Rep. Mike Levin Introduces Bipartisan Purple Heart Veterans Education Act to Ensure Transfer of Benefits to Dependents
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) and Dr. Greg Murphy, M.D. (NC-03) introduced the bipartisan Purple Heart Veterans Education Act, H.R. 8896, the House companion to the Senate bill by the same name introduced in May 2024 by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC).
This bipartisan bill would close a loophole that prevents veterans who received their Purple Heart after leaving military service from transferring their GI Bill benefits to their dependents. The bill would allow all Purple Heart recipients to transfer their education benefits to their dependents, regardless of when they were awarded the Purple Heart.
“Our veterans are our nation’s heroes and we have a responsibility to take care of them after they leave military service,” said Rep. Levin. “Sadly, not all veterans and their families receive adequate benefits for their sacrifice and service. This bipartisan bill would ensure that veterans who received a Purple Heart after separating from the military are able to pass down their well-earned GI Bill benefits to their loved ones. I thank Senators Murry and Tillis for introducing this bill in the Senate, and I look forward to working with Rep. Murphy to advance it in the House.”
"Service members, who are awarded a Purple Heart after leaving active service, should be awarded the flexibility of transferring their GI benefits," said Congressman Greg Murphy. "As the representative of over 76,000 veterans, it is my duty to protect their hard-earned benefits. This bill ensures every service member who is a recipient of a Purple Heart is provided the ability to transfer their benefits to enhance the well-being and education of their family. It is incomprehensible and wrong to deny these heroes, who have sacrificed so much for our freedom, the ability to support their loved ones. I am proud to support this legislation and those who answered the call to serve our great nation.”
“Unfortunately, not every veteran’s service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States of America is fully recognized while they’re still in uniform,” said IAVA CEO and Iraq War Veteran Allison Jaslow. “The Purple Heart Veterans Education Act ensures that those veterans who’ve endured bodily harm on behalf of our nation but weren’t recognized for it until their service concluded, are able to turn that recognition into an investment in the education of their loved ones. IAVA applauds Representatives Levin and Murphys’ leadership on behalf of those who’ve sacrificed so much for our country and their families.”
"DAV is proud to support the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act, a common-sense solution that would provide retroactively awarded Purple Heart recipients the same ability as all other recipients to transfer unused educational benefits to their loved ones,” said DAV Washington Executive Director Randy Reese. We thank Representatives Mike Levin and Greg Murphy for their leadership in introducing this important bipartisan legislation and look forward to its swift passage.”
In 2017, Congress passed the Post 9/11 GI Bill, which allows servicemembers to transfer their GI Bill benefits to dependents after six years of service with an additional four-year commitment. In 2018, the Department of Defense expanded this to Purple Heart recipients, regardless of how many years they served. However, it excluded those who received their Purple Hearts after separating from the military. The Purple Heart Veterans Education Act closes that loophole.
The legislation is endorsed by Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), and Fleet Reserve Association (FRA).
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