Representative Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) is reintroducing bipartisan legislation with Representative Greg Stanton (D-AZ) to increase housing stipends for virtual student veterans.
Under current law, student-veterans taking online courses receive half of the housing stipend given to those attending classes in person.
Rep. Ciscomani's Expanding Access for Online Veteran Students Act thus matches the housing stipend for online attendees with the stipends for in-person students.
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"As our service members transition to civilian life and pursue educational opportunities, they deserve to have access to all the benefits their service earned, regardless of whether the classes are in-person or virtual," said Rep. Ciscomani in his press release, adding, "As education and pathways to career success continue to evolve and online classes become more prevalent, I am proud lead this bipartisan effort to eliminate the disparity between online and in-person classes to ensure our veterans have flexibility as they pursue further education."
Similarly, Rep. Stanton said, "Arizona's student veterans have earned the right to pursue their education without having to worry about how they're going to pay for their home."
"Our bipartisan bill delivers the fairness and financial security these veterans deserve by ensuring those taking online classes receive the same housing support as their in-person peers. We're honoring our promise to those who served and making sure every veteran can use their hard-earned VA education benefits," Rep. Stanton added.
Ciscomani previously worked across the aisle with Representative Sheila Cherfilus McCormick (D-FL) at the end of May to introduce the Veterans Readiness and Employment Program Integrity Act, which strengthens oversight of the program and requires the VA to report on the employment numbers and annual wages of VR&E participants, in addition to the average wait times they are subject to between their initial application and first meeting with a counselor, to combat multi-month wait times.
Earlier in June, Rep. Stanton likewise worked with Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ) to reintroduce the Legacy Mine Cleanup Act, which codifies the Office of Mountains, Deserts, and Plains (OMDP) division of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), whose priorities include proper cleanup of abandoned mines, with oversight from Congress and adequate representation from state, local, and Tribal authorities.
