U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Conor Lamb and Gil Cisneros introduced the Protecting Apprenticeship Training for Veterans Act, which would extend GI Bill benefits for veterans whose registered apprenticeships were cut short due to COVID-19.
Veterans must meet a minimum number of apprenticeship hours to receive their full monthly housing allowance. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, many registered apprenticeships have ended or been cut short – resulting in veterans facing a reduction or suspension in their stipend.
The legislation would pause GI benefit time limits for those impacted and would allow veteran apprentices who were laid off to roll over excess hours from a previous month to meet the hourly requirement. The bill also provides COVID-19 pandemic relief assistance to veterans who are nontraditional students in registered apprenticeship and on-the-job training programs.
“Our veterans put their lives on the line for our country, and they deserve all the support we can provide them. Veterans contribute so much to our workforce, and registered apprenticeships are critical in securing good-paying jobs,” Fitzpatrick said. “COVID-19 shut down many job-training and apprenticeship programs, and it is not fair for our veterans participating in these programs to lose the benefits they have earned. I’m proud to partner with Rep. Lamb on this bipartisan bill to protect our veterans.”
This legislation is supported by the Union Veterans Council.
“I commend the bipartisan leadership Rep. Lamb, Rep. Fitzpatrick and Rep. Cisneros have shown in introducing this bill,” said Will Attig, executive director of the Union Veterans Council. “Apprenticeship and on-the-job programs like this changed my life and are instrumental in helping veterans like me across the country. However, these non-traditional education paths aren’t always as well-supported in our veterans’ legislation as traditional education paths. This bill makes great strides towards closing that gap and supporting these great programs that we know are effective.”
