Derrick Van Orden: “I am honored today to speak on behalf of my legislation, H.R. 5914, the VETT Act. This legislation addresses unnecessary…”

“I am honored today to speak on behalf of my legislation, H.R. 5914, the VETT Act. This legislation addresses unnecessary barriers that veterans face while trying to access educational benefits that they earned during their time of service and ensures a more effective transition to civilian life. One important provision in the VETT Act addresses a burdensome administrative requirement by revising the current mandate for individualized shopping sheets. With the Department of Education's disastrous FAFSA rollout this year, many institutions cannot provide up-to-date, accurate financial aid information to many of our student veterans. Letting this failure result in a delayed delivery of education benefits for our veterans is entirely unacceptable. My legislation resolves this burden by ensuring that the State approving agencies can only disapprove programs when schools fail to provide necessary information to the maximum extent possible. This change offers the needed flexibility for institutions like police academies and truck driving schools, ensuring they can operate effectively while safeguarding veterans and their families. These are two beleaguered industries that should be supported wholeheartedly by Congress and the American people at large. I am also very thankful to see the inclusion of the provision from my colleague from North Carolina (Mr. Edwards) that will aid our veterans seeking opportunities in the transportation and trucking industry.…”