A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the vocational rehabilitation subsistence allowance, educational assistance allowances, and the special training allowances paid to eligible veterans and persons under chapters 31, 34, and 35 of such title; to improve and expand the special programs for educationally disadvantaged veterans and servicemen under chapter 34 of such title; to improve and expand the veteran-student services program; to establish a veterans education plan program for veterans eligible for benefits under chapter 34 of such title; to promote the employment of veterans and the wives and widows of certain veterans by improving and expanding the provisions governing the operation of the Veterans Employment Service and by providing for an action plan for the employment of disabled and Vietnam era veterans; to make improvements in the educational assistance program; to recodify and expand veterans' reemployment rights; to make improvements in the administration of educational benefits; and for other purposes.
Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act - Title I: Vocational Rehabilitation and Educational Assistance Rate Adjustments - Increases the base figures for vocational rehabilitation and educational assistance by 8 percent.
Adjusts three-quarter and half-time rates for veterans educational benefits to provide the same proportion as the amount of training taken. Provides increases for trainees pursuing farm-cooperative apprentice programs or other on the job training. Provides that veterans of the Vietnam era rated 10 percent disabled or greater shall automatically be entitled to vocational rehabilitation benefits.
Title II: Educational Assistance Program Adjustments - Extends the current 8-year delimiting date for veterans to complete their programs of education until educational assistance afforded to eligible veterans shall be used. Excludes, in computing the delimiting date for those veterans and civilians held as prisoners of war in the Vietnam theater of operations, the period of time which they were detained plus any period of time which they were hospitalized immediately subsequent to their release.
Provides that members of the armed forces recently discharged from military service with up to 6 months of educational assistance to pursue refresher training to update knowledge, skills, and technological advances occurring in their fields of employment during their period of active military service.
Provides cost-of-living increases for veterans or eligible persons enrolled in apprenticeship or other on-the-job training.
Title III: Veterans' Education Loan Programs - Establishes a veterans' education loan program. Requires that any loan agreement under this title shall include a note or other written obligation which provides for repayment of the principal amount of, and payment of interest on, the loan installments over a period beginning nine months after the date on which the borrower ceases to be at least a half-time student and ending ten years and nine months after such date.
Prescribes the eligibility requirements, the amount and conditions, and interest rate of such loans. Requires that a fee shall be collected from each veteran obtaining a loan for the purpose of insuring against defaults on such loans.
Title IV: Veterans, Wives, and Widows Employment Assistance and Preference and Veterans' Reemployment Rights - Extends job counseling, training, and placement services for veterans to include among those eligible to receive services, widows of veterans who have died of service-connected causes and wives of totally disabled veterans.
Directs the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and the Civil Service Commission to establish an affirmative action plan for every Federal department and agency for the preferential employment of disabled veterans and veterans of the Vietnam era.
Extends reemployment rights to those who were employed by State or local governments prior to entering the service.
Title V: Effective Dates - Specifies the effective dates of the various titles of this Act.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
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