H.R. 790 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Jan 28, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryPurple Heart recipients can share education benefits
This bill lets Purple Heart recipients—veterans wounded or killed in service after September 11, 2001—transfer unused education benefits from the Post-9/11 GI Bill to family members like spouses or children. A recipient can give up to 36 months of their education benefits this way, and can change or cancel any unused portion they transferred. The benefits stay available to the family member even if the veteran passes away.
How it affects you
Purple Heart recipients gain the option to help pay for their family members' college or training, which they couldn't do before. For eligible family members receiving transferred benefits, this opens access to education assistance they wouldn't otherwise have. The transferred benefits are protected in divorce proceedings and can't be treated as shared marital property.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jan 28, 2025)
This bill authorizes certain Purple Heart recipients to elect to transfer to one or more eligible dependents (e.g., a spouse or child) unused portions of such recipients’ entitlement to Post-9/11 GI Bill educational assistance. This authority specifically applies to veterans who are awarded the Purple Heart for service in the Armed Forces occurring on or after September 11, 2001, and who have been discharged or released from active service.
Under the bill, the total number of months of entitlement transferred by a Purple Heart recipient may not exceed 36 months. Additionally, the Purple Heart recipient may modify or revoke any unused portion of the transferred entitlement by submitting written notice to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DOD).
A transferred entitlement may not be treated as marital property or marital assets in divorce or other civil proceedings.
The death of the Purple Heart recipient must not affect the use of the entitlement by the individual who receives the transferred entitlement.
In the event of an overpayment of educational assistance, the Purple Heart recipient and the transferee of the entitlement must be held jointly and severally liable for the amount.
The bill requires the VA and DOD to coordinate to facilitate the transfer of entitlements under the bill.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 790
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize an individual who is awarded the Purple Heart for service in the Armed Forces to transfer unused Post-9/11 Educational Assistance to a family member, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA-49) · Introduced Jan 28, 2025 · Armed Forces and National Security · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 4, 2025: “Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.”