Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2025 | ChamberLight

REPORTED· 119TH CONGRESS

Senate BillS 649Student aid and college costsNational Guard and reserves

Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2025

INTRO FEB 20· LAST ACTION MAR 18

READING

2MIN

COSPONSORS

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NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST

Reported, not passed

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 3 / 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed Senate

Passed House

Conference

To President

Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

Voters should care about this bill because it addresses a long-standing issue of fairness for National Guard members. For years, National Guard members have been deployed frequently and served in critical roles, often side-by-side with active-duty personnel, but haven't always received the same educational benefits for their service. This bill aims to correct that disparity.

If this bill becomes law, it means that the sacrifices and contributions of National Guard members are recognized more fully, providing them with better opportunities for education and career advancement after their service. If it doesn't pass, many National Guard members who have dedicated significant time to full-time duty may continue to miss out on the valuable Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits that other service members receive, potentially hindering their post-service educational and economic success.

KEY PROVISIONS

4AI-extracted

PROVISION 01

Expands eligibility for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to include National Guard members who perform certain full-time duties.

This makes education benefits more accessible to a larger group of service members who have contributed significantly.

PROVISION 02

Specifies that qualifying service now includes 'full-time National Guard duty' (as defined in Title 32) and active duty under certain sections of Title 10 for reserve components.

This clarifies which specific types of National Guard service will count towards earning education benefits.

PROVISION 03

The changes will take effect one year after the bill is enacted into law.

This provides a clear timeline for when the expanded eligibility will begin to apply.

PROVISION 04

The expanded eligibility for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits will apply retroactively to service performed on or after September 11, 2001.

Many National Guard members who served extensively since 9/11 but were previously ineligible could now qualify for these benefits.

SPONSORSHIP

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COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 0%

DEM 6 REP 0 IND 0

ACTION TIMELINE

4 EVENTS

MAR 18

Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

COMMITTEE

MAY 21

Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 119-86.

COMMITTEE

FEB 20

Introduced in Senate

INTROREFERRAL

FEB 20

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

INTROREFERRAL

BILL INFO

TypeSenate Bill

NumberS 649

Congress119th

StatusReported

IntroducedFeb 20, 2025

Last actionMar 18, 2026

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REPORTED· 119TH CONGRESS · VETERANS' AFFAIRS COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED FEB 20, 2025

Senate BillS 649Student aid and college costsNational Guard and reserves

Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2025

INTRODUCED FEB 20, 2025· LAST ACTION MAR 18, 2026

PASSAGE CHANCES

—%

READING

2 min

COSPONSORS

COMPLEXITY

Moderate

Call my reps

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 3 OF 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed Senate

Passed House

Conference

To President

Became Law

Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed Senate
Passed House
Conference
To President
Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

KEY PROVISIONS

AI-extracted

high

Expands eligibility for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to include National Guard members who perform certain full-time duties.

This makes education benefits more accessible to a larger group of service members who have contributed significantly.

high

Specifies that qualifying service now includes 'full-time National Guard duty' (as defined in Title 32) and active duty under certain sections of Title 10 for reserve components.

This clarifies which specific types of National Guard service will count towards earning education benefits.

med

The changes will take effect one year after the bill is enacted into law.

This provides a clear timeline for when the expanded eligibility will begin to apply.

high

The expanded eligibility for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits will apply retroactively to service performed on or after September 11, 2001.

Many National Guard members who served extensively since 9/11 but were previously ineligible could now qualify for these benefits.

DEADLINES & DATES

AI-extracted

An AI model extracted this from the bill’s official record and can make mistakes. Check the official text ↗ (opens in new tab)

One year after the date of the enactment of this Act

Effective date for the amendments made by this Act

On or after September 11, 2001

Retroactive applicability for service performed

GLOSSARY

AI-written

Post-9/11 Educational Assistance / GI Bill: A program that provides financial support for education and housing to individuals who have served in the active military, naval, or air service since September 11, 2001.
National Guard: A component of the U.S. Armed Forces that serves both state and federal missions, consisting of Guard members who typically serve part-time unless called to full-time duty.
Reserve components: Parts of the U.S. Armed Forces that support the active-duty forces, including the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Air Force Reserve, and the National Guard.
Active duty: Full-time service in the military, as opposed to part-time or training duty.
Inactive-duty training: Scheduled training periods for members of the Reserve components, such as weekend drills, that are not considered full-time active duty.
Title 38, United States Code: The section of U.S. federal law that deals with veterans' benefits and services.
Title 10, United States Code: The section of U.S. federal law that governs the organization, funding, and general responsibilities of the U.S. Armed Forces.

ACTION TIMELINE

4 EVENTS

MAR 18

Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

COMMITTEE

MAY 21, 25

Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 119-86.

COMMITTEE

FEB 20, 25

Introduced in Senate

INTROREFERRAL

FEB 20, 25

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

INTROREFERRAL

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Committee Referrals

Veterans' Affairs CommitteeReferred

Mar 18, 2026

senate

Related Hearings

Business meeting to consider S.342, 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, S.410, to amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, to improve benefits and services for surviving spouses, S.649, to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand eligibility for Post-9/11 Educational Assistance to members of the National Guard who perform certain full-time duty, S.1116, to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the provision of certain additional burial benefits for individuals for whom an urn or plaque is furnished, S.1657, to amend title 38, United States Code, to limit the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to deny the claim of a veteran for benefits under the laws administered by such Secretary on the sole basis that such veteran failed to appear for a medical examination associated with such claim, S.1665, to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure veterans of secrecy oath programs receive the full benefits they have earned, S.1726, to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify that the Department of Veterans Affairs definition of "medical services" includes medically necessary automobile adaptations, S.1868, to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand access by veterans to critical access hospitals and affiliated clinics under the Veterans Community Care Program, S.2061, to require the Interagency Working Group on Toxic Exposure to conduct research on the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions of descendants of individuals exposed to toxic substances while serving as members of the Armed Forces, S.2220, to expand presumptions of exposure by members of the Armed Forces to toxic substances, S.2264, to improve the emergency management capabilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.2309, to direct a physician or nurse practitioner employed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to certify the death of a veteran not later than 48 hours after such physician or nurse practitioner learns of such death, S.2328, to authorize the use of veterans educational assistance for examinations and assessments to receive credit toward degrees awarded by institutions of higher learning, S.2333, to require the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit supplementation of health records of deceased veterans, S.2397, to require implementation by the Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs of certain recommendations relating to the provision of health care through community care providers, S.2683, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer, S.2807, to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the applicability of the authority to reconsider decisions of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs or the Secretary of the Army to inter remains or honor the memory of a person in a national cemetery, S.2981, to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the provision of prosthetic and rehabilitative items and services by the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.3033, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish partnerships between medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs and medical facilities in rural areas, S.3119, to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make temporary lodging facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs available for members of the Armed Forces, other individuals on active duty, and family members of such individuals on a space-available basis, S.3138, to amend title 38, United States Code, to include adaptive prostheses and terminal devices for sports and other recreational activities in the medical services furnished to eligible veterans by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, S.3303, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to establish or enhance a community integration platform for services for veterans, to require the collection from veterans of information related to social determinants of health, S.3758, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make opioid overdose rescue medications available to veterans and their caregivers, and a committee resolution.

Veterans' Affairs Committee (senate)Mar 18, 2026

Video

Hearings to examine S.214, to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the rate of the special pension payable to Medal of Honor recipients, S.219, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to improve the ability of veterans to access medical care in medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs and in the community by providing veterans the ability to choose health care providers, S.506, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to coordinate, navigate, and manage care and benefits for veterans enrolled in both the Medicare program and the system of annual patient enrollment of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.585, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a pre-transition health care registration process to facilitate enrollment in the patient enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs by members of the Armed Forces who are separating from the Armed Forces, S.599, to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the mileage rate offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs through their Beneficiary Travel program for health related travel, S.605, to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the maximum age for children eligible for medical care under the CHAMPVA program, S.635, to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to recognize nurse registries for purposes of the Veterans Community Care Program, S.649, to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand eligibility for Post-9/11 Educational Assistance to members of the National Guard who perform certain full-time duty, S.778, to amend title 38, United States Code, to require a lactation space in each medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.784, to expand and modify the grant program of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide innovative transportation options to veterans in highly rural areas, S.800, to modify the Precision Medicine for Veterans Initiative of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.827, to extend and modify the transportation grant program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.879, to expand medical, employment, and other benefits for individuals serving as family caregivers for certain veterans, S.1318, to direct the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a program to identify American-Jewish servicemembers buried in United States military cemeteries overseas under markers that incorrectly represent their religion and heritage, S.1320, to direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take certain steps regarding research related to menopause, perimenopause, or mid-life women's health, S.1383, to establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, S.1441, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award grants to nonprofit entities to assist such entities in carrying out programs to provide service dogs to eligible veterans, S.1533, to amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent and codify the pilot program for use of contract physicians for disability examinations, S.1543, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration, and S.1591, to amend title 38, United States Code, to reorganize the acquisition structure of the Department of Veterans Affairs and to establish the Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation in the Department.

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Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2025

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

SPONSORSHIP

ACTION TIMELINE

BILL INFO

READER REACTIONS

Discussion

Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2025

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

DEADLINES & DATES

GLOSSARY

ACTION TIMELINE

SPONSORS

READER REACTIONS

What do you think?

Discussion

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