Veterans' Readjustment Benefits Improvement Act of 1992

Summary

Veterans' Readjustment Benefits Improvement Act of 1992 - Title I: Educational Assistance Programs - Amends the Montgomery GI Bill educational assistance program to increase the monthly educational benefit paid to active-duty members of the armed forces pursuing a full-time educational program from $300 to $450, and to increase from $170 to $200 the benefit for members of the Selected Reserve pursuing full-time studies. Makes proportionate increases in the part-time educational benefit provided to both active duty and reserve members. Allows Selected Reserve members to use such educational benefit to pursue graduate programs (currently prohibited from pursuing courses beyond the baccalaureate level). Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to approve individualized tutorial assistance (tutoring) to any person entitled to regular educational assistance who: (1) is enrolled in and pursuing postsecondary education on a half-time or more basis; and (2) has a deficiency in a subject required for, prerequisite to, or indispensable to the program of education being pursued. Directs the Secretary of the military department concerned to pay a tutorial assistance allowance to persons receiving such tutoring at a rate not to exceed $100 per month or a maximum of $1,200. Provides that a person's entitlement to basic educational assistance shall be charged for such tutorial assistance only for that amount which exceeds $600. Provides that individuals who are discharged after less than 12 months of active duty and later reenlist or reenter active duty shall have such prior period of service count toward eligibility for the basic educational assistance program. Provides that any reduction in basic pay taken during such prior period shall count toward the total pay reduction required for participation in the program. Provides that active-duty personnel pursuing programs of education on a half-time or more basis shall receive educational assistance benefits at the same rate as provided to veterans. Provides that an individual who initially serves a continuous period of active duty of at least three years, even though his or her initial obligation was for less than three years, is eligible for the same amount of educational assistance provided to an individual whose initial period of obligated active duty was for three years or more. Repeals a provision requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to pay work-study participants their work-study allowance in advance of their performance of required services under such program. Excludes elementary and secondary schools from a Federal provision requiring an educational institution to furnish a copy of its catalog when applying for approval of an accredited course by a State approving agency (SAA). Requires schools that have and enforce standards of attendance to submit such standards to the SAA for approval. Bars the payment of veterans' educational assistance for a course paid for under the Government Employees Training Act. (Currently, such payment is barred only if the person's full salary is being paid to him or her during such training education.) Waives the right of recovery of an advance payment made to a veteran for the receipt of educational assistance if the failure to enroll in or pursue a course of education under the program is due to the death of the veteran. Allows as a change of program for purposes of the veterans' educational assistance program: (1) a change of program after the veteran has successfully completed the first program; and (2) a second program which leads to a vocational, educational, or professional objective in the same general field as the first program. Prohibits the approval of a course of education which has not been approved by a SAA if such course is to be pursued in whole or in part by independent study. Prohibits approval of enrollment of a veteran in an independent study program except an accredited program leading to a standard college degree. Prohibits such approval also for survivors and dependents enrolling in a nonaccredited independent study program. Provides a savings provision for persons currently enrolled in such programs. Revises the measurement of courses, for purposes of payment of educational assistance benefits, for institutional trade or technical courses not leading to a standard college degree. Excludes programs of education beyond the baccalaureate level from the measurement of courses for an institutional undergraduate course offered by a college or university on a standard quarter- or semester-hour basis. Removes the in-residence requirement for the measurement of such courses. Prohibits an institutional course not leading to a standard college degree offered by an institution on such basis from being measured as full-time if such course requires less than the minimum weekly hours of attendance required for institutional trade or technical courses offered on a clock-hour basis. Allows a veteran's survivor or dependent up to six months of educational assistance for the pursuit of refresher training to permit the updating of knowledge or skills. Requires any allowance so paid to be charged against the person's basic educational assistance entitlement. Permits participation in the Montgomery GI Bill educational assistance program for an individual who, after September 30, 1992, receives a commission as an officer in the armed forces or reserves upon graduation from a military academy or upon completion of a senior ROTC program. Title II: Vocational Rehabilitation and Pension Programs - Makes permanent after January 31, 1985 (currently only for the period beginning February 1, 1985, and ending on January 31, 1992), a program of 12-month trial work periods and vocational rehabilitation outreach for veterans who have total disability ratings based on unemployability. Allows all veterans who have been awarded pension by the Department (currently, only pension-awarded veterans under the age of 45) to submit to the Secretary an application for vocational education and training. Revises provisions with respect to the manner in which the Secretary shall determine whether the veteran has potential for achieving employment after pursuing such vocational training. Makes permanent (currently ends three years after the end of the original program period) the three-year protection from reduction in Department health-care eligibility for veterans who lose their pension due to employment income after successful completion of vocational training. Provides eligibility for vocational rehabilitation for veterans with a service-connected disability rated at ten percent or more and who have a serious employment handicap (as determined by the Secretary). Provides that where a new application for veterans' pension or parents' dependency and indemnity compensation is filed within one year after the renouncement of the right to such benefit, the application shall not be considered an original application, and payment of such benefits shall be made as if the renouncement had not occurred. Title III: Job Counseling, Training, and Placement Services for Veterans - Requires funds to be made available to a State to support the appointment of a disabled veterans' outreach program specialist for veterans who first entered on active duty after May 7, 1975. (Currently, such specialists represent only Vietnam-era veterans and disabled veterans.) Repeals the December 31, 1994, delimiting date after which a veteran may not be considered a veteran of the Vietnam era for purposes of eligibility for Vietnam veterans' employment and training programs.

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5 official files

• Reported to Senate (text)

  Reported to Senate · EN

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• Introduced in Senate (text)

  Introduced in Senate · EN

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• Indefinitely postponed in Senate

  summary · EN · 25 September 1992

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• Reported to Senate with amendment(s)

  summary · EN · 12 August 1992

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• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 30 April 1992

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