I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8483 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain modifications to 
the educational assistance programs of the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs in light of the COVID-19 emergency, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 1, 2020 
Mr. CUNNINGHAM (for himself, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. LEVIN of 
California, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. ROSE of New York, and Ms. BROWNLEY of 
California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Armed 
Services, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain 
modifications to the educational assistance programs of 
the Department of Veterans Affairs in light of the 
COVID-19 emergency, 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 ‘‘Pandemic Assistance 
for Student Veterans Act of 2020’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered program of education’’ 
means a program of education (as defined in section 
3002 of title 38, United States Code) approved by 
a State approving agency, or the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs when acting in the role of a State ap-
proving agency. 
(2) The term ‘‘COVID–19 emergency’’ means 
the public health emergency declared pursuant to 
section 319 of the Public Health Service Act on Jan-
uary 31, 2020, entitled ‘‘Determination that a Pub-
lic Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Re-
sult of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus’’. 
(3) The term ‘‘educational institution’’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 3452(c) of title 
38, United States Code, and includes an institution 
of higher learning (as defined in such section). 
(4) The term ‘‘State approving agency’’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 3671 of title 38, 
United States Code. 
(5) The term ‘‘training establishment’’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 3452(e) of title 
38, United States Code. 
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(6) The term ‘‘training’’ includes on-job train-
ing and apprenticeship programs and vocational re-
habilitation programs. 
SEC. 3. CONTINUATION OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF-
FAIRS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE BENEFITS 
DURING COVID–19 EMERGENCY. 
(a) AUTHORITY.—If the Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs determines under subsection (c) that an individual 
is negatively affected by the COVID–19 emergency, the 
Secretary may provide educational assistance to that indi-
vidual under the laws administered by the Secretary as 
if such negative effects did not occur. The authority under 
this section is in addition to the authority provided under 
section 1 of Public Law 116–128 (38 U.S.C. 3001 note 
prec.), but in no case may the Secretary provide more than 
a total of four weeks of additional educational assistance 
by reason of section 4 of the Student Veteran Coronavirus 
Response Act of 2020 (Public Law 116–140; 38 U.S.C. 
3680 note) and this section. 
(b) HOUSING AND ALLOWANCES.—In providing edu-
cational assistance to an individual pursuant to subsection 
(a), the Secretary may— 
(1) continue to pay a monthly housing stipend 
under chapter 33 of title 38, United States Code, 
during a month the individual would have been en-
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rolled in a program of education or training but for 
the COVID–19 emergency at the same rate such sti-
pend would have been payable if the individual had 
not been negatively affected by the COVID–19 emer-
gency, except that the total number of weeks for 
which stipends may continue to be so payable may 
not exceed four weeks; and 
(2) continue to pay payments or subsistence al-
lowances under chapters 30, 31, 32, 33, and 35 of 
such title and chapter 1606 of title 10, United 
States Code, during a month for a period of time 
that the individual would have been enrolled in a 
program of education or training but for the 
COVID–19 emergency, except that the total number 
of weeks for which payments or allowances may con-
tinue to be so payable may not exceed four weeks. 
(c) DETERMINATION OF NEGATIVE EFFECTS.—The 
Secretary shall determine that an individual was nega-
tively affected by the COVID–19 emergency if— 
(1) the individual is enrolled in a covered pro-
gram of education of an educational institution or 
enrolled in training at a training establishment and 
is pursuing such program or training using edu-
cational assistance under the laws administered by 
the Secretary; 
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(2) the educational institution or training estab-
lishment certifies to the Secretary that such pro-
gram or training is truncated, delayed, relocated, 
canceled, partially canceled, converted from being 
on-site to being offered by distance learning, or oth-
erwise modified or made unavailable by reason of the 
COVID–19 emergency; and 
(3) the Secretary determines that the modifica-
tion to such program or training specified under 
paragraph (2) would reduce the amount of edu-
cational assistance (including with respect to month-
ly housing stipends, payments, or subsistence allow-
ances) that would be payable to the individual but 
for the COVID–19 emergency. 
(d) EFFECT ON ENTITLEMENT PERIOD.—If the Sec-
retary determines that an individual who received assist-
ance under this section did not make progress toward the 
completion of the program of education in which the indi-
vidual is enrolled during the period for which the indi-
vidual received such assistance, any assistance provided 
pursuant to this section shall not be counted for purposes 
of determining the total amount of an individual’s entitle-
ment to educational assistance, housing stipends, or pay-
ments or subsistence allowances under chapters 30, 31, 
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32, and 35 of such title and chapter 1606 of title 10, 
United States Code. 
(e) APPLICABILITY
PERIOD.—This section shall 
apply during the period beginning on March 1, 2020, and 
ending on December 21, 2021. 
SEC. 4. EFFECTS OF CLOSURE OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITU-
TION AND MODIFICATION OF COURSES BY 
REASON OF COVID-19 EMERGENCY. 
(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 title 38, United States Code, 
limits the receipt of educational assistance by such 
individual. 
(b) EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE DESCRIBED.—Sub-
ject to subsection (d), the payment of educational assist-
ance described in this subsection 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, 31, 32, 33, or 35 of title 38, United States 
Code, or chapter 1606 of title 10, United States Code, 
if the Secretary determines that the individual— 
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(1) was unable to complete such course or pro-
gram as a result of— 
(A) the closure of the educational institu-
tion, or the full or partial cancellation of a 
course or program of education, by reason of 
the COVID-19 emergency; or 
(B) the disapproval of the course or a 
course that is a necessary part of that program 
under chapter 36 of title 38, United States 
Code, because the course was modified by rea-
son of such emergency; and 
(2) did not receive credit or lost training time, 
toward completion of the program of education being 
so pursued. 
(c) HOUSING ASSISTANCE.—In this section, edu-
cational assistance includes, as applicable— 
(1) monthly housing stipends payable under 
chapter 33 of title 38, United States Code, for any 
month the individual would have been enrolled in a 
course or program of education; and 
(2) payments or subsistence allowances under 
chapters 30, 31, 32, and 35 of such title and chap-
ter 1606 of title 10, United States Code, during a 
month the individual would have been enrolled in a 
course or program of education. 
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(d) 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 title 38, 
United States Code, 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 
training time, as determined under subsection 
(b)(2); and 
(2) the period by which a monthly stipend is ex-
tended under section 3680(a)(2)(B) of title 38, 
United States Code. 
(e) 
CONTINUING
PURSUIT
OF
DISAPPROVED 
COURSES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may treat a 
course of education that is disapproved under chap-
ter 36 of title 38, United States Code, as being ap-
proved under such chapter with respect to an indi-
vidual described in paragraph (2) if the Secretary 
determines, on a programmatic basis, that— 
(A) such disapproval is the result of an ac-
tion described in subsection (b)(1)(B); and 
(B) continuing pursuing such course is in 
the best interest of the individual. 
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(2) INDIVIDUAL DESCRIBED.—An individual de-
scribed in this paragraph is an individual who is 
pursuing a course of education at an educational in-
stitution under chapter 30, 31, 32, 33, or 35 of title 
38, United States Code, or chapter 1606 of title 10, 
United States Code, as of the date on which the 
course is disapproved as described in subsection 
(b)(1)(B). 
(f) STATUS AS FULL-TIME STUDENT FOR PURPOSES 
OF HOUSING STIPEND CALCULATION.—In the case of an 
individual who, as of the first day of the COVID-19 emer-
gency was enrolled on a full-time basis in a program of 
education and was receiving educational assistance under 
chapter 33 of title 38, United States Code, or subsistence 
allowance under chapter 31 of such title, and for whom 
the Secretary makes a determination under subsection (b), 
the individual shall be treated as an individual enrolled 
in a program of education on a full-time basis for the pur-
pose of calculating monthly housing stipends payable 
under chapter 33 of title 38, United States Code, or sub-
sistence allowance payable under chapter 31 of such title, 
for any month the individual is enrolled in the program 
of education on a part-time basis to complete any course 
of education that was partially or fully canceled by reason 
of the COVID-19 emergency. 
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(g) NOTICE OF CLOSURES.—Not later than 5 busi-
ness days after the date on which the Secretary receives 
notice that an educational institution will close or is closed 
by reason of the COVID-19 emergency, the Secretary shall 
provide to each individual who is enrolled in a course or 
program of education at such educational institution using 
entitlement to educational assistance under chapter 30, 
31, 32, 33, or 35 of title 38, United States Code, or chap-
ter 1606 of title 10, United States Code, notice of— 
(1) such closure and the date of such closure; 
and 
(2) the effect of such closure on the individual’s 
entitlement to educational assistance pursuant to 
this section. 
(h) APPLICABILITY.—This section shall apply with 
respect to the closure of an educational institution, or the 
cancellation or modification of a course or program of edu-
cation, that occurs during the period beginning on March 
1, 2020, and ending on December 21, 2021. 
SEC. 5. PAYMENT OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE IN CASES 
OF WITHDRAWAL. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In the case of any individual who 
withdraws from a program of education or training, other 
than a program by correspondence, in an educational in-
stitution under chapter 31, 34, or 35 of title 38, United 
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States Code, for a covered reason during the period begin-
ning on March 1, 2020, and ending on December 21, 
2021, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall find miti-
gating 
circumstances 
for 
purposes 
of 
section 
3680(a)(1)(C)(ii) of title 38, United States Code. 
(b) COVERED REASON.—In this section, the term 
‘‘covered reason’’ means any reason related to the COVID- 
19 emergency, including— 
(1) illness, quarantine, or social distancing re-
quirements; 
(2) issues associated with COVID-19 testing ac-
cessibility; 
(3) access or availability of childcare; 
(4) providing care for a family member or co-
habitants; 
(5) change of location or residence due to 
COVID-19 or associated school closures; 
(6) employment changes or financial hardship; 
and 
(7) issues associated with changes in format or 
medium of instruction. 
SEC. 6. MODIFICATION OF TIME LIMITATIONS ON USE OF 
ENTITLEMENT. 
(a) MONTGOMERY GI BILL.—The subsection (i) tem-
porarily added to section 3031 of title 38, United States 
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SEC. 7. APPRENTICESHIP OR ON-JOB TRAINING REQUIRE-
MENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—During the period described in 
subsection (b), subsection (e) of section 3687 of title 38, 
United States Code, shall be applied by substituting the 
following for paragraph (2): 
‘‘(2)(A) Subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C), 
for any month in which an individual fails to com-
plete 120 hours of training, the entitlement other-
wise chargeable under paragraph (1) shall be re-
duced in the same proportion as the monthly train-
ing assistance allowance payable is reduced under 
subsection (b)(3). 
‘‘(B) In the case of an individual who is unem-
ployed during any month, the 120-hour requirement 
under subparagraph (A) for that month shall be re-
duced proportionately to reflect the individual’s pe-
riod of unemployment, except that the amount of 
monthly training assistance otherwise payable to the 
individual under subsection (b)(3) shall not be re-
duced. 
‘‘(C) Any period during which an individual is 
unemployed shall not— 
‘‘(i) be charged against any entitlement to 
educational assistance of the individual; or 
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‘‘(ii) be counted against the aggregate pe-
riod for which section 3695 of this title limits 
the receipt of educational assistance by such in-
dividual. 
‘‘(D) Any amount by which the entitlement of 
an individual is reduced under subparagraph (A) 
shall not— 
‘‘(i) be charged against any entitlement to 
educational assistance of the individual; or 
‘‘(ii) be counted against the aggregate pe-
riod for which section 3695 of this title limits 
the receipt of educational assistance by such in-
dividual. 
‘‘(E) In the case of an individual who fails to 
complete 120 hours of training during a month, but 
who completed more than 120 hours of training dur-
ing the preceding month, the individual may apply 
the number of hours in excess of 120 that the indi-
vidual completed for that month to the month for 
which the individual failed to complete 120 hours. If 
the addition of such excess hours results in a total 
of 120 hours or more, the individual shall be treated 
as an individual who has completed 120 hours of 
training for that month. Any excess hours applied to 
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a different month under this subparagraph may only 
be applied to one such month. 
‘‘(F) This paragraph applies to amounts de-
scribed in section 3313(g)(3)(B)(iv) and section 
3032(c)(2) of this title and section 16131(d)(2) of 
title 10. 
‘‘(G) In this paragraph: 
‘‘(i) The term ‘unemployed’ includes being 
furloughed or being scheduled to work zero 
hours. 
‘‘(ii) The term ‘fails to complete 120 hours 
of training’ means, with respect to an indi-
vidual, that during any month, the individual 
completes at least one hour, but fewer than 120 
hours, of training, including in a case in which 
the individual is unemployed for part of, but 
not the whole, month.’’. 
(b) APPLICABILITY PERIOD.—The period described 
in this section is the period beginning on March 1, 2020, 
and ending on December 21, 2021. 
SEC. 8. INCLUSION OF TRAINING ESTABLISHMENTS IN CER-
TAIN PROVISIONS RELATED TO COVID-19 
EMERGENCY. 
(a) CONTINUATION
OF BENEFITS.—Section 1 of 
Public Law 116–128 is amended— 
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(1) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘or a train-
ing establishment’’ after ‘‘an educational institu-
tion’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) TRAINING
ESTABLISHMENT.—The term 
‘training establishment’ has the meaning given such 
term in section 3452(e) of title 38, United States 
Code.’’. 
(b) PAYMENT OF ALLOWANCES.—Section 4(a)(1) of 
the Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 
(Public Law 116–140; 38 U.S.C. 3680 note) is amended 
by inserting ‘‘or a training establishment’’ after ‘‘edu-
cational institution’’. 
(c) PROHIBITION OF CHARGE TO ENTITLEMENT.— 
The subparagraph (C) temporarily added to section 
3699(b)(1) of title 38, United States Code, by section 5 
of the Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 
(Public Law 116–140; 38 U.S.C. 3699 note) is amended 
by inserting ‘‘or training establishment’’ after ‘‘edu-
cational institution’’. 
(d) EXTENSION OF TIME LIMITATIONS.— 
(1) MGIB.—The subsection (i) temporarily 
added to section 3031 of title 38, United States 
Code, by subsection (a) of section 6 of the Student 
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Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 (Public 
Law 116–140), as amended by section 6 of this Act, 
is further amended by inserting ‘‘or training estab-
lishment’’ after ‘‘educational institution’’. 
(2) TRANSFER PERIOD.—The subparagraph (C) 
temporarily added to section 3319(h)(5) of such title 
by section 6 of the Student Veteran Coronavirus Re-
sponse Act of 2020 (Public Law 116–140) is amend-
ed by inserting ‘‘or training establishment’’ after 
‘‘educational institution’’. 
SEC. 9. TREATMENT OF PAYMENT OF ALLOWANCES UNDER 
STUDENT 
VETERAN 
CORONAVIRUS 
RE-
SPONSE ACT. 
Section 4 of the Student Veteran Coronavirus Re-
sponse Act of 2020 (Public Law 116–140) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘may not exceed four 
weeks.’’ and inserting ‘‘may not exceed the 
shorter of the following:’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(1) The period of time that the eligible veteran 
or eligible person would have been enrolled in a pro-
gram of education or training but for the emergency 
situation. 
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‘‘(2) Four weeks.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(e) ENTITLEMENT NOT CHARGED.—Any payment 
of allowances under this section shall not— 
‘‘(1) be charged against any entitlement to edu-
cational assistance of the eligible veteran or eligible 
person concerned; or 
‘‘(2) be counted against the aggregate period 
for which section 3695 of this title 38, United States 
Code, limits the receipt of educational assistance by 
such eligible veteran or eligible person.’’. 
SEC. 10. EMERGENCY DESIGNATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—This Act is designated as an 
emergency requirement pursuant to section 4(g) of the 
Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 933(g)). 
(b) DESIGNATION IN SENATE.—In the Senate, this 
Act is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant 
to section 4112(a) of H. Con. Res. 71 (115th Congress), 
the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 
2018. 
Æ 
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