Title: Veterans in STEM Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Veterans in STEM Act
This bill revises eligibility and prioritization for the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship program under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6140 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6140

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the Edith Nourse 
                    Rogers STEM Scholarship program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 9, 2020

Ms. Underwood (for herself and Mr. Barr) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the Edith Nourse 
                    Rogers STEM Scholarship program.

    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 ``Veterans in STEM Act''.

SEC. 2. EDITH NOURSE ROGERS STEM SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Clarification and Expansion of Eligibility.--Subsection (b)(4) 
of section 3320 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A)(i)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding subclause (I), by 
                inserting ``, or a dual degree program that includes 
                such an undergraduate college degree,'' after 
                ``undergraduate college degree'';
                    (B) by striking subclause (IX); and
                    (C) by redesignating subclauses (X) and (XI) as 
                subclauses (IX) and (X), respectively;
            (2) in subparagraph (B)--
                    (A) by inserting ``covered clinical training 
                program for health care professionals or a'' before 
                ``program of education''; and
                    (B) by striking the period at the end and inserting 
                ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(C) is an individual who has earned a graduate 
                degree in a field referred to in subparagraph (A)(i) 
                and is enrolled in a covered clinical training program 
                for health care professionals.''.
    (b) Priority.--Subsection (c) of such section is amended to read as 
follows:
    ``(c) Priority.--(1) If the Secretary determines that there are 
insufficient funds available in a fiscal year to provide additional 
benefits under this section to all eligible individuals, the Secretary 
may give priority to the following eligible individuals:
            ``(A) Individuals who require the most credit hours 
        described in subsection (b)(4).
            ``(B) Individuals who are entitled to educational 
        assistance under this chapter by reason of paragraph (1), (2), 
        (8), or (9) of section 3311(b) of this title.
    ``(2) The Secretary shall give priority to individuals under 
paragraph (1) in the following order:
            ``(A) Individuals who are enrolled in a program of 
        education leading to an undergraduate degree in a field 
        referred to in subsection (b)(4)(A)(i).
            ``(B) Individuals who are enrolled in a program of 
        education leading to a teaching certificate.
            ``(C) Individuals who are enrolled in a dual-degree program 
        leading to both an undergraduate and graduate degree in a field 
        referred to in subsection (b)(4)(A)(i).
            ``(D) Individuals who have earned an undergraduate degree 
        and are enrolled in a covered clinical training program for 
        health care professionals.
            ``(E) Individuals who have earned a graduate degree and are 
        enrolled in a covered clinical training program for health care 
        professionals.''.
    (c) Amounts Not Subject to Certain Limitation.--Subsection (d) of 
such section is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
    ``(4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter or 
chapter 36 of this title, any additional benefits under this section 
may not be counted toward the aggregate period for which section 3695 
of this title limits an individual's receipt of allowance or 
assistance.''.
    (d) Covered Clinical Training Program Defined.--Such section is 
further amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(h) Covered Clinical Training Program Defined.--In this section, 
the term `covered clinical training program defined' means any clinical 
training required by a health care professional to be licensed to 
practice in a State or locality.''.
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