Washington — Sen. Tommy Tuberville introduced legislation to require the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to update the language used on official forms to clarify the information when a service member elects to have their GI Bill benefit transferred to a dependent.
“Our service members and their families sacrifice greatly for our freedoms, and it isn’t right that confusing paperwork can get in the way of a dependent receiving education benefits after the tragedy of losing a loved one,” said Tuberville.
The VA and Department of Defense cannot amend the information on the form without this statutory authority.
Many times, service members misread the information requested in the GI Bill benefit transfer forms. This resulted in eligible dependents being barred from educational benefits.
“This much-needed legislation will give the Department of Veterans Affairs the authority to remove the end date on transferred entitlement and strengthen benefits for surviving families,” said Bonnie Carroll, President and Founder Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors.
