VFW Veterans’ Education Bill Passes House

Yesterday afternoon the House passed H.R. 4057, a bill designed to improve consumer protections for student-veterans who seek to utilize their Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits.

VFW leaders applauded the passage of the bill and will call on the Senate to take up its education package during this week’s fall legislative conference, where VFW advocates are asking Congress to “Finish Strong For Veterans.”

H.R. 4057 was amended while in committee to include several other VFW-supported provisions to improve veterans’ benefits such as the bill that the VFW and the American Legion worked together to draft and amend, the HIRE at HOME Act (H.R. 4115), introduced by Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, which ensures that states consider military training for professional licenses in a variety of technical fields.

The committee also added language from other bills ensuring safe housing standards for homeless veterans, limiting bonuses for VA employees, and commissioning an Open Air Burn Pit exposure registry with VA.

H.R. 4057 was inspired by VFW action earlier this year, when VFW authored a letter signed by a broad coalition of veterans' advocates and education experts, calling for improved consumer information and consumer protections for veterans. To learn more about the bill, click here.

The bill’s author, Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., spoke on the House floor, touting the merits of his bill, which made it to the floor with overwhelming bipartisan support through the House Veterans Affairs Committee.

House Veterans Affairs Committee Ranking Member Bob Filner, D-Calif., a cosponsor of the bill, also discussed the merits of the bill’s other provisions, like ensuring VA keeps track of health care conditions for veterans exposed to toxins resulting from open air burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Your VFW will continue to advocate for the Senate to pass a comprehensive education package before the end of the current Congress. Check back regularly with this blog for updates.