I
118THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. R. 291
To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that a member of the
Armed Forces, granted a general discharge under honorable conditions
on the sole basis that such member failed to obey a lawful order to
receive a vaccine for COVID–19, is eligible for certain educational assist-
ance administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY11, 2023
Mr. F
ITZGERALD(for himself, Mr. BOST, Mr. POSEY, Mr. CRENSHAW, Mr.
H
UIZENGA, Mr. BAIRD, Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS, Mr. JACKSONof Texas,
Mr. H
UNT, Mr. MOOREof Alabama, Mr. MAST, and Mr. GAETZ) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that a
member of the Armed Forces, granted a general dis-
charge under honorable conditions on the sole basis that
such member failed to obey a lawful order to receive
a vaccine for COVID–19, is eligible for certain edu-
cational assistance administered by the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Vaccine Discharge 2
Parity Act’’. 3
SEC. 2. CERTAIN EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR A MEM-4
BER OF THE ARMED FORCES GRANTED A 5
GENERAL DISCHARGE UNDER HONORABLE 6
CONDITIONS ON THE SOLE BASIS THAT SUCH 7
MEMBER FAILED TO OBEY A LAWFUL ORDER 8
TO RECEIVE A VACCINE FOR COVID–19. 9
(a) A
LL-VOLUNTEERFORCEEDUCATIONALASSIST-10
ANCE.—Section 3011(a)(3)(B) of title 38, United States 11
Code, is amended— 12
(1) by striking ‘‘an honorable discharge;’’ and 13
inserting an em dash; and 14
(2) by inserting at the end the following new 15
clauses: 16
‘‘(i) an honorable discharge; or 17
‘‘(ii) a general discharge under honor-18
able conditions on the sole basis that the 19
individual failed to obey a lawful order to 20
receive a vaccine for COVID–19;’’. 21
(b) P
OST-9/11 EDUCATIONALASSISTANCE.—Section 22
3311(c) of such title is amended by adding at the end the 23
following new paragraph: 24
‘‘(5) A general discharge under honorable con-25
ditions on the sole basis that the individual failed to 26
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•HR 291 IH
obey a lawful order to receive a vaccine for COVID– 1
19.’’. 2
(c) L
OANFEES.—The loan fee table in section 3
3729(b)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended 4
by striking ‘‘January 14, 2031’’ each place it appears and 5
inserting ‘‘March 1, 2031’’. 6
Æ
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