Committee adopts amendment and re-refers bill creating education benefit for dependents of 100% disabled veterans

Representative Clardy presented House File 982 to establish an education benefit for dependents of veterans with high disability ratings. The committee adopted an author’s amendment (A1) changing the bill’s eligibility threshold language and then re‑referred the bill to the House Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs for further review.

What the bill would do: as presented, the bill would create an education benefit targeted at dependents of veterans with severe service-connected disabilities. Representative Clardy and witnesses framed the proposal as a way to ensure dependents are not financially barred from pursuing postsecondary education because the veteran’s disability reduced household income and increased caregiving responsibilities.

Amendment and drafting questions: the committee adopted an author’s amendment (A1) that revised the disability threshold language to refer to dependents of veterans rated at 100% disability (the bill originally referenced a 70% threshold). Committee members and House Research staff noted drafting complexity: veterans may have multiple disability ratings that can combine to exceed 100%, and the bill’s language created two different eligibility classes with differing award levels (for example, total and permanent disability eligibility language differs from the 100% rating language). House Research advised that stacking of ratings can produce totals above 100% and recommended further review in Veterans and Military Affairs.

Testimony: Alan Gursky, a veteran who identified himself as 100% disabled, described the fixed-income reality for disabled veterans and urged support for an education benefit for dependents approaching college age. Trent Dilkes, legislative director for Disabled American Veterans, said he has worked on similar proposals for more than a decade and urged lawmakers to consider the caregiving burden associated with service-related severe disabilities (traumatic brain injury and PTSD were cited as common high-level disabilities for post-9/11 veterans). Dilkes also noted changes to FAFSA rules that will exclude disability compensation from FAFSA calculations after the 2024–25 school year, which may reduce the federal aid offset and affect fiscal calculations for a state benefit.

Committee motion and referral: the author moved the A1 amendment, the committee adopted it by voice vote, and the chair renewed the motion to re‑refer House File 982 (as amended) to the House Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs; the motion prevailed by voice vote.

Next steps: the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee will review statutory language, eligibility classes, award levels and interactions with existing veteran programs such as the State Soldiers Assistance Program and MDVA-administered benefits. Committee members asked authors to resolve the drafting inconsistency between eligibility criteria and award percentages in follow-up work.