In the 118th Congress, the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act of 2024 was introduced on May 23, 2024 as bipartisan legislation by Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC). So far, this bill has been read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
The intent of this bill is to close a loophole in the current Post 9/11 GI Bill (PGIB) law that prevents some Purple Heart recipients from transferring their education benefits to their dependents. By addressing this oversight, the bill aims to ensure that all Purple Heart recipients – regardless of when they received the honor – can pass on their GI Bill benefits to their loved ones.
Eligibility
The purpose of this legislation comes down to expanding the eligibility requirements for veterans who were awarded the Purple Heart after September 11, 2001 and want to transfer their PGIB education benefits to family members. This includes veterans who received their Purple Heart after being discharged from the military.
This is a significant change as the current PGIB law only allows actively serving members to transfer benefits if they have served for at least six years and have extended their enlistment to serve an additional four years. Currently, there are no provision for veterans to initially transfer benefits after getting out; they can revoke them and assign them to another family member that was previously awarded benefits, but that it different than an initial transfer of benefits.
And this is the key part this legislation will correct if passed – Veterans who received their Purple Heart after discharge were excluded from the current benefit transfer program, but would be able to transfer benefits under this change.
Benefit Transfer
Under the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act of 2024, veterans can divide up to 36 months of PGIB education benefits among multiple dependents … including spouse and children. This means that a veteran can allocate their educational benefits to more than one family member, providing greater flexibility and support for their loved ones’ educational goals. This provision recognizes the diverse needs of military families and aims to ensure that the benefits can be utilized in a way that best supports their education goals.
Protection in Divorce
One of the critical protections included in the bill is ensuring that transferred benefits are not considered marital property in divorce settlements. This provision of the Act protects the educational benefits from being divided in the event of a divorce, ensuring that they remain dedicated to the veteran’s dependents as intended by the veteran. This is an important safeguard that recognizes the unique sacrifices and commitments made by Purple Heart veterans and their families.
Unused Benefits
The bill also addresses the issue of unused benefits by allowing dependents to continue using them if their veteran passes away. This ensures that the benefits can still support the veteran’s family, providing education support and opportunity for their loved ones. This provision is particularly important for families who may face financial challenges after the loss of a veteran.
Another provision under this subheading is that if the veteran passes away before transferring all of their unused education benefits, the remaining unused benefits will be divided equally among the existing eligible designated transferees. By doing so, none of the veteran’s education benefits are lost.
Support from Veterans’ Organizations
The Purple Heart Veterans Education Act has the support from various veterans’ advocacy groups, including Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). These organizations recognize the importance of the bill in addressing the needs of Purple Heart recipients and their families and have advocated for its passage. Their support highlights the broad consensus within the veteran community about the necessity of this legislation.
Closing the Loophole
The intent of The Purple Heart Veterans Education Act of 2024 is to rectify an oversight in the 2017 Forever GI Bill enhancements. One of the enhancements granted full PGIB benefits to Purple Heart recipients regardless of the amount of time served. However, it did not provide any process for the transfer of these benefits after separating from the military, thus preventing Purple Heart recipients from transferring benefits after getting out.
By closing this loophole, the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act of 2024 ensures that all Purple Heart recipients can transfer their educational benefits to their dependents, regardless of when they received the honor.
The Purple Heart Veterans Education Act of 2024 is a significant step towards ensuring that all Purple Heart recipients can pass on their PGIB education benefits to their dependents. By addressing the current GI Bill law’s limitations, the Act provides greater flexibility and support for military families, recognizes the unique sacrifices made by these veterans, and ensures that their educational benefits can continue to support their loved ones’ futures. With broad support from veterans’ organizations and bipartisan backing, the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act represents a crucial advancement in veteran benefits policy.
But time is marching on with little to no activity since the introduction of this bill. Contact your Legislators and ask them to continue to move this bill forward and pass it before the end of this legislative session.
