U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) successfully pushed through a bill that allows veterans to grant their dependents post-9/11 GI benefits more efficiently.
The bill clarifies the information required on U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) forms filled out by a service member when they elect to have their post-9/11 GI Bill benefit transferred to a dependent.
Part of current VA and DoD transfer forms require service members to fill out a field labeled "end date," which refers to the date on which the dependent may no longer receive the benefit. The small section of the forms reportedly led to several errors in the paperwork, which caused eligible dependents to be barred from education benefits.
With over 400,00 veterans calling Alabama home, Tuberville decided to sponsor a bill to remove the field on the forms that caused the confusion.
The bill had bipartisan support in the Senate and passed unanimously on one of the last legislative days before heading to the White House for President Joe Biden's signature.
"I encourage President Biden to sign the legislation as soon as possible," Tuberville said. "Once signed into law, my provision will ensure eligible dependents are not barred from education benefits due to an easily fixable error. Like I said, it may seem like a small fix, but it will make a big, big impact. Everything we can do to make life better for veterans is important, and my work on their behalf will never end."
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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