To read all of InsiderAdvantage Georgia’s daily news, SUBSCRIBE HERE. *Subscription includes a complimentary subscription to JAMES Magazine.

U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-GA, was one of five members of Congress introducing the G.I. Bill Transferability Improvement Act which would expand the accessibility of education benefits for servicemembers who have dedicated at least 12 years of honorable service. He also recently stood in support of the approval of several bipartisan bills to improve the resources, benefits, and care for America’s military veterans.

“I am constantly hearing from veterans and veteran-serving organizations about their challenges and evolving needs as America’s military has grown,” said Bishop. “I am proud to have supported these bills which will not only help make sure that veterans are aware of the benefits available to them, but also improve and expand these resources so that they better meet our veterans’ needs.”

Currently, servicemembers who want to transfer their G.I. Bill education benefits to family members after completing six years of service can only do so after serving an additional four years of service at the time that they apply to transfer their benefits. This is regardless of how many years they have served. This bill will eliminate the additional service obligation should they wish to transfer their educational benefits after 12 years of service.

“Not only should Congress do its best to ensure our military retains the best people, we should also ensure we honor their service through the educational benefits they earn for themselves and their families,” said Bishop. “I am supporting this bill so that our servicemembers who delay starting their families–especially women–can equitably enjoy the benefits they worked hard to earn in defense of our country.”

Bishop also supported other bills approved by the U.S. House which impact veterans:

● H.R. 4601, the Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act which would authorize $50 million annually for fiscal years 2024 through 2028 to the Veterans Affairs Department (VA) to provide states with federal grants that can be used to improve outreach activities with respect to veteran benefits and programs.

● H.R. 7158, the Long-Term Care Veterans Choice Act which expands VA long-term care coverage to include medical foster home care. It also would allow the VA to pay for medical foster home care with respect to such veterans who were placed in such homes before the bill’s enactment, if the home meets VA standards.

● H.R. 4772, the Mark O’Brien VA Clothing Allowance Improvement Act which improves the renewal process for the VA’s clothing allowance for veterans whose clothes are routinely damaged or worn out by a prosthetic or orthopedic device or prescribed skin medication that is required as a result of service-connected injuries or conditions.

● H.R. 2521, the Delivering Optimally Urgent Labor Access for Veterans Act which expands the VA’s maternity care services.