Aumua and HVAC Mark-Up Landmark G.I. Bill

Washington, D.C. –Friday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata, and the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs passed a series of bills out of mark-up yesterday including H.R. 3218, The Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017. H.R. 3218 will make several improvements for veteran and service member education covered under the G.I. Bill.

"I am very proud of this fact, and repeat it every chance I get…that my home district of American Samoa has the highest rate of recruitment in the nation," stated Amata. "One of the main influences that draws our young people to the recruiting station in Pago Pago is the G.I. Bill incentive. For many years now, the young people of American Samoa have utilized the G.I. Bill to gain access to a higher education upon completion of their service to the nation. Many have gone on to do great things with those degrees, and I am excited to see this historic program expanded and improved," she continued.

Major Provisions of the Bill would:

• Remove time restrictions to use the GI Bill for future eligible recipients. This would allow them able to use their GI bill benefits for their entire life as opposed to the current 15-year timeline. Eligible recipients would be service members, veterans and surviving spouses and children;
• Provide significant increases in GI Bill funding for Reservists and Guardsmen, dependents, surviving spouses, and surviving dependents;
• Provide 100% GI Bill eligibility to Post 9/11 Purple Heart recipients;
• Provide GI Bill eligibility to Reservists and Guardsmen who are currently being put on active duty and convalescent medical leave orders that do not currently accrue GI Bill eligibility;
• Provide an extra academic year's worth of Post 9/11 benefits for over 3,300 veterans (per year) to help them finish a STEM degree;
• Create a pilot program that would pay for veterans to take certain high technology courses (coding boot camps, IT certifications etc.) and would also provide living stipends to veterans;
• Make it easier and cheaper for veterans to use their GI bill to take national tests or tests that lead to a license or credential;
• Restore eligibility for service members whose school closes in the middle of a semester (ex. ITT Tech and Corinthian); and
• Authorize funding for IT improvements to ensure that GI Bill claims are processed quickly and accurately.

"I want to thank Committee Chairman Phil Roe and Ranking Member Tim Walz for their work on H.R. 3218, and I also want to applaud all the members whose provisions have been included in this landmark legislation. This legislation is the result of a lot of hard work on both sides of the aisle, and I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bipartisan bill," concluded Amata.

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