G I Bill Amendments Act of 1979

GI Bill Amendments Act of 1979 - Title I: GI Bill Program Adjustments - Amends the Veterans Readjustment Benefits Act of 1966 to require an eligible veteran seeking to extend the delimiting date for educational assistance because of a physical or mental disability (such extension was authorized by the GI Bill improvement Act of 1977) to apply within one year of: (1) the removal of the disability; (2) the last date of the delimiting period; or (3) the date of enactment, whichever is later. Authorizes a two-year extension of the current ten-year delimiting period for educational assistance to allow eligible Vietnam-era veterans to pursue: (1) approved on-job training; or (2) vocational-technical or high school courses (provided that the veteran has not received a secondary school diploma and participates in counseling required by this Act). Authorizes the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs to disapprove an application for educational benefits under this Act on the basis of the current general enrollment provisions relating to veterans' educational benefits administration. Revises the current test for approval of vocational courses for eligible veterans (which requires a showing that at least 50 percent of the persons completing the course over the preceding two years obtained employment in the course-related area) to: (1) include within such 50 percent persons discontinuing the course; (2) stipulate that the resultant employment must be the major source of income and (3) exempt from the requirement any institution which has not more than 35 percent eligible veterans and has met such requirement for two consecutive reporting periods. Eliminates as a condition required for approval of the enrollment of a veteran in a course pursued by television or radio, that the major portion of the course requires conventional classroom or laboratory attendance. Revises the provision which prohibits approval of certain courses for eligible veterans upon a finding that more than 85 percent of the enrollees in the course are receiving assistance from the institution, the Veterans Administration (VA), or any Federal agency, to eliminate as a factor for such finding assistance from any Federal agency. Eliminates the current statutory standard for determining the unsatisfactory progress of a veteran receiving educational assistance. Permits receipt of educational benefits by veterans attending foreign institutions under certain circumstances. Adds as an exception to the current prohibition against "already qualified" veterans enrolling in educational programs, continuing education or training required by Federal, State, or local law to attain relicensure or retain employment in a particular profession or vocation. Sets forth the method of computing the educational assistance allowance of a veteran: (1) pursuing a course in part by open circuit television; and (2) who is incarcerated in a Federal, State, or local prison or jail. Title II: Survivors' and Dependents' Program Adjustments - Applies to the educational assistance program for survivors and dependents certain revisions provided for in title I of this Act with respect to veterans, including: (1) the procedure for extending the delimiting date for assistance because of a physical or mental disability; (2) the applicability of the general enrollment provisions to the survivors' and dependents' program; (3) the test for approval of vocational courses; (4) the requirements with respect to courses pursued by television or radio; (5) receipt of assistance at foreign institutions; (6) the statutory standard for determining unsatisfactory progress; and (7) the methods of computing certain allowances. Allows educational assistance to be paid to an "eligible person," instead of the "parent or guardian" of each eligible person, as currently provided. Stipulates that the educational assistance allowance shall be paid to survivors and dependents as provided with respect to veterans. Title III: Administrative Adjustments - Stipulates that educational assistance shall be paid only for the actual period of pursuit of a subject (instead of the period of enrollment as currently provided). Requires educational institutions to report facts which they know or should know which indicate that the course or institution does not meet any of the requirements of the educational assistance program. Provides that the amount of an overpayment to an eligible person or veteran shall constitute a liability of such individual. Revises the full-time measurement standard with respect to institutional undergraduate courses. Limits the current provision which reduces the number of clock hours of attendance required for payment of benefits for certain courses to courses accredited by nationally recognized accrediting agencies. Includes in the limitations on periods of educational assistance under two or more VA programs the post-Vietnam veterans' educational assistance program. Title IV: Repeal of Authority for Pursuit of Flight and Correspondence Training - Repeals provisions authorizing pursuit of flight training by veterans and pursuit of correspondence training by veterans and spouses. Title V: Repeal of Authority to Pursue Predischarge Education Training (PREP) Under Chapter 32 - Terminates the Predischarge Education Program (PREP), which provides educational assistance to service persons prior to their discharge or release from active duty with the Armed Forces. Title VI: Miscellaneous - Revises the provision specifying the circumstances under which claims for VA benefits are forfeited by a veteran who perpetrates a fraud under VA laws, to subject to the general forfeiture provision veterans who fraudulently obtain educational assistance benefits, even though they reside in the United States (such veterans currently are excepted from such provision). Title VII: Technical Amendments-Effective Date - Makes technical corrections and specifies the effective date of this Act.

Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on March 27, 1979. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.

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