Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017

Bill: 115-hr-3218
Sponsor: Rep. Roe, David P. [R-TN-1]
Introduced: 2017-07-13 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Computers and information technology
Congressional oversight
Department of Veterans Affairs
Educational guidance
Higher education
Licensing and registrations
Military medicine
Military personnel and dependents
National Guard and reserves
Science and engineering education
Student aid and college costs
Teaching, teachers, curricula
User charges and fees
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
Veterans' loans, housing, homeless programs
Veterans' pensions and compensation
Vocational and technical education

Summary:
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: 

Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017

 
This bill revises education and related benefits provided to veterans, service members, dependents, and survivors. 
 
The bill amends the Post-9/11 veterans' educational assistance program to: 
 
 
remove certain time restrictions on program use; 
 
increase assistance for reservists, guardsmen, dependents, and surviving spouses and dependents;
 
provide full eligibility for Post-9/11 Purple Heart recipients and certain reservists and guardsmen;
 
provide an extra academic years' worth of benefits for STEM (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) degree candidates; 
 
establish a five-year pilot program for high technology courses; 
 
restore eligibility for service members whose school closes in the middle of a semester; 
 
authorize funding to improve claims processing; 
 
permit assistance to be used at certain institutions that are not institutions of higher education; and 
 
pro-rate the housing stipend for reservists called to active duty.
 
 
The bill authorizes the Edith Nurse Rogers STEM Scholarship to help veterans complete STEM degrees. 
 
 The Yellow Ribbon program is extended to Fry Scholarship recipients (surviving dependents of service members who died on active duty) and certain Purple Heart recipients. (The Yellow Ribbon program helps veterans pay for higher education tuition and fee costs not covered by the Post-9/11 program.)
 
The bill: (1) extends the Advisory Committee on Education, (2) increases survivors' and dependents' educational assistance, and (3) extends funding for state educational program approving agencies. 

action_date: 2017-08-16
text: 

Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017

 
This bill revises education and related benefits provided to veterans, service members, dependents, and survivors. 
 
The bill amends the Post-9/11 veterans' educational assistance program to: 
 
 
remove certain time restrictions on program use; 
 
increase assistance for reservists, guardsmen, dependents, and surviving spouses and dependents;
 
provide full eligibility for Post-9/11 Purple Heart recipients and certain reservists and guardsmen;
 
provide an extra academic years' worth of benefits for STEM (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) degree candidates; 
 
establish a five-year pilot program for high technology courses; 
 
restore eligibility for service members whose school closes in the middle of a semester; 
 
authorize funding to improve claims processing; 
 
permit assistance to be used at certain institutions that are not institutions of higher education; and 
 
pro-rate the housing stipend for reservists called to active duty.
 
 
The bill authorizes the Edith Nurse Rogers STEM Scholarship to help veterans complete STEM degrees. 
 
 The Yellow Ribbon program is extended to Fry Scholarship recipients (surviving dependents of service members who died on active duty) and certain Purple Heart recipients. (The Yellow Ribbon program helps veterans pay for higher education tuition and fee costs not covered by the Post-9/11 program.)
 
The bill: (1) extends the Advisory Committee on Education, (2) increases survivors' and dependents' educational assistance, and (3) extends funding for state educational program approving agencies.
 
 The bill provides statutory authority for the VetSuccess on Campus program, which provides veterans with on-campus educational and vocational counseling.
 
 The Department of Veterans Affairs shall make a new determination regarding each denied veteran's claim for disability compensation in connection with full-body exposure to mustard gas or Lewisite at specified locations during World War II and resolve reasonable doubt in favor of the veteran.
 
For more detailed information, see Congressional Research Service Report R45205 , 
Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 (P.L. 115-48)
.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-08-16
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2017-08-16
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2017-08-07
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2017-08-07
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2017-08-03
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2017-08-02
text: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S4716)
action_date: 2017-08-02
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S4716)
action_date: 2017-07-26
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
action_date: 2017-07-25
text: Received in the Senate, read twice.
action_date: 2017-07-24
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2017-07-24
text: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 405 - 0 (Roll no. 409). (text: CR H6158-6165)
action_date: 2017-07-24
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 405 - 0 (Roll no. 409).(text: CR H6158-6165)
action_date: 2017-07-24
text: Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H6197-6198)
action_date: 2017-07-24
text: At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
action_date: 2017-07-24
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3218.
action_date: 2017-07-24
text: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H6158-6170)
action_date: 2017-07-24
text: Mr. Roe (TN) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
action_date: 2017-07-24
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 179.
action_date: 2017-07-24
text: Committee on Armed Services discharged.
action_date: 2017-07-24
text: Committee on Armed Services discharged.
action_date: 2017-07-24
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 115-247, Part I.
action_date: 2017-07-24
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 115-247, Part I.
action_date: 2017-07-19
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
action_date: 2017-07-19
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2017-07-17
text: Committee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2017-07-13
text: Introduced in House

Enacted as: number: 115-48