Congress·In Committee·S. 3993

Sen. Sheehy Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Boost GI Bill Benefits for Trade Apprenticeships

Reducing Arbitrary Barriers to Apprenticeship Act of 2026

16 days ago·View on Congress.gov

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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.
From policy text
“a monthly housing stipend equal to the monthly amount of the basic allowance for housing payable under section 403 of title 37 for a member with dependents in pay grade E-5 residing in the military housing area that encompasses all or the majority portion of the ZIP Code area in which is located the employer”
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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.
From policy text
“this chapter is 100 percent of the monthly educational assistance allowance otherwise payable to such individual under this chapter.”
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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.
From policy text
“Subclause (I) shall not apply to an individual pursuing a program of apprenticeship or other on-job training for an occupation that performs work classified in Sector 23 of the most recent publication of the North American Industry Classification System.”
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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.
From policy text
“Mr. Sheehy (for himself, Ms. Slotkin, Mr. Cramer, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Sullivan, and Mr. Gallego) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs”
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VeteransLabor EmploymentEducation

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Mar 4, 2026Senate

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

Mar 4, 2026

Introduced in Senate

Related News

1 article

RiverBender.com·9 days ago

Duckworth Helps Lead Bipartisan Push to Increase Veterans' Access to Benefits, Encourage Participation in Apprenticeship Programs

Senators introduced the Reducing Arbitrary Barriers to Apprenticeship Act to cut red tape for veterans. The bill addresses the current 20% reduction in housing stipends every six months and the 120-hour monthly work requirement that penalizes those in seasonal trades.

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