President Joe Biden on Dec. 21 signed into law a bipartisan bill supported by U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) that will extend certain expiring provisions of law related to benefits provided under the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) educational assistance programs.
The Responsible Education Mitigating Options and Technical Extensions (REMOTE) Act of 2021, H.R. 5545, introduced in October by U.S. Rep. David Trone (D-MD), passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 8 and then received approval on Dec. 15 from the U.S. Senate before being presented to the president on Dec. 20 for his signature to make the bill law. The Senate version, S. 3247, was introduced in November by U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and six other Democrats.
The newly signed law includes a rule originally introduced by Sen. Moran and U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) – ranking member and chairman, respectively, of the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee – to protect GI Bill benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. The newly signed law ensures this rule stays in effect until the summer of 2022.
“Last year, Congress acted quickly to make certain student veterans and their families could keep their benefits as classes moved online to stop the spread of COVID-19,” Sen. Moran said on Dec. 17 in a statement. “Extending this rule as universities work to continue to mitigate the spread of the virus is a commonsense solution that will help us keep our communities and universities healthy.”
Sen. Moran’s original rule ensures veterans, their dependents and service members who use GI Bill benefits continue to receive full tuition and monthly housing payments as universities and other approved programs continue to move classes online during the ongoing pandemic, according to information provided by his office.
Without an extension, the rule would have expired at the end of this year, impacting whether the VA could continue to provide such benefits for online learning as it does for classes held in brick and mortar settings, the information says.
The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S., the American Council on Education, the American Legion, Student Veterans of America, and the National Association of State Approving Agencies recently commended Senate passage of the bill.