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Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017

USA115th CongressS-1598| Senate 
| Updated: 8/2/2017
Johnny Isakson

Johnny Isakson

Republican Senator

Georgia

Cosponsors (63)
Dean Heller (Republican)Jeanne Shaheen (Democratic)Bill Cassidy (Republican)Mazie K. Hirono (Democratic)Tammy Duckworth (Democratic)Margaret Wood Hassan (Democratic)Dan Sullivan (Republican)Tom Udall (Democratic)Dianne Feinstein (Democratic)Catherine Cortez Masto (Democratic)Thomas Tillis (Republican)Edward J. Markey (Democratic)Charles E. Schumer (Democratic)Jack Reed (Democratic)Jerry Moran (Republican)Kirsten E. Gillibrand (Democratic)Elizabeth Warren (Democratic)Christopher A. Coons (Democratic)Joe Donnelly (Democratic)Mark R. Warner (Democratic)Amy Klobuchar (Democratic)Heidi Heitkamp (Democratic)James M. Inhofe (Republican)Lindsey Graham (Republican)Roger F. Wicker (Republican)John McCain (Republican)John Boozman (Republican)Roy Blunt (Republican)Robert P. Casey (Democratic)Tim Kaine (Democratic)Luther Strange (Republican)Sheldon Whitehouse (Democratic)Joe Manchin (Independent)John Thune (Republican)Mike Rounds (Republican)Chris Van Hollen (Democratic)Jon Tester (Democratic)Debbie Stabenow (Democratic)John Kennedy (Republican)Bill Nelson (Democratic)Deb Fischer (Republican)Claire McCaskill (Democratic)Martin Heinrich (Democratic)Patty Murray (Democratic)Sherrod Brown (Democratic)Pat Roberts (Republican)Al Franken (Democratic)Thad Cochran (Republican)Maria Cantwell (Democratic)Tammy Baldwin (Democratic)John Cornyn (Republican)Benjamin L. Cardin (Democratic)Robert Menendez (Democratic)Jeff Merkley (Democratic)Susan M. Collins (Republican)Chuck Grassley (Republican)Marco Rubio (Republican)Gary C. Peters (Democratic)Steve Daines (Republican)Richard Blumenthal (Democratic)Mike Crapo (Republican)Lisa Murkowski (Republican)Shelley Moore Capito (Republican)

Veterans' Affairs Committee

  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted
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 veterans success of campus program which provides veterans with on-campus educational and vocational counseling. The Department of Veterans Affairs shall: (1) 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 (2) presume such exposure unless there is affirmative evidence otherwise.

Bill Text Versions

View Text
2 versions available

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Timeline
Jul 20, 2017
Introduced in Senate
Jul 20, 2017
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Jul 26, 2017
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Aug 2, 2017
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Isakson without amendment. Without written report.
Aug 2, 2017
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 200.
Aug 16, 2017

Latest Companion Bill Action

HR 115-3218
Signed by President.
  • July 20, 2017
    Introduced in Senate


  • July 20, 2017
    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.


  • July 26, 2017
    Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.


  • August 2, 2017
    Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Isakson without amendment. Without written report.


  • August 2, 2017
    Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 200.


  • August 16, 2017

    Latest Companion Bill Action

    HR 115-3218
    Signed by President.

Armed Forces and National Security

Related Bills

  • S 115-1555: A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the administration of Post-9/11 Educational Assistance by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
  • HR 115-3218: Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017
  • HR 115-3372: To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the restoration of entitlement to educational assistance and other relief for veterans affected by school closure or disapproval, and for other purposes.
Administrative remediesAlabamaAsiaChemical and biological weaponsColoradoComputers and information technologyConflicts and warsCongressional oversightDepartment of Veterans AffairsDisability assistanceDistrict of ColumbiaEducational guidanceFloridaGovernment studies and investigationsHazardous wastes and toxic substancesHigher educationIllinoisIndiaLatin AmericaLicensing and registrationsMarylandMilitary facilities and propertyMilitary medicineMilitary personnel and dependentsMississippiMissouriNational Guard and reservesNew York StateNorth CarolinaPanamaPerformance measurementScience and engineering educationSouth CarolinaState and local government operationsStudent aid and college costsTeaching, teachers, curriculaUser charges and feesUtahVeterans' education, employment, rehabilitationVeterans' loans, housing, homeless programsVeterans' pensions and compensationVirginiaVocational and technical education

Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017

USA115th CongressS-1598| Senate 
| Updated: 8/2/2017
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 veterans success of campus program which provides veterans with on-campus educational and vocational counseling. The Department of Veterans Affairs shall: (1) 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 (2) presume such exposure unless there is affirmative evidence otherwise.

Bill Text Versions

View Text
2 versions available

Suggested Questions

Get AI-generated questions to help you understand this bill better

Timeline
Jul 20, 2017
Introduced in Senate
Jul 20, 2017
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Jul 26, 2017
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Aug 2, 2017
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Isakson without amendment. Without written report.
Aug 2, 2017
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 200.
Aug 16, 2017

Latest Companion Bill Action

HR 115-3218
Signed by President.
  • July 20, 2017
    Introduced in Senate


  • July 20, 2017
    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.


  • July 26, 2017
    Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.


  • August 2, 2017
    Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Isakson without amendment. Without written report.


  • August 2, 2017
    Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 200.


  • August 16, 2017

    Latest Companion Bill Action

    HR 115-3218
    Signed by President.
Johnny Isakson

Johnny Isakson

Republican Senator

Georgia

Cosponsors (63)
Dean Heller (Republican)Jeanne Shaheen (Democratic)Bill Cassidy (Republican)Mazie K. Hirono (Democratic)Tammy Duckworth (Democratic)Margaret Wood Hassan (Democratic)Dan Sullivan (Republican)Tom Udall (Democratic)Dianne Feinstein (Democratic)Catherine Cortez Masto (Democratic)Thomas Tillis (Republican)Edward J. Markey (Democratic)Charles E. Schumer (Democratic)Jack Reed (Democratic)Jerry Moran (Republican)Kirsten E. Gillibrand (Democratic)Elizabeth Warren (Democratic)Christopher A. Coons (Democratic)Joe Donnelly (Democratic)Mark R. Warner (Democratic)Amy Klobuchar (Democratic)Heidi Heitkamp (Democratic)James M. Inhofe (Republican)Lindsey Graham (Republican)Roger F. Wicker (Republican)John McCain (Republican)John Boozman (Republican)Roy Blunt (Republican)Robert P. Casey (Democratic)Tim Kaine (Democratic)Luther Strange (Republican)Sheldon Whitehouse (Democratic)Joe Manchin (Independent)John Thune (Republican)Mike Rounds (Republican)Chris Van Hollen (Democratic)Jon Tester (Democratic)Debbie Stabenow (Democratic)John Kennedy (Republican)Bill Nelson (Democratic)Deb Fischer (Republican)Claire McCaskill (Democratic)Martin Heinrich (Democratic)Patty Murray (Democratic)Sherrod Brown (Democratic)Pat Roberts (Republican)Al Franken (Democratic)Thad Cochran (Republican)Maria Cantwell (Democratic)Tammy Baldwin (Democratic)John Cornyn (Republican)Benjamin L. Cardin (Democratic)Robert Menendez (Democratic)Jeff Merkley (Democratic)Susan M. Collins (Republican)Chuck Grassley (Republican)Marco Rubio (Republican)Gary C. Peters (Democratic)Steve Daines (Republican)Richard Blumenthal (Democratic)Mike Crapo (Republican)Lisa Murkowski (Republican)Shelley Moore Capito (Republican)

Veterans' Affairs Committee

Armed Forces and National Security

Related Bills

  • S 115-1555: A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the administration of Post-9/11 Educational Assistance by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
  • HR 115-3218: Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017
  • HR 115-3372: To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the restoration of entitlement to educational assistance and other relief for veterans affected by school closure or disapproval, and for other purposes.
  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted
Administrative remediesAlabamaAsiaChemical and biological weaponsColoradoComputers and information technologyConflicts and warsCongressional oversightDepartment of Veterans AffairsDisability assistanceDistrict of ColumbiaEducational guidanceFloridaGovernment studies and investigationsHazardous wastes and toxic substancesHigher educationIllinoisIndiaLatin AmericaLicensing and registrationsMarylandMilitary facilities and propertyMilitary medicineMilitary personnel and dependentsMississippiMissouriNational Guard and reservesNew York StateNorth CarolinaPanamaPerformance measurementScience and engineering educationSouth CarolinaState and local government operationsStudent aid and college costsTeaching, teachers, curriculaUser charges and feesUtahVeterans' education, employment, rehabilitationVeterans' loans, housing, homeless programsVeterans' pensions and compensationVirginiaVocational and technical education