H.R. 7939: Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act of 2022

Bill · 117th Congress (2021–2022). Became law, 5 Jan 2023 · Public Law 117-333. Introduced 3 Jun 2022.

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.

Vote results

House, 22 Dec 2022: Passed, 380 Yea, 35 Nay, 0 Present, 15 Not voting. The House’s roll call
Senate, 20 Dec 2022: agreed to by unanimous consent; the record lists no member’s position. In the record’s 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: Signed 5 Jan 2023 · Public Law 117-333

How each member voted

White House

Signed (1): Joseph Biden (D, President).

Not in office (1): Donald Trump (R, President).

Senate

Agreed to by unanimous consent: the record lists no member’s position.

House

Yea (380): Harold Rogers (R-KY-5); Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ-4); Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD-5); Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-9); Peter A. DeFazio (D-OR-4); Fred Upton (R-MI-6); Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-6); Richard E. Neal (D-MA-1); Jim Cooper (D-TN-5); Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT-3); Maxine Waters (D-CA-43); Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10); Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-2); Ken Calvert (R-CA-42); James E. Clyburn (D-SC-6); Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA-18); Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX-30); Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY-12); Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA-40); Bobby L. Rush (D-IL-1); Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA-3); Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY-7); Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS-2); Frank D. Lucas (R-OK-3); Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-35); Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX-18); Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19); Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3); Steve Chabot (R-OH-1); Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL-4); Kevin Brady (R-TX-8); Danny K. Davis (D-IL-7); Diana DeGette (D-CO-1); Kay Granger (R-TX-12); Ron Kind (D-WI-3); James P. McGovern (D-MA-2); Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-9); Brad Sherman (D-CA-30); Adam Smith (D-WA-9); Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY-5); Barbara Lee (D-CA-13); John B. Larson (D-CT-1); Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA-32); Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL-9); Michael K. Simpson (R-ID-2); Mike Thompson (D-CA-5); Pete Sessions (R-TX-17); Sam Graves (R-MO-6); James R. Langevin (D-RI-2); Rick Larsen (D-WA-2); Betty McCollum (D-MN-4); Adam B. Schiff (D-CA-28); Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA-8); Joe Wilson (R-SC-2); John R. Carter (R-TX-31); Tom Cole (R-OK-4); Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-25); Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ-3); Mike Rogers (R-AL-3); C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD-2); Tim Ryan (D-OH-13); David Scott (D-GA-13); Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA-38); Michael R. Turner (R-OH-10); Darrell Issa (R-CA-50); Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-5); Jim Costa (D-CA-16); Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28); Virginia Foxx (R-NC-5); Al Green (D-TX-9); Brian Higgins (D-NY-26); Michael T. McCaul (R-TX-10); Patrick T. McHenry (R-NC-10); Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-5); Gwen Moore (D-WI-4); Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-23); Doris O. Matsui (D-CA-6); Albio Sires (D-NJ-8); Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL-12); Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16); Kathy Castor (D-FL-14); Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY-9); Steve Cohen (D-TN-9); Joe Courtney (D-CT-2); Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA-4); Jim Jordan (R-OH-4); Doug Lamborn (R-CO-5); Jerry McNerney (D-CA-9); Ed Perlmutter (D-CO-7); John P. Sarbanes (D-MD-3); Adrian Smith (R-NE-3); Peter Welch (D-VT-AL); Robert E. Latta (R-OH-5); Robert J. Wittman (R-VA-1); André Carson (D-IN-7); Steve Scalise (R-LA-1); Tim Walberg (R-MI-7); Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA-11); Brett Guthrie (R-KY-2); James A. Himes (D-CT-4); Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO-3); Tom McClintock (R-CA-4); Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1); Bill Posey (R-FL-8); Glenn Thompson (R-PA-15); Paul Tonko (D-NY-20); Kurt Schrader (D-OR-5); Mike Quigley (D-IL-5); Judy Chu (D-CA-27); John Garamendi (D-CA-3); Bill Foster (D-IL-11); Larry Bucshon (R-IN-8); David N. Cicilline (D-RI-1); Eric A. "Rick" Crawford (R-AR-1); Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-4); Jeff Duncan (R-SC-3); Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann (R-TN-3); H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA-9); Bill Huizenga (R-MI-2); Bill Johnson (R-OH-6); William R. Keating (D-MA-9); Mike Kelly (R-PA-16); Billy Long (R-MO-7); Steven M. Palazzo (R-MS-4); David Schweikert (R-AZ-6); Austin Scott (R-GA-8); Terri A. Sewell (D-AL-7); Daniel Webster (R-FL-11); Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL-24); Steve Womack (R-AR-3); Dina Titus (D-NV-1); Kweisi Mfume (D-MD-7); Mark E. Amodei (R-NV-2); Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1); Suzan K. DelBene (D-WA-1); Thomas Massie (R-KY-4); Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ-10); Andy Barr (R-KY-6); Joyce Beatty (D-OH-3); Ami Bera (D-CA-7); Julia Brownley (D-CA-26); Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17); Matt Cartwright (D-PA-8); Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20); Tony Cárdenas (D-CA-29); Rodney Davis (R-IL-13); Lois Frankel (D-FL-21); Richard Hudson (R-NC-8); Jared Huffman (D-CA-2); Hakeem S. Jeffries (D-NY-8); David P. Joyce (R-OH-14); Daniel T. Kildee (D-MI-5); Derek Kilmer (D-WA-6); Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ-2); Ann M. Kuster (D-NH-2); Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-1); Alan S. Lowenthal (D-CA-47); Grace Meng (D-NY-6); Markwayne Mullin (R-OK-2); Scott H. Peters (D-CA-52); Mark Pocan (D-WI-2); Tom Rice (R-SC-7); Raul Ruiz (D-CA-36); Chris Stewart (R-UT-2); Eric Swalwell (D-CA-15); Mark Takano (D-CA-41); Juan Vargas (D-CA-51); Marc A. Veasey (D-TX-33); Ann Wagner (R-MO-2); Brad R. Wenstrup (R-OH-2); Robin L. Kelly (D-IL-2); Jason Smith (R-MO-8); Katherine M. Clark (D-MA-5); Alma S. Adams (D-NC-12); Donald Norcross (D-NJ-1); Pete Aguilar (D-CA-31); Rick W. Allen (R-GA-12); Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (D-VA-8); Mike Bost (R-IL-12); Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA-2); Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-GA-1); Ed Case (D-HI-1); Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-11); Debbie Dingell (D-MI-12); Tom Emmer (R-MN-6); Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-7); Garret Graves (R-LA-6); Glenn Grothman (R-WI-6); Jody B. Hice (R-GA-10); J. French Hill (R-AR-2); John Katko (R-NY-24); Brenda L. Lawrence (D-MI-14); Ted Lieu (D-CA-33); John R. Moolenaar (R-MI-4); Alexander X. Mooney (R-WV-2); Seth Moulton (D-MA-6); Dan Newhouse (R-WA-4); Kathleen M. Rice (D-NY-4); David Rouzer (R-NC-7); Elise M. Stefanik (R-NY-21); Norma J. Torres (D-CA-35); Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12); Bruce Westerman (R-AR-4); Lee M. Zeldin (R-NY-1); Bradley Scott Schneider (D-IL-10); David G. Valadao (R-CA-21); Trent Kelly (R-MS-1); Darin LaHood (R-IL-18); Warren Davidson (R-OH-8); James Comer (R-KY-1); Dwight Evans (D-PA-3); Don Bacon (R-NE-2); Jim Banks (R-IN-3); Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA-44); Jack Bergman (R-MI-1); Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE-AL); Anthony G. Brown (D-MD-4); Ted Budd (R-NC-13); Salud O. Carbajal (D-CA-24); J. Luis Correa (D-CA-46); Val Butler Demings (D-FL-10); Neal P. Dunn (R-FL-2); Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13); Brian K. Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1); Matt Gaetz (R-FL-1); Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-15); Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5); Clay Higgins (R-LA-3); Steven Horsford (D-NV-4); Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7); Ro Khanna (D-CA-17); Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-8); David Kustoff (R-TN-8); Al Lawson, Jr. (D-FL-5); Brian J. Mast (R-FL-18); Stephanie N. Murphy (D-FL-7); Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ-1); Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20); Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8); John H. Rutherford (R-FL-4); Lloyd Smucker (R-PA-11); Darren Soto (D-FL-9); Thomas R. Suozzi (D-NY-3); Ron Estes (R-KS-4); Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34); John R. Curtis (R-UT-3); Conor Lamb (D-PA-17); Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-8); Michael Cloud (R-TX-27); Troy Balderson (R-OH-12); Joseph D. Morelle (D-NY-25); Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-5); Susan Wild (D-PA-7); Colin Z. Allred (D-TX-32); Kelly Armstrong (R-ND-AL); Cynthia Axne (D-IA-3); James R. Baird (R-IN-4); Tim Burchett (R-TN-2); Sean Casten (D-IL-6); Ben Cline (R-VA-6); Angie Craig (D-MN-2); Dan Crenshaw (R-TX-2); Jason Crow (D-CO-6); Sharice Davids (D-KS-3); Madeleine Dean (D-PA-4); Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16); Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX-7); Russ Fulcher (R-ID-1); Sylvia R. Garcia (D-TX-29); Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL-4); Jared F. Golden (D-ME-2); Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH-16); Mark E. Green (R-TN-7); Michael Guest (R-MS-3); Josh Harder (D-CA-10); Jahana Hayes (D-CT-5); Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6); Dusty Johnson (R-SD-AL); John Joyce (R-PA-13); Andy Kim (D-NJ-3); Susie Lee (D-NV-3); Andy Levin (D-MI-9); Mike Levin (D-CA-49); Elaine G. Luria (D-VA-2); Tom Malinowski (D-NJ-7); Lucy McBath (D-GA-6); Daniel Meuser (R-PA-9); Carol D. Miller (R-WV-3); Joe Neguse (D-CO-2); Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14); Ilhan Omar (D-MN-5); Chris Pappas (D-NH-1); Dean Phillips (D-MN-3); Katie Porter (D-CA-45); Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-7); Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA-14); John W. Rose (R-TN-6); Kim Schrier (D-WA-8); Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11); Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-8); Abigail Davis Spanberger (D-VA-7); Greg Stanton (D-AZ-9); Pete Stauber (R-MN-8); Bryan Steil (R-WI-1); Haley M. Stevens (D-MI-11); William R. Timmons IV (R-SC-4); Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13); Lori Trahan (D-MA-3); David J. Trone (D-MD-6); Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14); Michael Waltz (R-FL-6); Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10); Claudia Tenney (R-NY-22); Fred Keller (R-PA-12); Gregory F. Murphy (R-NC-3); Mike Garcia (R-CA-25); Chris Jacobs (R-NY-27); Jake Auchincloss (D-MA-4); Cliff Bentz (R-OR-2); Stephanie I. Bice (R-OK-5); Lauren Boebert (R-CO-3); Carolyn Bourdeaux (D-GA-7); Jamaal Bowman (D-NY-16); Cori Bush (D-MO-1); Kat Cammack (R-FL-3); Jerry L. Carl (R-AL-1); Madison Cawthorn (R-NC-11); Byron Donalds (R-FL-19); Randy Feenstra (R-IA-4); Michelle Fischbach (R-MN-7); Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI-5); Scott Franklin (R-FL-15); Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY-2); Carlos A. Gimenez (R-FL-26); Tony Gonzales (R-TX-23); Bob Good (R-VA-5); Yvette Herrell (R-NM-2); Ashley Hinson (R-IA-1); Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53); Mondaire Jones (D-NY-17); Kaiali’i Kahele (D-HI-2); Young Kim (R-CA-39); Jake LaTurner (R-KS-2); Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM-3); Nancy Mace (R-SC-1); Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11); Tracey Mann (R-KS-1); Kathy E. Manning (D-NC-6); Peter Meijer (R-MI-3); Mary E. Miller (R-IL-15); Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-2); Blake D. Moore (R-UT-1); Frank J. Mrvan (D-IN-1); Marie Newman (D-IL-3); Jay Obernolte (R-CA-8); Burgess Owens (R-UT-4); August Pfluger (R-TX-11); Deborah K. Ross (D-NC-2); Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27); Victoria Spartz (R-IN-5); Michelle Steel (R-CA-48); Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10); Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15); Nikema Williams (D-GA-5); Julia Letlow (R-LA-5); Troy A. Carter (D-LA-2); Melanie A. Stansbury (D-NM-1); Jake Ellzey (R-TX-6); Shontel M. Brown (D-OH-11); Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20); Connie Conway (R-CA-22); Mayra Flores (R-TX-34); Mike Flood (R-NE-1); Brad Finstad (R-MN-1); Mary Sattler Peltola (D-AK-AL); Patrick Ryan (D-NY-19); Joseph Sempolinski (R-NY-23); Rudy Yakym III (R-IN-2); Michael F. Doyle (D-PA-18); G. K. Butterfield (D-NC-1).

Nay (35): Michael C. Burgess (R-TX-26); Louie Gohmert (R-TX-1); Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-23); Mo Brooks (R-AL-5); Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ-4); Andy Harris (R-MD-1); Vicky Hartzler (R-MO-4); Scott Perry (R-PA-10); Randy K. Weber, Sr. (R-TX-14); Brian Babin (R-TX-36); Barry Loudermilk (R-GA-11); Gary J. Palmer (R-AL-6); Jodey C. Arrington (R-TX-19); Andy Biggs (R-AZ-5); A. Drew Ferguson IV (R-GA-3); Mike Johnson (R-LA-4); Ralph Norman (R-SC-5); Lance Gooden (R-TX-5); Greg Pence (R-IN-6); Chip Roy (R-TX-21); Van Taylor (R-TX-3); Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ-2); Dan Bishop (R-NC-9); Thomas P. Tiffany (R-WI-7); Andrew S. Clyde (R-GA-9); Pat Fallon (R-TX-4); Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14); Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-1); Ronny Jackson (R-TX-13); Lisa C. McClain (R-MI-10); Barry Moore (R-AL-2); Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22); Matthew M. Rosendale, Sr. (R-MT-AL); Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24); Mike Carey (R-OH-15).

Not voting (15): David E. Price (D-NC-4); John A. Yarmuth (D-KY-3); Jackie Speier (D-CA-14); Bob Gibbs (R-OH-7); Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA-3); Adam Kinzinger (R-IL-16); David B. McKinley (R-WV-1); Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY-18); Roger Williams (R-TX-25); Ken Buck (R-CO-4); Liz Cheney (R-WY-AL); Mike Gallagher (R-WI-8); Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN-9); Kevin Hern (R-OK-1); W. Gregory Steube (R-FL-17).

Speaker, not listed (1): Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12).

Not in office (18): Karen Bass (D-CA-37); Don Young (R-AK-AL); Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL-20); Devin Nunes (R-CA-22); Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE-1); Theodore E. Deutch (D-FL-22); Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH-11); Tom Reed (R-NY-23); Steve Stivers (R-OH-15); Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA-2); Jackie Walorski (R-IN-2); Filemon Vela (D-TX-34); A. Donald McEachin (D-VA-4); Charlie Crist (D-FL-13); Antonio Delgado (D-NY-19); Jim Hagedorn (R-MN-1); Debra A. Haaland (D-NM-1); Ron Wright (R-TX-6).

Summary

Main subject: 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. Sec. 2, Sec. 3, Sec. 11, Sec. 17, Sec. 21

Its 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.

Unexpected Items: 3 provisions

These provisions fall outside the bill’s main subject or apply narrowly. This describes the text; it is not a judgment.

Not related to the bill’s main subject (2)

Sec. 14: Expansion of eligibility for self-employment assistance under veteran readiness and employment program: 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.
Sec. 16: Extension of certain limits on payments of pension: Changes the end date of certain limits on payments of pension from October 30, 2028 to November 30, 2031.

Exception or delay for a subset (1)

Sec. 13: Exception to requirement to submit verification of enrollment of certain individuals: 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.

What it does

Sec. 2: 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.
Sec. 3: 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.
Sec. 11: 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.
Sec. 9: 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.
Sec. 17: 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.
Sec. 21: 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.

Written automatically from the official text by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model. Written 15 Oct 2026 and published after the automatic checks, without a person reading it first. Every line names the section it came from.

Changed after House passage

Compares the bill as passed by the House, 14 Sep 2022, with the final text passed by both chambers. About 96% of the wording the House passed stands in the final text.

Removed before the final vote (1)

Sec. 16: Department of Veterans Affairs loan fees: 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".

Added after House passage (3)

Sec. 16: Extension of certain limits on payments of pension: Amends section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, by striking "October 30, 2028" and inserting "November 30, 2031".
Sec. 20: Provision of nonarticulating trailers as adaptive equipment: 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.
Sec. 21: Eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs provision of additional automobile or other conveyance: 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.