Title: A bill to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to treat certain programs of education converted to distance learning by reason of emergencies and health-related situations in the same manner as programs of education pursued at educational institutions, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to continue to provide educational assistance through December 21, 2020, for programs of education that have been converted to distance learning due to an emergency or health-related situation. Such assistance includes monthly housing stipends or subsistence allowances.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3503 Considered and Passed Senate (CPS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3503

    To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to treat certain 
   programs of education converted to distance learning by reason of 
    emergencies and health-related situations in the same manner as 
  programs of education pursued at educational institutions, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 16, 2020

 Mr. Moran (for himself, Mr. Tester, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Blumenthal, Mrs. 
  Murray, Mr. Sullivan, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Cramer, Ms. 
  Sinema, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Manchin, Mr. Brown, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Rounds, 
Mrs. Loeffler, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Cornyn, Ms. Warren, Ms. Duckworth, Ms. 
 Rosen, Mr. Peters, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. 
Wyden, Mr. Daines, Ms. McSally, Ms. Collins, and Mr. Durbin) introduced 
 the following bill; which was read twice, considered, read the third 
                            time, and passed

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to treat certain 
   programs of education converted to distance learning by reason of 
    emergencies and health-related situations in the same manner as 
  programs of education pursued at educational institutions, 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. CONTINUATION OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS EDUCATIONAL 
              ASSISTANCE BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN PROGRAMS OF EDUCATION 
              CONVERTED TO DISTANCE LEARNING BY REASON OF EMERGENCIES 
              AND HEALTH-RELATED SITUATIONS.

    (a) In General.--In the case of a program of education approved by 
a State approving agency, or the Secretary of Veterans Affairs when 
acting in the role of a State approving agency, that is converted from 
being offered on-site at an educational institution to being offered by 
distance learning by reason of an emergency or health-related 
situation, as determined by the Secretary, the Secretary may continue 
to provide educational assistance under the laws administered by the 
Secretary without regard to such conversion, including with respect to 
paying any--
            (1) monthly housing stipends under chapter 33 of title 38, 
        United States Code; or
            (2) payments or subsistence allowances under chapters 30, 
        31, 32, and 35 of such title and chapters 1606 and 1607 of 
        title 10, United States Code.
    (b) Applicability Period.--Subsection (a) shall apply during the 
period beginning on March 1, 2020, and ending on December 21, 2020.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Educational institution.--The term ``educational 
        institution'' has the meaning given that term in section 3452 
        of title 38, United States Code, and includes an institution of 
        higher learning (as defined in such section).
            (2) Program of education.--The term ``program of 
        education'' has the meaning given that term in section 3002 of 
        title 38, United States Code.
            (3) State approving agency.--The term ``State approving 
        agency'' has the meaning given that term in section 3671 of 
        title 38, United States Code.

SEC. 2. 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.
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