Purple Heart medal awarded to a WWII U.S. Army Soldier (Photo: Jonathunder)
Earlier this year, a group of bipartisan lawmakers reintroduced the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act, H.R. 790, a bill designed to close a loophole that has prevented certain Purple Heart Recipients from transferring their GI Bill benefits to their dependents. Led by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), the Senate version of the bill has gained support from eleven additional senators, including Michael Bennet (D-CO). Representatives Mike Levin (D-CA) and Greg Murphy (R-NC) have introduced a companion bill in the House.
Under current Department of Defense policy, Service Members who receive a Purple Heart while on active duty can transfer their GI Bill benefits to dependents, regardless of their length of service. However, those who are awarded a Purple Heart after being discharged are not granted the same right. The proposed legislation seeks to address this oversight by allowing all Purple Heart Recipients, regardless of when they received the honor, to transfer their education benefits.
“Purple Heart Recipients have sacrificed so much for our country, and we must do everything we can to support them,” said Senator Bennet. “I was glad to join my bipartisan colleagues on this commonsense bill to ensure every Purple Heart Veteran and their families can access the benefits they’ve earned.”
Senator Murray, who has been a leading advocate for Veterans’ rights, stressed the personal importance of the bill.
“When one of my constituents brought a loophole in the current law to my attention—a disparity that meant he couldn’t transfer his GI Bill benefits to his daughter simply because he received his award after discharge—it was just commonsense to me that we should write a law to fix it,” she said. “As the daughter of a Purple Heart Veteran, this is personal to me—and I’m grateful to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for joining me in this effort.”
“Purple Heart recipients are heroes who honorably served our country at great costs, and this oversight that prevents Service Members who received this distinguished award after their service from transferring their GI bill benefits to their dependents needs to be corrected immediately,” stated Senator Tillis.
The bill specifically allows Veterans awarded a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001, to transfer their educational benefits to their dependents. It also provides flexibility by allowing Veterans to allocate up to 36 months of benefits among multiple dependents and safeguards these benefits from being considered marital property in divorce proceedings. Additionally, dependents may continue using any remaining benefits after the Veteran’s passing.
Organizations such as Disabled American Veterans, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and Veterans of Foreign Wars have endorsed the bill
As of March 4, the bill was referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity by the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. With growing momentum in both the Senate and the House, supporters of the bill are hopeful for its swift passage.
Author: Rikki Almanza
Rikki is a Web Content Coordinator for the American Legion, Department of California. With a deep-rooted connection to the military, a spouse who is a Navy veteran, a father who served in the Air Force for 25 years, and a grandfather who proudly served, Rikki is committed to using her skills and knowledge to provide valuable assistance and resources to servicemembers and veterans.
