House Passes Veterans Package Containing Bilirakis Legislation to Improve GI Education Program

Washington, DC (August 1, 2012) – The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a comprehensive veterans package that includes legislation introduced by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Palm Harbor), Vice Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee. The bill is now headed to the President for signature into law.

The Honoring America's Veterans Act included the language of H.R. 2274, which will create an accountability mechanism to ensure that the Post 9/11 Educational Assistance Program is adequately providing the education benefits intended. 

"This will help ensure that the program is efficiently and effectively providing our nation's veterans with an education," Bilirakis said. "It is essential that we know the number of people using the benefit, expenditures, and the number of credit hours, certificates and degrees earned by beneficiaries, and my legislation requires that the VA report those numbers on an annual basis."

In 2012, it is estimated that the VA will spend $11 billion on all education programs.