I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3372 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the restoration of 
entitlement to educational assistance and other relief for veterans affected 
by school closure or disapproval, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 24, 2017 
Mr. MESSER 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 
restoration of entitlement to educational assistance and 
other relief for veterans affected by school closure or 
disapproval, 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. RESTORATION OF ENTITLEMENT TO EDU-
CATIONAL ASSISTANCE AND OTHER RELIEF 
FOR VETERANS AFFECTED BY SCHOOL CLO-
SURE OR DISAPPROVAL. 
(a) SCHOOL CLOSURE OR DISAPPROVAL.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:56 Aug 04, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3372.IH
H3372
srobinson on DSKBC5CHB2PROD with BILLS
(1) RESTORATION OF ENTITLEMENT.—Chapter 
36 is amended by adding at the end the following 
new section: 
‘‘§ 3699. Effects of closure or disapproval of edu-
cational institution 
‘‘(a) CLOSURE OR DISAPPROVAL.—Any payment of 
educational assistance described in subsection (b) shall 
not— 
‘‘(1) be charged against any entitlement to edu-
cational assistance of the individual concerned; or 
‘‘(2) be counted against the aggregate period 
for which section 3695 of this title limits the receipt 
of educational assistance by such individual. 
‘‘(b) EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE DESCRIBED.—Sub-
ject to subsection (c), the payment of educational assist-
ance described in this paragraph is the payment of such 
assistance to an individual for pursuit of a course or pro-
gram of education at an educational institution under 
chapter 30, 32, 33, or 35 of this title, or chapter 1606 
or 1607 of title 10, if the Secretary determines that the 
individual— 
‘‘(1) was unable to complete such course or pro-
gram as a result of— 
‘‘(A) the closure of the educational institu-
tion; or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:39 Aug 02, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3372.IH
H3372
srobinson on DSKBC5CHB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(B) the disapproval of the course or a 
course that is a necessary part of that program 
under this chapter by reason of— 
‘‘(i) a provision of law enacted after 
the date on which the individual enrolls at 
such institution affecting the approval or 
disapproval of courses under this chapter; 
or 
‘‘(ii) after the date on which the indi-
vidual enrolls at such institution, the Sec-
retary prescribing or modifying regulations 
or policies of the Department affecting 
such approval or disapproval; and 
‘‘(2) did not receive credit or lost training time, 
toward completion of the program of education being 
so pursued. 
‘‘(c) PERIOD NOT CHARGED.—The period for which, 
by reason of this subsection, educational assistance is not 
charged against entitlement or counted toward the appli-
cable aggregate period under section 3695 of this title 
shall not exceed the aggregate of— 
‘‘(1) the portion of the period of enrollment in 
the course from which the individual did not receive 
credit or with respect to which the individual lost 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:22 Aug 02, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3372.IH
H3372
srobinson on DSKBC5CHB2PROD with BILLS
training time, as determined under subsection 
(b)(2), and 
‘‘(2) the period by which a monthly stipend is 
extended under section 3680(a)(2)(B) of this title. 
‘‘(d) 
CONTINUING
PURSUIT
OF
DISAPPROVED 
COURSES.—(1) The Secretary may treat a course of edu-
cation that is disapproved under this chapter as being ap-
proved under this chapter with respect to an individual 
described in paragraph (2) if the Secretary determines, 
on a case-by-case basis, that— 
‘‘(A) such disapproval is the result of an action 
described in clause (i) or (ii) of subsection (b)(1)(B); 
and 
‘‘(B) continuing pursuing such course is in the 
best interest of the individual. 
‘‘(2) An individual described in this paragraph is an 
individual who is pursuing a course of education at an 
educational institution under chapter 30, 32, 33, or 35 
of this title, or chapter 1606 or 1607 of title 10, as of 
the date on which the course is disapproved under this 
chapter. 
‘‘(e) NOTICE OF CLOSURES.—Not later than five 
business days after the date on which the Secretary re-
ceives notice that an educational institution will close or 
is closed, the Secretary shall provide to each individual 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:39 Aug 02, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3372.IH
H3372
srobinson on DSKBC5CHB2PROD with BILLS
who is enrolled in a course or program or education at 
such educational institution using entitlement to edu-
cational assistance under chapter 30, 32, 33, or 35 of this 
title, or chapter 1606 or 1607 of title 10, notice of— 
‘‘(1) such closure and the date of such closure; 
and 
‘‘(2) the effect of such closure on the individ-
ual’s entitlement to educational assistance pursuant 
to this section.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 
by inserting after the item relating to section 3698 
the following new item: 
‘‘3699. Effects of closure or disapproval of educational institution.’’. 
(b) MONTHLY HOUSING STIPEND.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (a) section 3680 
is amended— 
(A) by striking the matter after paragraph 
(3)(B); 
(B) in paragraph (3), by redesignating 
subparagraphs (A) and (B) as clauses (i) and 
(ii), respectively; 
(C) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(1) 
through (3) as subparagraphs (A) through (C), 
respectively; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:22 Aug 02, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3372.IH
H3372
srobinson on DSKBC5CHB2PROD with BILLS
(D) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(A), as redesignated, in the first sentence, by 
striking ‘‘Payment of’’ and inserting ‘‘(1) Ex-
cept as provided in paragraph (2), payment of’’; 
and 
(E) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph (2): 
‘‘(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the Secretary 
may, pursuant to such regulations as the Secretary shall 
prescribe, continue to pay allowances to eligible veterans 
and eligible persons enrolled in courses set forth in para-
graph (1)(A)— 
‘‘(A) during periods when educational institu-
tions are temporarily closed under an established 
policy based on an Executive order of the President 
or due to an emergency situation, except that the 
total number of weeks for which allowances may 
continue to be so payable in any 12-month period 
may not exceed four weeks; or 
‘‘(B) solely for the purpose of awarding a 
monthly housing stipend described in section 3313 
of this title, during periods following a permanent 
closure of an educational institution, or following the 
disapproval of a course of study described in section 
3699(b)(1)(B) of this title, except that payment of 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:22 Aug 02, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3372.IH
H3372
srobinson on DSKBC5CHB2PROD with BILLS
such a stipend may only be continued until the ear-
lier of— 
‘‘(i) the date of the end of the term, quar-
ter, or semester during which the closure or dis-
approval occurred; and 
‘‘(ii) the date that is 120 days after the 
date of the closure or disapproval.’’. 
(2) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Paragraph 
(1)(C)(ii) of such subsection, as redesignated, is 
amended by striking ‘‘described in subclause (A) of 
this clause’’ and inserting ‘‘described in clause (i)’’. 
(c) APPLICABILITY.— 
(1) SCHOOL CLOSURE OR DISAPPROVAL.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made 
by subsection (a) shall take effect on the date 
that is 90 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, and shall apply with respect to 
courses and programs of education discontinued 
as described in section 3699 of title 38, United 
States Code, as added by subsection (a)(1), 
after January 1, 2015. 
(B) SPECIAL APPLICATION.—With respect 
to courses and programs of education discon-
tinued as described in section 3699 of title 38, 
United States Code, as added by subsection 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:22 Aug 02, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3372.IH
H3372
srobinson on DSKBC5CHB2PROD with BILLS
(a)(1), during the period beginning January 1, 
2015, and ending on the date of the enactment 
of this Act, an individual who does not transfer 
credits from such program of education shall be 
deemed to be an individual who did not receive 
such credits, as described in subsection (b)(2) 
of such section, except that the period for which 
the individual’s entitlement is not charged shall 
be the entire period of the individual’s enroll-
ment in the program of education. In carrying 
out this paragraph, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of 
Education, shall establish procedures to deter-
mine whether the individual transferred credits 
to a comparable course or program of edu-
cation. 
(2) MONTHLY HOUSING STIPEND.—The amend-
ments made by subsection (b) shall take effect on 
August 1, 2018, and shall apply with respect to 
courses and programs of education discontinued as 
described in section 3699 of title 38, United States 
Code, as added by such subsection, on or after the 
date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:22 Aug 02, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H3372.IH
H3372
srobinson on DSKBC5CHB2PROD with BILLS