Title: Veterans' STEM Education Program
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Veterans' STEM Education Program
This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to pay an additional appropriate amount, beyond other educational assistance, to each individual entitled to post-9/11 educational assistance who is pursuing a program of education with a STEM focus (science, technology, engineering, and math).
Information on such additional payments must be included in a currently required annual VA educational assistance report.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4450 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4450

     To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide additional 
    educational assistance under the Post-9/11 GI Bill for veterans 
    pursuing a degree in science, technology, engineering, or math.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 16, 2017

     Mr. Veasey (for himself, Mr. Jones, Mr. Cook, and Ms. Norton) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide additional 
    educational assistance under the Post-9/11 GI Bill for veterans 
    pursuing a degree in science, technology, engineering, or math.

    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 referred to as the ``Veterans' STEM Education 
Program''.

SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE UNDER POST-9/11 GI BILL FOR 
              VETERANS PURSUING DEGREE IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, 
              ENGINEERING, OR MATH.

    (a) Additional Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--Chapter 33 of title 38, United States 
        Code, is amended by inserting after section 3316 the following 
        new section:
``Sec. 3316A. Veterans' STEM Education Program
    ``(a) In General.--(1) The Secretary may pay to an individual 
entitled to educational assistance under this chapter such additional 
amount as the Secretary considers appropriate if--
            ``(A) the individual is using such assistance to pursue a 
        program of education described in subsection (b); and
            ``(B) the amount of such assistance otherwise provided 
        under this chapter does not cover the full cost of the 
        established charges for such program of education, as 
        determined after the application of any waiver of, or reduction 
        in, tuition and fees and any scholarship, or other Federal, 
        State, institutional, or employer-based aid or assistance 
        (other than loans and any funds provided under section 401(b) 
        of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a)) that is 
        provided directly to the institution offering such program of 
        education and specifically designated for the sole purpose of 
        defraying tuition and fees.
    ``(2) Amounts payable to an individual under this section are in 
addition to any other amounts payable to such individual under this 
chapter.
    ``(b) Covered Programs of Education.--A program of education 
described in this subsection is a program of education with a focus (as 
determined in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary 
for purposes of this section) on science, technology, engineering, or 
math.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
        item relating to section 3316 the following new item:

``3316A. Veterans' STEM Education Program.''.
    (b) Reports to Congress.--Section 3325(c) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a 
        semicolon;
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new 
        paragraph:
            ``(3) a detailed description of the activities carried out 
        under section 3316A of this title during the academic year 
        covered by the report and an evaluation of such activities; 
        and''.
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