Veterans and Service Members Education Benefits Act of 1980
Latest action. Referred to Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Veterans' and service members Education Benefits Act of 1980 - Establishes a Veterans' and service members Education Benefits Program for veterans who have served on active duty for a period of two years or more after December 31,1980. Entitles eligible veterans to one and one-half months of educational assistance for each month of such veteran's service and makes such veterans eligible for education loans. Provides that such veterans are eligible for educational assistance for the ten-year period following their discharge or release date. Sets forth procedures extending any applicable time period for such veterans who are prevented from initiating or completing a program of education under certain circumstances. Directs the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs to pay an educational assistance allowance to eligible veterans in the program. Makes any person who, after December 31, 1980, performs four years of service as a member of the Selected Reserve eligible for educational assistance limited to a maximum of 36 months, and an educational assistance allowance equal to one-half that of an eligible veteran. Grants to eligible veterans, who have served on active duty for eight years or more, the right to transfer educational assistance entitlements to such veterans' spouses or children in such manner as prescribed by the Administrator and under limitations set forth in this Act. Increases the range of amounts of monthly deductions eligible veterans shall be allowed to contribute to the Post-Vietnam Era Veterans Education Account and the limitation on the maximum amount of such contributions. Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to make contributions to such fund on behalf of any participant, thereby reducing such participant's deductions, when deemed necessary to encourage such persons to enter or remain in the Armed Forces. Terminates the Veterans' Educational Assistance program after December 31, 1989, or four years after any eligible veteran's discharge or release date, whichever is later.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on July 25, 1980. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on July 25, 1980: Referred to Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
JAMES THURMOND (R-SC) introduced it on July 25, 1980, and 1 member has since signed on as a cosponsor.
They are 1 Republican.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on July 25, 1980, 16848 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 16848 days ago, on July 25, 1980.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers