{"format":1,"id":"117-hr-7939","congress":117,"number":"H.R. 7939","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act of 2022","title_source":"Short Titles as Enacted","official_title":"To make permanent certain educational assistance benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in the case of changes to courses of education by reason of emergency situations, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"To make permanent certain educational assistance benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in the case of changes to courses of education by reason of emergency situations, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Short Title(s) from Engrossed Amendment Senate bill text","title":"Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text","title":"Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Titles for portions of this bill from ENR (Enrolled) bill text","title":"Sgt. Wolf Kyle Weninger Veterans Education Fairness Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Title(s) from Engrossed Amendment Senate for portions of this bill","title":"Sgt. Wolf Kyle Weninger Veterans Education Fairness Act of 2022"},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Titles as Enacted","title":"Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Titles as Enacted for portions of this bill","title":"Sgt. Wolf Kyle Weninger Veterans Education Fairness Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Titles as Passed Senate","title":"Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Titles as Passed Senate for portions of this bill","title":"Sgt. Wolf Kyle Weninger Veterans Education Fairness Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"Student Veteran Emergency Relief Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Student Veteran Emergency Relief Act of 2022"}],"outcome":"became_law","law_number":"Public Law 117-333","introduced":"2022-06-03","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2022-12-22","vote":{"id":"117-2022-h546","question":"On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Concur in the Senate Amendment","title":"Student Veteran Emergency Relief Act","result":"Passed","yea":380,"nay":35,"present":0,"not_voting":15,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2022/roll546.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"voice","date":"2022-12-20","vote":null,"how":"unanimous_consent","words":"Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S9643-9649)"}},"president":{"status":"signed","date":"2023-01-05"},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Became Public Law No: 117-333.","date":"2023-01-05"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[],"crs_summary":{"date":"2023-01-05","stage":"Public Law","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act of 2022"},{"k":"p","t":"This act modifies provisions related to programs and benefits for veterans, including by providing permanent authority for the application of certain flexibilities to assist veterans with their educational assistance benefits during emergency situations. An emergency situation is defined as a situation that the President declares as an emergency and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) determines is an emergency for purposes of the laws it administers."},{"k":"p","t":"Specifically, the act extends certain program adjustments that were implemented during the COVID-19 emergency (including adjustments made in the Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020) to other emergency situations that may arise and have an effect on veterans and their educational assistance benefits."},{"k":"p","t":"Among other flexibilities, the act (1) authorizes the VA to continue to provide educational assistance, including monthly housing stipends or subsistence allowances, for programs of education that have been converted to distance learning due to an emergency or health-related situation; and (2) extends the time limitation for using educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill, Post-9/11 GI Bill, or vocational rehabilitation program when institutions are closed due to an emergency situation or executive order."},{"k":"p","t":"Due to an emergency situation, the VA is authorized to"},{"k":"li","t":"extend by two months the payment of vocational rehabilitation subsistence allowances,","d":1},{"k":"li","t":"continue paying work-study allowances and extend work-study agreements, and","d":1},{"k":"li","t":"continue paying educational assistance and subsistence allowances for a specified amount of time for programs of education that are suspended or closed.","d":1},{"k":"p","t":"This act also adjusts the administration of certain benefits for veterans participating in an apprenticeship or other on-job training during an emergency situation, including by proportionately reducing the 120-hour monthly training requirement to reflect an individual's period of unemployment without a reduction in training assistance."},{"k":"p","t":"An educational assistance payment shall not be charged against an individual's entitlement to educational assistance if an individual was unable to complete a course or program due to the temporary closure of an educational institution or the temporary termination of a program by reason of an emergency situation."},{"k":"p","t":"The act provides the requirements that must be met for a study-abroad course to be approved for purposes of VA educational assistance."},{"k":"p","t":"The act provides eligibility for Post-9/11 GI Bill educational assistance for individuals, including officers, who are discharged or released from active duty with a sole survivorship discharge following at least 30 continuous days on qualifying active duty after September 10, 2001."},{"k":"p","t":"The VA must partner with state approving agencies, educational institutions, and training establishments to require the use of a uniform application for the VA's course approval process. The uniform application must be developed by October 1, 2023, and be required for the approval of any new course of education proposed on or after that day."},{"k":"p","t":"The act provides notice requirements for VA education surveys. Specifically, the VA or a state approving agency must provide not more than one business day of notice to an educational institution before conducting a targeted risk-based survey. The VA or state approving agency must provide not more than 10 business days of notice to an educational institution or training establishment before conducting a compliance survey."},{"k":"p","t":"Under the act, educational institutions are excepted from the requirement to verify the enrollment of certain individuals who are receiving VA educational assistance (e.g., individuals who are enrolled in a program on at least a full-time basis before they are able to withdraw from the course without penalty)."},{"k":"p","t":"The act expands eligibility for self-employment assistance under the Veteran Readiness and Employment Program to include certain veterans who have a service-connected disability or employment handicap in addition to those with the most severe service-connected disabilities."},{"k":"p","t":"The VA must report on possible definitions for student services, marketing, and classroom instruction for purposes of VA educational assistance."},{"k":"p","t":"The act extends through November 30, 2031, certain limitations on pension payments to veterans who have no dependents and are being furnished domiciliary care by the VA."},{"k":"p","t":"The act authorizes a servicemember to terminate specified contracts (e.g., contracts for commercial mobile service or internet service) that are entered into in relation to military orders for a permanent change of station if the member then receives a stop movement order in response to a local, national, or global emergency which prevents the member from using the services provided under the contract."},{"k":"p","t":"The act provides that a spouse of a servicemember may retain their personal residence or domicile for purposes of taxation. Under the act, a servicemember and the spouse of the member are authorized to elect to use the following locations for purposes of taxation:"},{"k":"li","t":"the residence or domicile of the member,","d":1},{"k":"li","t":"the residence or domicile of the spouse, or","d":1},{"k":"li","t":"the permanent duty station of the member.","d":1},{"k":"p","t":"The act provides for the portability of professional licenses of servicemembers and their spouses who are relocated, because of military orders, outside of the jurisdiction that issued the license."},{"k":"p","t":"The act authorizes the VA to provide non-articulating trailers (adaptive equipment) to veterans with specified disabilities or diseases incurred or aggravated due to their military service."},{"k":"p","t":"The act authorizes the VA to provide (or assist in providing) an eligible veteran or servicemember with an additional automobile or other conveyance under the VA automobile allowance and adaptive equipment program if (1) more than 30 years have elapsed since the person last received such benefit; or (2) beginning 10 years after the date of this act, if more than 10 years have elapsed since the person last received such benefit."},{"k":"p","t":"Finally, the act includes certain vehicle modifications (e.g., van lifts) under the definition of medical services for VA health care purposes."}],"words":928},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Amends veterans' education, vocational rehabilitation and automobile benefit laws in title 38, United States Code, including permanent rules for educational assistance during emergency situations, and amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text/enr#toc-H2F2E91D6673041D4A2AB6501E943B454:~:text=2.%20Educational%20assistance%20benefits%20during%20emergency%20situations"},{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text/enr#toc-H941FE8759BA24F05B25FAD7BC6492EB7:~:text=3.%20Extension%20of%20time%20limitations%20for%20use"},{"label":"Sec. 11","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text/enr#toc-H2611724222EC4DAB8394F791D5A9003C:~:text=11.%20Uniform%20application%20for%20Department%20of%20Veterans"},{"label":"Sec. 17","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text/enr#toc-HB039B827A02A493581929DFEA601E20C:~:text=17.%20Termination%20of%20certain%20consumer%20contracts%20by"},{"label":"Sec. 21","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text/enr#toc-H64211DBB09024C6FA0E5E40BE9204A42:~:text=21.%20Eligibility%20for%20Department%20of%20Veterans%20Affairs"}]},"core_areas":["Educational assistance benefits during emergency situations","Time limits for using education and vocational rehabilitation entitlement","Approval and oversight of VA education courses","Servicemember and spouse protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act","VA automobile, adaptive equipment and vehicle modification benefits"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Adds a new subchapter to chapter 36 of title 38 that lets the Secretary of Veterans Affairs continue educational assistance, housing stipends and subsistence allowances for up to four weeks when an individual is negatively affected by an emergency situation the President declares and the Secretary determines is an emergency.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text/enr#toc-H2F2E91D6673041D4A2AB6501E943B454:~:text=2.%20Educational%20assistance%20benefits%20during%20emergency%20situations"}},{"text":"Stops the running of certain time limits for using Montgomery GI Bill, Post-9/11 and vocational rehabilitation benefits while an individual is prevented from pursuing a program because of an emergency situation or an institution's closure under an Executive order.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text/enr#toc-H941FE8759BA24F05B25FAD7BC6492EB7:~:text=3.%20Extension%20of%20time%20limitations%20for%20use"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary, with State approving agencies, educational institutions and training establishments, to require a uniform application for approval of a new course of education, to be developed by October 1, 2023.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 11","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text/enr#toc-H2611724222EC4DAB8394F791D5A9003C:~:text=11.%20Uniform%20application%20for%20Department%20of%20Veterans"}},{"text":"Allows the Secretary to approve a covered study-abroad course for up to five years if the written agreement meets stated conditions, including that the offering institution assumes responsibility for the course's quality and content.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 9","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text/enr#toc-H443DDCF3831A4827ACB2D6CF97AB24DA:~:text=9.%20Department%20of%20Veterans%20Affairs%20approval%20of"}},{"text":"Allows a servicemember to terminate a contract for commercial mobile service, telephone exchange service, internet access service, multichannel video programming service, a gym membership or fitness program, or home security services after receiving certain orders, including a stop movement order issued in response to an emergency.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 17","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text/enr#toc-HB039B827A02A493581929DFEA601E20C:~:text=17.%20Termination%20of%20certain%20consumer%20contracts%20by"}},{"text":"Allows the Secretary to provide an additional automobile or other conveyance if more than 30 years have passed since the person last received one, and from 10 years after enactment if more than 10 years have passed.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 21","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text/enr#toc-H64211DBB09024C6FA0E5E40BE9204A42:~:text=21.%20Eligibility%20for%20Department%20of%20Veterans%20Affairs"}}],"unexpected":[{"category":"off_subject","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 14","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text/enr#toc-H8B9CB876083D452F8BA758D7835DB856:~:text=14.%20Expansion%20of%20eligibility%20for%20self"},"heading":"Expansion of eligibility for self-employment assistance under veteran readiness and employment program","effect":"Rewrites the veteran readiness and employment provision to cover license fees, essential equipment, supplies, and minimum stocks of materials for a veteran to begin self-employment, and sets a priority for veterans with the most severe service-connected disabilities.","amount":null,"quote":"Such license fees and essential equipment, supplies, and minimum stocks of materials as the Secretary determines to be necessary for a veteran to begin self-employment"},{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 16","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text/enr#toc-H3F4B8405A5EA4DA098C6735053010E9A:~:text=16.%20Extension%20of%20certain%20limits%20on%20payments"},"heading":"Extension of certain limits on payments of pension","effect":"Changes the end date of certain limits on payments of pension from October 30, 2028 to November 30, 2031.","amount":null,"quote":"by striking “October 30, 2028” and inserting “November 30, 2031”","added_after":true}]},{"category":"selective_carve_out","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 13","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text/enr#toc-H7C2955F538EC47649395661ACFBF5C28:~:text=13.%20Exception%20to%20requirement%20to%20submit%20verification"},"heading":"Exception to requirement to submit verification of enrollment of certain individuals","effect":"Exempts educational institutions from submitting verification of enrollment for individuals who meet three conditions about full-time enrollment, equal tuition for full-time and more-than-full-time students, and remaining enrolled past the penalty-free withdrawal date.","amount":null,"quote":"An educational institution is not required to submit verification of an individual under paragraph (1)(A) if—"}]}],"version":{"type":"Enrolled Bill","date":null,"rule":"enrolled","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text/enr"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-15","approved_by":"checks"},"changes":{"first":{"chamber":"House","type":"Engrossed in House","date":"2022-09-14","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text/eh"},"final":{"type":"Enrolled Bill","date":null,"href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text/enr"},"kept":0.96,"replaced":false,"removed":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 16","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text/eh#toc-HB16D18E677B84406808B0CF238FFB6C3"},"heading":"Department of Veterans Affairs loan fees","effect":"Amends the loan fee table in section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, United States Code, by striking \"January 14, 2031\" each place it appears and inserting \"January 19, 2031\".","partly":null,"part":null}],"added":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 16","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text/enr#toc-H3F4B8405A5EA4DA098C6735053010E9A:~:text=16.%20Extension%20of%20certain%20limits%20on%20payments"},"heading":"Extension of certain limits on payments of pension","effect":"Amends section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, by striking \"October 30, 2028\" and inserting \"November 30, 2031\".","partly":null,"part":null},{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 20","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text/enr#toc-HC0BC3E4448BC44BDBA8211A6D6D67963:~:text=20.%20Provision%20of%20nonarticulating%20trailers%20as%20adaptive"},"heading":"Provision of nonarticulating trailers as adaptive equipment","effect":"Amends section 3901(2) of title 38, United States Code, to add nonarticulating trailers solely designed to transport powered wheelchairs, powered scooters, or other similar mobility devices to the definition of automobile or other conveyance.","partly":null,"part":null},{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 21","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text/enr#toc-H64211DBB09024C6FA0E5E40BE9204A42:~:text=21.%20Eligibility%20for%20Department%20of%20Veterans%20Affairs"},"heading":"Eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs provision of additional automobile or other conveyance","effect":"Amends section 3903(a) of title 38, United States Code, to let the Secretary provide an additional automobile or other conveyance if more than 30 years have passed since the last one, or more than 10 years after a date 10 years from enactment.","partly":null,"part":null}],"added_count":3,"approved":"2026-10-15","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7939/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/117-hr-7939.png","v":"0b9672c5294e","alt":"Votes on Record. H.R. 7939, 117th Congress: Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act of 2022. House: 380 Yea, 35 Nay. Senate: unanimous consent. Outcome: Became law, 5 Jan 2023."}}