I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2855 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to eliminate the time limitation 
for use of eligibility and entitlement to educational assistance under 
certain programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 23, 2015 
Mr. HIGGINS (for himself and Mr. TAKANO) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addi-
tion to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to eliminate the 
time limitation for use of eligibility and entitlement to 
educational assistance under certain programs of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs, 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 ‘‘Veterans Education 
Flexibility Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:: 
(1) According to the ‘‘National Survey of Vet-
erans, Active Duty Service Members, Demobilized 
National Guard and Reserve Members, Family 
Members, and Surviving Spouses Final Report’’, 
commissioned by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
in 2010, 20.6 percent of eligible veterans—approxi-
mately 2,621,753 veterans—were unable to use their 
GI bill educational benefits because their period of 
eligibility expired. 
(2) The time limitations for using GI bill edu-
cational benefits do not reflect the realities of the 
modern economy of the United States. After leaving 
the service, many veterans postpone further edu-
cation to join the workforce and support their fami-
lies or are faced with lengthy rehabilitations from 
service-related injuries. 
(3) Access to education and job retraining has 
proved the arbiter of success in today’s economy, 
and if the United States is to lower the unemploy-
ment rate among the veteran population, the United 
States must provide veterans unfettered access to 
educational benefits. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to remove 
the delimiting dates and retroactively restore the Depart-
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ment of Veterans Affairs Educational benefits within the 
Post-Vietnam Era Veterans’ Educational Assistance Pro-
gram (VEAP), Montgomery GI Bill–Active Duty (MGIB– 
AD), and Post-9/11 GI Bill. 
SEC. 3. ELIMINATION OF TIME LIMITATION FOR USE OF 
ELIGIBILITY AND ENTITLEMENT TO EDU-
CATIONAL ASSISTANCE. 
(a) MONTGOMERY GI BILL–ACTIVE DUTY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 3031 of chapter 30 
of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read 
as follows: 
‘‘§ 3031. Extension of entitlement to educational as-
sistance expiring during a quarter or se-
mester or after a major portion of a 
course is complete 
‘‘(a) EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OPERATING ON 
QUARTER OR SEMESTER SYSTEM.—If an individual eligi-
ble for educational assistance under this chapter is en-
rolled under this chapter in an educational institution reg-
ularly operated on the quarter or semester system and the 
period of such individual’s entitlement under this chapter 
would, under section 3013, expire during a quarter or se-
mester, such period shall be extended to the end of such 
quarter or semester. 
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‘‘(b) OTHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.—If an in-
dividual eligible for educational assistance under this 
chapter is enrolled under this chapter in an educational 
institution not regularly operated on the quarter or semes-
ter system and the period of such individual’s entitlement 
under this chapter would, under section 3013, expire after 
a major portion of the course is completed, such period 
shall be extended to the end of the course or for 12 weeks, 
whichever is the lesser period of extension.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 
by striking the item relating to section 3031 and in-
serting the following new item: 
‘‘3031. Extension of entitlement to educational assistance expiring during a 
quarter or semester or after a major portion of a course is 
complete.’’. 
(3) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Chapter 33 
of title 38, United States Code, is amended— 
(A) in section 3018C(e)(3)(B)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘(i) The Secretary’’ 
and inserting ‘‘The Secretary’’; and 
(ii) by striking clause (ii); and 
(B) in section 3020— 
(i) in subsection (f)(1), by striking 
‘‘Subject to the time limitation for use of 
entitlement under section 3031 of this 
title, an’’ and inserting ‘‘An’’; and 
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(ii) in subsection (h), by striking 
‘‘Notwithstanding section 3031 of this 
title, a’’ and inserting ‘‘A’’. 
(b) POST-VIETNAM ERA VETERANS’ EDUCATIONAL 
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM .— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 3232 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(A) by striking subsections (a) and (b); 
and 
(B) by redesignating subsections (c) and 
(d) as subsections (a) and (b), respectively. 
(2) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section 
3035(b)(1) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by striking ‘‘and from’’ and all that follows 
through ‘‘title’’. 
(c) POST-9/11 GI BILL.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 3321 of chapter 30 
of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read 
as follows: 
‘‘§ 3321. Extension of entitlement to educational as-
sistance expiring during a quarter or se-
mester or after a major portion of a 
course is complete 
‘‘Section 3031 shall apply with respect to the termi-
nation of an individual’s entitlement to educational assist-
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ance under this chapter in the same manner as such sec-
tion applies to the termination of an individual’s entitle-
ment to educational assistance under chapter 30, except 
that, in the administration of such section for purposes 
of this chapter, the reference to section 3013 shall be 
deemed to be a reference to section 3312 of this title.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 
by striking the item relating to section 3321 and in-
serting the following new item: 
‘‘3321. Extension of entitlement to educational assistance expiring during a 
quarter or semester or after a major portion of a course is 
complete.’’. 
(3) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Chapter 33 
of title 38, United States Code, is amended— 
(A) 
in 
section 
3312(b), 
by 
striking 
‘‘3321(b)(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘3321’’; 
(B) in section 3319— 
(i) in subsection (f)(1), by striking 
‘‘Subject to’’ and all that follows through 
‘‘an’’ and inserting ‘‘An’’; and 
(ii) in subsection (h)(5)(A), by strik-
ing ‘‘may use’’ and all that follows through 
‘‘but’’. 
(d) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS FOR RESERVE COM-
PONENT PROGRAMS.— 
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(1) SELECTED RESERVE.—Section 16133(b) of 
title 10, United States Code, is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘section 
3031(f)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsections (a) and (b) 
of section 3031’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘, as 
such section existed on the day before the date 
of the enactment of the Veterans Education 
Flexibility Act,’’ after ‘‘title 38’’. 
(2) OTHER
RESERVE
COMPONENTS.—Section 
16164(b)(2) of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(2) The following provisions shall apply to the pe-
riod of entitlement prescribed by paragraph (1): 
‘‘(A) Subsections (a) and (b) of section 3031 of 
title 38. 
‘‘(B) Subsection (d) of section 3031 of title 38, 
as such subsection existed on the day before the date 
of the enactment of the Veterans Education Flexi-
bility Act.’’. 
(e) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by this 
section shall apply with respect to any individual who has 
been entitled to educational assistance under chapters 30, 
32, or 33 of title 38, United States Code. For purposes 
of determining the number of months of entitlement to 
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such educational assistance that an individual is entitled 
to, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall disregard any 
delimiting date eliminated by this Act that occurred before 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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