Congress 115 - HR 3218 - Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017

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Administrative remedies Armed Forces and National Security 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

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Summary

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).

Actions

Aug 16, 2017

Became Public Law No: 115-48.
Aug 16, 2017

Signed by President.
Aug 7, 2017

Presented to President.
Aug 3, 2017

Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Aug 2, 2017

Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S4716)
Aug 2, 2017

Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S4716)
Jul 26, 2017

Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
Jul 25, 2017

Received in the Senate, read twice.
Jul 24, 2017

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Jul 24, 2017

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)
Jul 24, 2017

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)
Jul 24, 2017

Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H6197-6198)
Jul 24, 2017

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.
Jul 24, 2017

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3218.
Jul 24, 2017

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H6158-6170)
Jul 24, 2017

Mr. Roe (TN) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Jul 24, 2017

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 179.
Jul 24, 2017

Committee on Armed Services discharged.
Jul 24, 2017

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 115-247, Part I.
Jul 19, 2017

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Jul 19, 2017

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Jul 17, 2017

Committee Hearings Held.
Jul 13, 2017

Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
Jul 13, 2017

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.
Jul 13, 2017

Introduced in House

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