,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cidj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,october #d1         
#bjag,mr4 ,poe of ,texas 7for himself1  
,mr4 ,al ,green of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,vela1  
,ms4 ,eddie ,bernice ,johnson of ,texas1
 ,mr4 ,brady of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,bishop of 
,georgia1 ,mr4 ,carter of ,texas1 ,mr4  
,gene ,green of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,babin1    
,mr4 ,veasey1 ,mr4 ,blumenauer1 ,mr4    
,schrader1 ,mr4 ,walden1 ,mr4 ,gonzalez 
of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,o',rourke1 ,mr4        
,sessions1 ,mr4 ,mc,caul1 and ,mr4 ,ryan
 of ,ohio7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to provide for housing   
stipends and supply fee payments under  
the ,post-#i_/aa ,educational           
,assistance ,program for individuals    
affected by extended school closures due
 to natural disasters4  #a4 ,short title
 ,this ,act may be cited as the         
,veterans ,education ,disaster          

,assistance ,act4  #b4 ,educational     
assistance under ,post-#i_/aa           
,educational ,assistance ,program during
 extended school closures due to natural
 disasters ,section #ccac of title #ch1 
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following new     
subsection3  7k7 ,school closure during 
natural disasters  7#a7 ,in general ,an 
individual described in paragraph 7#b7  
shall be entitled to the following3 7,a7
 ,a monthly stipend in the amount to    
which the individual would be entitled  
were the individual pursuing the course 
of education at the institution of      
higher education4  7,b7 ,an additional  
lump sum amount for any books1 supplies1
 equipment1 and other educational costs 
necessary by reason of pursuing the     
course solely by distance learning or   
replacing the course with an alternative
 course of education pursued solely by  
distance learning4  7#b7 ,individual    
described ,an individual described in   
this paragraph is an individual pursuing

 a course of education at an institution
 of higher education using educational  
assistance under this chapter who--     
7,a7 is forced to discontinue pursuing  
such course at such institution by      
reason of a school closure described    
under paragraph 7#d72 and  7,b7 opts    
to-- 7i7 pursue that course of education
 solely by distance learning2 or  7ii7  
pursue an alternative course of         
education solely by distance learning4  
7#c7 ,duration ,the duration of the     
monthly stipends payable to an          
individual under paragraph 7#a77;,a7    
shall be the shorter of the following3  
7,a7 ,the period of time necessary to   
complete the quarter1 semester1 term or 
academic period during which the school 
closure described in paragraph 7#d7     
occurs4  7,b7 ,four months4  7#d7       
,school closure ,a school closure       
described in this paragraph is the      
closure of an institution of higher     
education--  7,a7 by reason of a natural
 disaster2  7,b7 for a period of time   

that--  7i7 the institution confirms    
will last for four weeks or longer2 or  
7ii7 the institution describes as       
indefinite and that endures for a period
 of four weeks or longer2 and  7,c7 that
 the ,secretary confirms is covered for 
purposes of this subsection4  7#e7      
,natural disaster defined ,in this      
subsection1 the term natural disaster   
means a specific weather event or earth 
process1 including a hurricane1         
tornados1 wildfire or forest fire1      
earthquake1 avalanche1 mudslide1        
hailstorm1 thunderstorm1 lightning      
storm1 freeze1 blizzard1 sinkhole1 or   
other disastrous event that occurs as a 
result of such an event or process1 that
 the ,president or the governor of a    
,state declares a natural disaster4     
7#f7 ,no charge to entitlement ,no      
additional charge shall be made to the  
entitlement of any individual to        
educational assistance under this       
chapter by reason of a payment under    
this subsection4  4