 30 of this title. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:44 May 19, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2385.IH
H2385
jcorcoran on PROD1PC65 with BILLS
‘‘(2) A program of education to obtain a graduate 
degree is not an approved program of education for the 
purposes of this chapter. 
‘‘(c) AMOUNT OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE.—(1) 
The amounts payable under this subsection for pursuit of 
an approved program of education are amounts as follows: 
‘‘(A) An amount equal to the established 
charges (as determined in accordance with sub-
section (h)) for the program of education. 
‘‘(B) Subject to paragraph (2), an amount 
equal to the room and board of the individual. 
‘‘(2) The amount payable under paragraph (1)(B) for 
room and board of an individual may not exceed an 
amount equal to the standard dormitory fee, or such 
equivalent fee as the Secretary shall specify in regulations, 
which similarly circumstanced nonveterans enrolled in the 
program of education involved would be required to pay. 
‘‘(d) FREQUENCY OF PAYMENT.—(1) Payment of the 
amounts payable under subsection (c)(1) for pursuit of a 
program of education shall be made at such time and with 
such frequency as the Secretary shall prescribe for pur-
poses of this chapter. Such payment may include payment 
in a lump-sum amount for the entire quarter, semester, 
or term, as applicable, of the program of education before 
the commencement of such quarter, semester, or term. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:44 May 19, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2385.IH
H2385
jcorcoran on PROD1PC65 with BILLS