H.R. 10172: To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend eligibility for survivors' and dependents' educational assistance to the dependent parent of a person who dies of a service-connected disability or has a total and permanent service-connected disability, and for other purposes.

This bill would expand survivors’ and dependents’ educational assistance under the Department of Veterans Affairs so that a dependent parent could qualify for benefits in certain cases. Under current law, this education benefit is generally available to eligible spouses, children, and some parents of veterans who died from a service-connected disability or who have a total and permanent service-connected disability. The bill would specifically add the dependent parent of that veteran as an eligible category.

What changes in practice

• It adds a dependent parent to the list of people who may receive these educational assistance benefits.
• It makes related updates in other parts of the law so the new parent eligibility is treated the same way as existing spouse, surviving spouse, and child eligibility in the program rules.
• It updates language about when eligibility ends and how long benefits may be used so the new category is included.
• It also revises a section on correspondence courses so dependent parents are included where the law currently refers to eligible spouses or surviving spouses.

Who could be affected

The main people affected would be dependent parents of veterans who either:

• died from a service-connected disability, or
• have a total and permanent service-connected disability.

For those parents, the bill would allow access to VA educational assistance in the same overall program that already serves other eligible family members.

What the bill does not do

• It does not change the basic types of veteran conditions that trigger eligibility.
• It does not create a new benefit program; it expands an existing one.
• It does not spell out any new dollar amounts or payment rates in the text provided.

Relevant Companies

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