Veterans Eligible to Transfer School (VETS) Credit Act
Bill: H.R.6604 | Sponsor: Rep. Buchanan, Vern (R-FL)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Veterans Eligible to Transfer School (VETS) Credit Act
This act addresses eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) educational assistance for individuals who are transferring credits due to the closure or disapproval of a program of education.
Currently, an individual who transfers fewer than 12 credits from a program of education that is closed or disapproved must be deemed to have not received such credits, and the period for which the entitlement is not charged must be the entire period of the individual's enrollment in the program.
Under the act, the VA must require an individual to certify in writing the transfer of fewer than 12 credits from a program of education that is closed or disapproved. The VA must accept such a certification as proof that the individual is transferring fewer than 12 credits.
The VA must provide a certificate of eligibility (to demonstrate proof of full educational assistance entitlement) to individuals who make the certification and acknowledge that if 12 or more credits are transferred (1) they may not be deemed to be someone who did not receive such credits, and (2) the VA must rescind the certificate of eligibility in such cases.
The VA must notify individuals who are eligible to make such a certification and receive a certificate of eligibility.
The act also removes the requirement that an individual transferring a Post-9/11 GI Bill entitlement must specify the period for which the transfer must be effective for each dependent who is designated to receive the transfer.

[117th Congress Public Law 297]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 136 STAT. 4375]]

Public Law 117-297
117th Congress

                                 An Act


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the method by which 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines the effects of a closure or 
  disapproval of an educational institution on individuals who do not 
 transfer credits from such institution. <<NOTE: Dec. 27, 2022 -  [H.R. 
                                6604]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Veterans 
Eligible to Transfer School (VETS) Credit Act.>> 
SECTION 1. <<NOTE: 38 USC 101 note.>>  SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Eligible to Transfer School 
(VETS) Credit Act''.
SEC. 2. CHARGE TO ENTITLEMENT TO EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR 
                    INDIVIDUALS WHO DO NOT TRANSFER CREDITS FROM 
                    CERTAIN CLOSED OR DISAPPROVED PROGRAMS OF 
                    EDUCATION.

    Section 3699(c)(2)(A) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``An individual'' and inserting ``(i) An 
        individual'';
            (2) by designating the second sentence as clause (iv) and 
        indenting appropriately; and
            (3) by inserting after clause (i), as designated by 
        paragraph (1), the following new clauses:

    ``(ii) <<NOTE: Requirements.>>  In carrying out clause (i), the 
Secretary shall--
            ``(I) <<NOTE: Certification.>>  require an individual to 
        certify in writing that the individual has transferred fewer 
        than 12 credits as described in such clause;
            ``(II) require an individual who makes a certification under 
        subclause (I) to acknowledge in writing that if the individual 
        transfers 12 or more credits as described in such clause (i)--
                    ``(aa) the individual may not be deemed under such 
                clause to be an individual who did not receive such 
                credits; and
                    ``(bb) <<NOTE: Rescission.>>  the Secretary shall 
                rescind the certificate of eligibility provided under 
                subclause (IV);
            ``(III) accept a certification under subclause (I) as proof 
        of the individual transferring fewer than 12 credits; and
            ``(IV) provide to the individual who makes a certification 
        under subclause (I) and makes the acknowledgment under subclause 
        (II) a certificate of eligibility that the individual may 
        provide to an educational institution as proof of the individual 
        being covered by this paragraph.

    ``(iii) <<NOTE: Notification.>>  The Secretary shall notify 
individuals described in subparagraph (B) of being eligible to be 
covered by this paragraph.''.

[[Page 136 STAT. 4376]]

SEC. 3. ELIMINATION OF REQUIREMENT TO SPECIFY AN EFFECTIVE PERIOD 
                    OF A TRANSFER OF POST-9/11 EDUCATIONAL 
                    ASSISTANCE TO A DEPENDENT.

    Section 3319(e) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by adding ``and'' after the semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a 
        period; and
            (3) by striking paragraph (3).
SEC. 4. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

    The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with 
the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by 
reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO 
Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional 
Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such 
statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

    Approved December 27, 2022.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 6604:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 168 (2022):
            May 16, 17, considered and passed House.
            Dec. 19, considered and passed Senate.

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