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Veterans' Educational Assistance Amendments of 1991

Public Law 102-127 · S. 868 · 102nd Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by George H. W. Bush (R) on Oct 10, 1991 · Armed Forces and National Security

Sponsor: Sen. Alan Cranston (D-CA)

Cosponsors (2): Sen. Bob Graham,

Passage votes

  • HouseUnanimous consent
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Veterans' Educational Assistance Amendments of 1991 - Amends the Federal veterans' and armed forces educational assistance programs to provide that, in the case of an active-duty or non-active duty member student who fails to complete a course of study under such programs due to being called to active duty or given increased work in connection with the Persian Gulf War, both the amount of educational assistance received and the time spent pursuing that course of study will not be counted against such student for purposes of his or her general entitlement to educational benefits under the appropriate educational assistance program. Restores the full amount available to such student veteran as if the interrupted course had not been taken. States that such exclusion shall also apply to members of the Selected Reserve pursuing courses of study (and similarly interrupted) under the armed forces' educational assistance program.

Amends Federal armed forces provisions to provide that, in the case of a member of the reserves called to active duty in connection with the Persian Gulf War: (1) the period of such active duty plus four months may not be considered in determining the expiration date for eligibility for educational assistance benefits provided under the Montgomery GI Bill; and (2) the member may not be considered to have been separated from the reserves, for purposes of commencement of the delimiting period for the use of such educational benefits.

Makes eligible for veterans' employment and training assistance any Vietnam veteran entitled to veterans' disability compensation or whose discharge or release from active duty was for a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty. (Currently, such assistance is provided for Vietnam veterans with service-connected disabilities only.)

Includes as an "eligible veteran" for purposes of employment and training assistance for disabled and Vietnam veterans a member of the reserves ordered to active duty who served on such duty during a period of war or in a campaign for which a campaign badge is authorized and who was discharged or released from such duty under conditions other than dishonorable.

Allows an eligible veteran or reservist to withdraw from a course or courses for which veterans' educational assistance allowances are being provided without a required early withdrawal payment if such withdrawal is due to such veteran or reservist being called or ordered to active duty. Exempts such withdrawal from the six-semester-hour maximum withdrawal permitted when mitigating circumstances allow for such a withdrawal without repayment.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 15 actions.

  1. Oct 10, 1991Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 102-127.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 4, 1991PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 1, 1991FloorFloor · Pursuant to the provisions of S. Con. Res. 63, enrollment corrections have been made.
  5. Sep 16, 1991FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  6. FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
  7. FloorFloor · Mr. Montgomery asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
  8. Aug 2, 1991FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Voice Vote.
  9. FloorFloor · The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Voice Vote.
  10. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  11. Jul 26, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
  12. Jun 6, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
  13. May 23, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
  14. Apr 18, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
  15. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.