REMOTE Act
Public Law 117-76 · H.R. 5545 · 117th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Dec 21, 2021 · Armed Forces and National Security
Sponsor: Rep. David Trone (D-MD-6)
Cosponsors (18): Rep. Mark Takano, Rep. Mike Levin,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- 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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Responsible Education Mitigating Options and Technical Extensions Act or the REMOTE Act
This act addresses the administration of certain Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) educational assistance benefits.
First, the act extends through June 1, 2022, certain adjustments for veterans' education benefits that were put in place due to COVID-19.
The act allows the VA to waive the requirement that an educational institution verify the enrollment of a student utilizing VA educational assistance if the VA determines the institution uses a flat rate tuition and fee structure that would make the use of a second verification unnecessary.
The act provides an exception from the imposition of specified disciplinary actions (e.g., suspending course and program approval) in situations where an educational institution provides a commission, bonus, or other incentive payment to entities engaged in student recruiting or admission activities related to recruiting foreign students who reside in foreign countries and are ineligible for federal student assistance.
Additionally, the act generally exempts from certain requirements and restrictions imposed by the VA or a state approving agency educational institutions (1) located in foreign countries, or (2) that provide information regarding the costs of a program of education using a form or template developed by the Department of Education.
The act also exempts educational institutions located in foreign countries from (1) having records and accounts that pertain to an individual who is not receiving VA educational assistance examined by government representatives, and (2) furnishing certain information related to tests that require payment.
The act authorizes the VA, in certain circumstances, to provide educational assistance (including a housing stipend) to veterans or eligible persons who are in their last academic period (e.g., semester) of a program of education and are pursuing the program on less than a half-time basis. Specifically, such assistance may be provided if the number of credits the person needs to complete the program of education is less than the number of credits that would constitute enrollment on more than a half-time basis for that last academic period and the person (1) is enrolled in or has completed every course offered by the program of education during that academic period, and (2) enrolls in an additional course that is not required for the program of education to reach enrollment on a more than a half-time basis.
The act extends certain loan fee rates through January 14, 2031, under the VA's home loan program.
Finally, the act removes the cap on the number of full-time VA employees who provide equal employment opportunity counseling.
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.
Related bills
The record lists no related bills.
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 15 actions.
- Dec 21, 2021Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 117-76.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 20, 2021FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 16, 2021FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 15, 2021FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- Dec 9, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
- Dec 8, 2021FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 5545.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Takano moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Oct 25, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
- Oct 8, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 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.
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.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.