Title: Yellow Ribbon Improvement Act of 2017
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Yellow Ribbon Improvement Act of 2017
This bill revises the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program (public-private contributions for educational assistance in addition to post-9/11 educational assistance) to make such program available to: (1) the spouse or child of a service member who, on or after after September 11, 2001, dies in the line of duty while serving on active duty (Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry scholarship recipients); and (2) a service member or veteran who serves at least 36 months on active duty beginning on or after such date.
The bill provides educational assistance to individuals pursuing a degree while on active duty on more than, or less than, a half-time basis.
The program permits colleges and universities to voluntarily enter into an agreement with the VA to cover a portion of certain higher education expenses, which shall be matched by the VA.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 798 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 798

To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the Yellow Ribbon G.I. 
Education Enhancement Program to apply to individuals pursuing programs 
of education while on active duty, to recipients of the Marine Gunnery 
   Sergeant John David Fry scholarship, and to programs of education 
      pursued on half-time basis or less, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 30, 2017

  Mr. Cassidy (for himself, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Tillis) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the Yellow Ribbon G.I. 
Education Enhancement Program to apply to individuals pursuing programs 
of education while on active duty, to recipients of the Marine Gunnery 
   Sergeant John David Fry scholarship, and to programs of education 
      pursued on half-time basis or less, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Yellow Ribbon Improvement Act of 
2017''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF YELLOW RIBBON G.I. EDUCATION ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM.

    Subsection (a) of section 3317 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows:
    ``(a) Establishment of Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--In instances where the educational 
        assistance provided pursuant to subsections (c)(1)(A), 
        (e)(2)(A), and (f)(2)(A) of section 3313 of this title does not 
        cover the full cost of established charges (as specified in 
        section 3313), the Secretary shall, subject to paragraph (2) of 
        this subsection, carry out a program under which colleges and 
        universities can, voluntarily, enter into an agreement with the 
        Secretary to cover a portion of those established charges not 
        otherwise covered under subsections (c)(1)(A), (e)(2)(A), and 
        (f)(2)(A) of section 3313 of this title, which contributions 
        shall be matched by equivalent contributions toward such costs 
        by the Secretary.
            ``(2) Limitation.--The program carried out under paragraph 
        (1) shall only apply to covered individuals described in 
        paragraphs (1), (2), and (9) of section 3311(b) of this 
        title.''.
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