Sen. Rick Scott Announces Legislation to Expand GI Bill Education Benefits and Improve VA Healthcare System

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Rick Scott announced the introduction of two pieces of legislation to support America's servicemen and women by expanding access to education benefits and improving accountability within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for these heroes. The GI Bill Transferability Act would increase flexibility for servicemen and women and veterans to transfer their post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, ensuring families can better plan for their educational futures. Additionally, the SCHEDULES Act would establish clear, transparent standards for how quickly veterans receive care after a referral and require public reporting on the performance of the VA. Together, these two bills will further build on ongoing efforts to support those who served by improving both long-term opportunity and timely access to critical services they've earned through their service.

Senator Rick Scott said, "Our veterans and servicemembers deserve the freedom to use their education benefits in ways that work for their families and the assurance that they won't face unnecessary delays in their healthcare. My GI Bill Transferability Act gives military families more flexibility, while the SCHEDULES Act ensures the VA provides timely, accountable care. These two bills will help veterans plan for the future and hold the VA accountable, because our heroes deserve a government and a VA that are ready to support them at every stage of their life - our nation's heroes deserve nothing less."

The GI Bill Transferability Act:

• Allows servicemembers to transfer Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits after they have completed six years of service;
• Ends the current four-year added service requirement for those who choose to transfer benefits; and
• Updates existing law to allow for transfer of those benefits at any time after the six-year service obligation is met - even after the servicemember is no longer on active duty.

The SCHEDULES Act:

• Requires the Secretary of the VA to establish a comprehensive standard for timing between the date on which a referral for care is entered into the Care Coordination System and the date on which the appointment for that referral occurs;
• Requires a quarterly report to Congress on the number of referrals that meet the standard the VA sets; and
• Requires a ranking of VA medical centers from best to worst on meeting the standard set by the VA.

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