Yellow Ribbon Improvement Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-798
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA]
Introduced: 2017-03-30
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Higher education

Student aid and college costs

Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
Latest action: action_date: 2017-06-15
text: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 115-215.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-03-30
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p> <strong>Yellow Ribbon Improvement Act of 2017</strong></p> <p>This bill revises the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program (public-private contributions for educational assistance in addition to post-9/11 educational assistance) to make such program available to: (1) the spouse or child of a service member who, on or after after September 11, 2001, dies in the line of duty while serving on active duty (Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry scholarship recipients); and (2) a service member or veteran who serves at least 36 months on active duty beginning on or after such date.</p> <p>The bill provides educational assistance to individuals pursuing a degree while on active duty on more than, or less than, a half-time basis. </p> <p>The program permits colleges and universities to voluntarily enter into an agreement with the VA to cover a portion of certain higher education expenses, which shall be matched by the VA.</p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 798 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 30, 2017 Mr. Cassidy (for himself, Mr. Brown , and Mr. Tillis ) 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 expand the Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program to apply to individuals pursuing programs of education while on active duty, to recipients of the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry scholarship, and to programs of education pursued on half-time basis or less, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Yellow Ribbon Improvement Act of 2017 . 2. Expansion of Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program Subsection (a) of section 3317 of title 38, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: (a) Establishment of program (1) In general In instances where the educational assistance provided pursuant to subsections (c)(1)(A), (e)(2)(A), and (f)(2)(A) of section 3313 of this title does not cover the full cost of established charges (as specified in section 3313), the Secretary shall, subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, carry out a program under which colleges and universities can, voluntarily, enter into an agreement with the Secretary to cover a portion of those established charges not otherwise covered under subsections (c)(1)(A), (e)(2)(A), and (f)(2)(A) of section 3313 of this title, which contributions shall be matched by equivalent contributions toward such costs by the Secretary. (2) Limitation The program carried out under paragraph (1) shall only apply to covered individuals described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (9) of section 3311(b) of this title. .