Today, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) voted with a bipartisan majority to pass the Forever G.I. Bill, a sweeping expansion of veterans education benefits. The Forever G.I. Bill includes a provision written by Rep. Peters to make all Purple Heart recipients eligible for full education benefits, regardless of their length of active-duty service. As included in the Forever G.I. Bill, Rep. Peters’ legislation will help an estimated 660 Purple Heart veterans per year pursue a college degree or job training.

The Forever GI Bill would also end the 15-year time limit on using GI Bill education benefits for new enlistees, provide greater parity for National Guardsmen and reservists, allow veterans to use their benefits on a greater variety of programs including STEM and technical training, and restore benefits to veterans who attend colleges that shut down in the middle of a semester – including for those veterans who were disrupted by the ITT Tech and Corinthian closures last year. The bill now moves to the Senate, were an identical version is expected to pass quickly and be sent to the President’s desk.

“At our time of greatest need, Purple Heart heroes fought and bled for us. As far as I am concerned, their battle scars meet the service requirement; they have unquestionably earned these benefits, and now they are going to get them,” said Rep. Scott Peters. “The Forever GI Bill modernizes veterans education benefits for the new economy – giving San Diego veterans greater flexibility to use their benefits for the educational opportunities they need, when they need them. This will strengthen veterans education benefits for this generation of veterans and generations to come.”