An act to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a tiger team dedicated to addressing the difficulties encountered by the Department of Veterans Affairs in carrying out section 3313 of title 38, United States Code, after the enactment of sections 107 and 501 of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017
PL 115-422 (S.3777), enacted 01/03/2019

132 STAT. 5450 
PUBLIC LAW 115–422—JAN. 3, 2019 
Public Law 115–422 
115th Congress 
An Act 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a tiger team dedicated 
to addressing the difficulties encountered by the Department of Veterans Affairs 
in carrying out section 3313 of title 38, United States Code, after the enactment 
of sections 107 and 501 of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance 
Act of 2017. 
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 ‘‘Forever GI Bill Housing Payment 
Fulfillment Act of 2018’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) On August 16, 2017, the Harry W. Colmery Veterans 
Educational Assistance Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–48) (known 
by some as the ‘‘Forever GI Bill’’) was enacted into law. 
(2) Such Act makes certain improvements to the Post- 
9/11 Educational Assistance program for veterans, including 
improvements relating to how the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
calculates the amount of payments for monthly housing sti-
pends under that program. 
(3) Section 107 of such Act (Public Law 115–48; 33 U.S.C. 
3313 note) requires the Secretary to calculate the amount of 
payments for monthly housing stipends based on the location 
of the campus of the institution of higher learning where the 
individual attends classes, a change from the previous direction 
to make such calculation based on the location of the institution 
of higher learning. 
(4) Section 501 of such Act (Public Law 115–48; 37 U.S.C. 
403 note) repeals the inapplicability of a modification of the 
basic allowance for housing for members of the uniformed serv-
ices to benefits administered by the Department of Veterans 
Affairs. 
(5) The amendments made by section 107 and 501 of such 
Act became effective on August 1, 2018, and January 1, 2018, 
respectively. 
(6) Representatives of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
have stated that the Department will not be able to determine 
proper payment amounts based on the amendment made by 
section 107 of such Act until December 1, 2019. 
(7) Representatives of the Department have also stated 
that outdated information technology systems have stymied 
efforts to update necessary information that enable proper 
Forever GI Bill 
Housing 
Payment 
Fulfillment Act 
of 2018. 
Jan. 3, 2019 
[S. 3777] 
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132 STAT. 5451 
PUBLIC LAW 115–422—JAN. 3, 2019 
housing payments as required by the provisions of law amended 
by sections 107 and 501 of such Act. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) as soon as possible, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
should end the making of improper payment amounts for 
monthly stipends under section 3313 of title 38, United States 
Code; 
(2) by January 1, 2020, the Secretary should make whole 
the individuals entitled to payments of monthly stipends under 
section 3313 of title 38, United States Code, who have been 
underpaid as a result of the difficulties encountered by the 
Department of Veterans Affairs in carrying out such section 
after the enactment of sections 107 and 501 of the Harry 
W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 
(Public Law 115–48); and 
(3) no individuals entitled to payments of monthly stipend 
under section 3313 of title 38, United States Code, who have 
been overpaid as a result of the difficulties encountered by 
the Department in carrying out such section after the enact-
ment of sections 107 and 501 of such Act should have overpay-
ments recuperated by the Department. 
SEC. 3. TIGER TEAM FOR HOUSING STIPENDS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than one day after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall establish a tiger team (in this section referred to as the 
‘‘Tiger Team’’) dedicated to addressing the difficulties encountered 
by the Department of Veterans Affairs in carrying out section 
3313 of title 38, United States Code, after the enactment of sections 
107 and 501 of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assist-
ance Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–48; 38 U.S.C. 3313 note and 
37 U.S.C. 403 note). 
(b) COMPOSITION.—Not later than 15 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress 
the names and titles of the employees of the Department who 
compose the Tiger Team established under subsection (a), including 
the name and title of the senior-level employee of the Department 
who serves as the lead accountable official of the Tiger Team. 
(c) DUTIES.— 
(1) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Tiger Team shall 
submit to Congress the following: 
(A) A plan describing the following: 
(i) How the Secretary will obtain the information 
necessary to determine the correct payment amounts 
for monthly stipends under section 3313 of title 38, 
United States Code, made after the enactment of sec-
tions 107 and 501 of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans 
Educational Assistance Act of 2017 (Public Law 115– 
48; 38 U.S.C. 3313 note and 37 U.S.C. 403 note), from 
officials responsible for the certification of payments 
of monthly stipends made under section 3313 of such 
title. 
(ii) How the Secretary will modify the relevant 
information technology systems of the Department to 
correct the payment amounts for monthly stipends 
Plan. 
Deadline. 
Deadline. 
Deadline. 
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132 STAT. 5452 
PUBLIC LAW 115–422—JAN. 3, 2019 
under section 3313 of such title made after the enact-
ment of sections 107 and 501 of such Act (Public Law 
115–48; 38 U.S.C. 3313 note and 37 U.S.C. 403 note) 
that were deficient. 
(iii) How the Secretary will identify all of the 
individuals who received payments of monthly stipends 
under section 3313 of such title that were not in compli-
ance with such section, after the enactment of sections 
107 and 501 of such Act (Public Law 115–48; 38 U.S.C. 
3313 note and 37 U.S.C. 403 note). 
(iv) How the Secretary will notify the individuals 
described in clause (iii). 
(v) The procedures the Secretary will use to correct 
the payments of monthly stipends under section 3313 
of such title that were deficient as a result of the 
difficulties encountered by the Department of Veterans 
Affairs in carrying out such section after the enactment 
of sections 107 and 501 of such Act (Public Law 115– 
48; 38 U.S.C. 3313 note and 37 U.S.C. 403 note). 
(B) A complete timeline for the implementation of the 
plan described in subparagraph (A). 
(C) Any additional funding and personnel requirements 
necessary to support the implementation of the plan 
described in subparagraph (A), including any such require-
ments as may be necessary for staffing increases or relevant 
improvements to the information technology infrastructure 
of the Department. 
(2) IMPLEMENTATION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall implement the 
plan submitted under paragraph (1)(A). 
(B) PERIODIC UPDATES.—Not less frequently than once 
every 90 days after submission of the items under para-
graph (1), the Tiger Team shall submit to Congress an 
update on the implementation of the plan described in 
subparagraph (A) of such paragraph. 
(3) FINAL REPORT.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than July 1, 2020, the 
Tiger Team shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a final report on the activities and findings 
of the Tiger Team. 
(B) CONTENTS.—The report required by subparagraph 
(A) shall include the following: 
(i) The number of individuals who were affected 
by payments of monthly stipends under section 3313 
of title 38, United States Code, that were not in compli-
ance with such section after the enactment of sections 
107 and 501 of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Edu-
cational Assistance Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–48; 
38 U.S.C. 3313 note and 37 U.S.C. 403 note). 
(ii) The number of individuals described in clause 
(i) who received deficient payments as a result of the 
difficulties encountered by the Department in carrying 
out section 3313 of such title after the enactment of 
sections 107 and 501 of such Act (Public Law 115– 
48; 38 U.S.C. 3313 note and 37 U.S.C. 403 note), and 
the total amount of the deficiency for each individual, 
disaggregated by State. 
Deadlines. 
Timeline. 
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132 STAT. 5453 
PUBLIC LAW 115–422—JAN. 3, 2019 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 3777: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 164 (2018): 
Dec. 18, considered and passed Senate. 
Dec. 20, considered and passed House. 
(iii) The number of individuals described in clause 
(ii) who have not received the amount of monthly sti-
pend to which such individuals are entitled under sec-
tion 3313 of such title and an explanation of why 
such individuals have not received such amounts. 
(iv) A certification of whether the Department is 
fully compliant with sections 107 and 501 of such Act 
(Public Law 115–48; 38 U.S.C. 3313 note and 37 U.S.C. 
403 note). 
(C) 
APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMITTEES 
DEFINED.—In this paragraph, the term ‘‘appropriate 
congressional committees’’ means the following: 
(i) The Subcommittee on Military Construction and 
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of the Com-
mittee on Appropriations and the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs of the Senate. 
(ii) The Subcommittee on Military Construction 
and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of the Com-
mittee on Appropriations and the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives. 
(d) TERMINATION.—On the date that is 60 days after the date 
on which the Tiger Team submits the final report required by 
subsection (c)(3), the Secretary shall terminate the Tiger Team 
established under subsection (a). 
Approved January 3, 2019. 
Certification. 
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