Reducing Arbitrary Barriers to Apprenticeship Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill eliminates provisions in veterans education programs that pay less for apprenticeships and on-the-job training than for traditional college. It amends the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the All-Volunteer Force program, and Selected Reserve benefits to ensure veterans get full benefits regardless of which path they choose.
• For Post-9/11 GI Bill users in apprenticeships, the bill sets the housing stipend at the full E-5 with dependents rate for the entire training period, ending the current system where the stipend decreases over time as the apprentice progresses.
• For the older Montgomery GI Bill and Selected Reserve programs, the bill raises the monthly education allowance for apprenticeships to 100% of the standard rate, removing the tiered reduction that currently pays less as training continues.
• The bill waives monthly minimum attendance requirements for veterans in construction apprenticeships, recognizing that construction work is often seasonal or weather-dependent. This applies across all three benefit programs.
• The bill has bipartisan support, introduced by a mix of Republican and Democratic senators including Sheehy, Slotkin, Cramer, Duckworth, Sullivan, and Gallego, and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.