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Veterans Eligible to Transfer School (VETS) Credit Act

Public Law 117-297 · H.R. 6604 · 117th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Dec 27, 2022 · Armed Forces and National Security

Sponsor: Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16)

Cosponsors: None

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 412 yea, 1 nay412–1
  • SenateUnanimous consent
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.

This act addresses eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) educational assistance for individuals who are transferring credits due to the closure or disapproval of a program of education.

Currently, an individual who transfers fewer than 12 credits from a program of education that is closed or disapproved must be deemed to have not received such credits, and the period for which the entitlement is not charged must be the entire period of the individual's enrollment in the program.

Under the act, the VA must require an individual to certify in writing the transfer of fewer than 12 credits from a program of education that is closed or disapproved. The VA must accept such a certification as proof that the individual is transferring fewer than 12 credits.

The VA must provide a certificate of eligibility (to demonstrate proof of full educational assistance entitlement) to individuals who make the certification and acknowledge that if 12 or more credits are transferred (1) they may not be deemed to be someone who did not receive such credits, and (2) the VA must rescind the certificate of eligibility in such cases.

The VA must notify individuals who are eligible to make such a certification and receive a certificate of eligibility.

The act also removes the requirement that an individual transferring a Post-9/11 GI Bill entitlement must specify the period for which the transfer must be effective for each dependent who is designated to receive the transfer.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 117th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 412 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

412 yea1 nay15 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(214)

Republicans who voted yea(198)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 650 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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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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Related bills

2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 6458Related bill

    To amend title 38, United States Code, to eliminate the requirement to specify an effective period of a transfer of Post-9/11 educational assistance to a dependent.

  • S. 3606Related bill

    A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to eliminate the requirement to specify an effective period of transfer of Post-9/11 educational assistance to a dependent, and for other purposes.

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 21 actions.

  1. Dec 27, 2022Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 117-297.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 23, 2022FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 20, 2022FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. Dec 19, 2022FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  6. CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
  7. May 18, 2022CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  8. May 17, 2022FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  9. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 412 - 1 (Roll no. 203).House roll call 203
  10. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  11. May 16, 2022FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  12. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6604.
  13. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  14. FloorFloor · Mr. Trone moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  15. Apr 6, 2022CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  17. Mar 16, 2022CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Hearings Held.
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Economic Opportunity Subcommittee of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee
  19. Feb 22, 2022CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
  20. Feb 4, 2022CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  21. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.