Title: Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2020
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2020
This bill expands eligibility for Post-9/11 GI Bill educational assistance. Specifically, the bill adjusts the type of service that entitles a member of the Armed Forces, reserves, or National Guard to such assistance. Under the bill, service by a reservist or National Guard member that is entitled to pay counts toward benefit eligibility. Such service includes training, active military service, inactive training, and general duty for which basic pay is warranted.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3266 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3266

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that the time during 
  which members of the Armed Forces serve on active duty for training 
 qualifies for entitlement to Post-9/11 Educational Assistance of the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 11, 2020

 Mr. Tester (for himself and Mrs. Blackburn) 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 ensure that the time during 
  which members of the Armed Forces serve on active duty for training 
 qualifies for entitlement to Post-9/11 Educational Assistance of the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs, 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 ``Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act 
of 2020''.

SEC. 2. ADDITION OF OTHER DUTY STATUSES TO QUALIFY FOR POST-9/11 
              EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

    (a) Qualifying Duty.--Section 3311(b) of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``(including'' each place it appears and 
        inserting ``(including other qualifying duty and'';
            (2) by striking ``(excluding'' each place it appears and 
        inserting ``(including other qualifying duty but excluding''; 
        and
            (3) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting ``or other qualifying 
        duty'' after ``active duty''.
    (b) Other Qualifying Duty Defined.--Section 3301 of such title is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as paragraphs 
        (4) and (5), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new 
        paragraph (3):
            ``(3) The term `other qualifying duty' means the following:
                    ``(A) Duty under section 502 of title 32.
                    ``(B) Duty for which a member is eligible to 
                receive pay under section 204, 206, or 372 of title 
                37.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on August 1, 2021, and shall apply with respect to--
            (1) academic years beginning on or after August 1, 2021; 
        and
            (2) service performed before, on, or after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. SIMPLIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR DEPARTMENT OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS POST-9/11 EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE.

    (a) In General.--Paragraph (1) of section 3301 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended to read as follows:
            ``(1) The term `active duty' has the meanings as follows 
        (subject to the limitations specified in sections 3002(6) and 
        3311(b) of this title):
                    ``(A) Active duty as described in section 
                101(21)(A) of this title.
                    ``(B) Active duty for training as described in 
                section 101(22)(A), (C), and (E) of this title.
                    ``(C) Active duty as defined in section 101(12) of 
                title 32.
                    ``(D) Full-time National Guard duty as defined in 
                section 101(19) of title 32.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on August 1, 2021, and shall apply with respect to--
            (1) academic years beginning on or after August 1, 2021; 
        and
            (2) service performed before, on, or after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act.
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