Last night, President Trump signed HR. 6322, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Roe and Chairman Takano’s bipartisan Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 (H.R. 6322) into law. The legislation, which passed through the House in March with more than 51 cosponsors and wide VSO support, will help minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student veterans as schools and universities take proactive measures to mitigate the spread of the virus.
“Ensuring that our student veterans’ earned benefits remain protected has been one of our Committee’s top priorities during this national public health emergency,” said Ranking Member Roe. “With colleges and universities transitioning to online courses, students should be focused on their studies, not worrying about whether their benefits will continue. By President Trump signing this important bill into law late last night, we have put to rest any uncertainty for our student veterans as we continue to deliver on the promise we have made to the men and women who have served.”
“Throughout this crisis, I have heard from too many student veterans about the uncertainty the COVID-19 pandemic is causing. That is why I am so proud that we have come together to ensure that no student veterans will lose their work-study payments, have their housing cut off, or lose their benefits due to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Chairman Takano. “I want to thank my friend Ranking Member Dr. Roe for working with me to bring these safeguards into reality. By signing my bipartisan legislation into law, we can finally grant our student veterans the peace of mind that their benefits won’t be impacted by this crisis."
Background: The Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 builds on recent legislation, passed by the House and Senate and signed into law by the president, to ensure student veterans will not see a reduction in their monthly housing allowance as a result of their schools moving to online instruction due to COVID-19. This legislation has been endorsed widely by the VSO community and cosponsored by 51 Members of Congress. Final text of HR 6322 can be found here.
For more information about the Committee’s efforts to address the COVID-19 crisis and resources for available for veterans, please visit: www.republicans-veterans.house.gov.
