Congresswoman Ramirez's Bill to Restore GI Bill Education Benefits to Defrauded Student Veterans Successfully Advances out of House Veterans’ Affairs Committee

Washington, DC - Today, the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee advanced out of committee the H.R. 1767, the Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act, legislation introduced by Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03) earlier this year to establish an across-the-board process for student veterans to restore their GI Bill education benefits in qualifying instances, such as when a student veteran has been defrauded by an educational institution. 

“Today’s bipartisan advancement of the Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act out of committee is a testament to the years of advocacy led by the student veteran community on the issue of protecting our veterans from predatory and targeted schemes from fraudulent institutions that rob them of their GI Bill education benefits. This bipartisan effort is a first step towards protecting the right to quality education for our veterans,” said Congresswoman Ramirez. “With today’s vote, veterans from Illinois like Army Veteran Christopher Brown from Des Plaines, Air Force Veteran Andy Kmiecik from Hoffman Estates, Navy Veteran Bryan Tario from Lisle, and Army Veteran Brian Whitehead who attended ITT Tech in Chicago, and thousand others around our nation are finally one step closer to having their GI Benefits restored and the opportunity to complete their degrees.  I am determined to build on this hard-fought win and make access to quality education a reality in our nation. Now, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in making this legislation the law of the land.” 

The Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act may now advance to the House Floor, at the discretion of the Republican Majority. This is the first legislation introduced and led by Congresswoman Ramirez to move out of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and she will continue to advocate for floor consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act has the support of veterans advocacy groups and national education organizations - including Veterans Education Success, the National Education Association, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and Student Veterans of America.

Bill text can be accessed here. 

Video of her remarks can be accessed here.