This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/money/us-money-blog/2014/feb/06/gi-bill-strange-tuiition-surveillance-disease
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| The new GI Bill's strangest provisions: from surveillance to diseases | The new GI Bill's strangest provisions: from surveillance to diseases |
| (7 months later) | |
| Earlier this week, the House voted to pass the GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act of 2013, which will save some veterans up to 200% of college tuition. The bill, which passed with 390 yeas and no nays, seeks to extend in-state tuition to veterans attending public US colleges. However, the bill doesn't just tackle tuition for veterans. There are a lot of quirky policies tacked onto it, including the mysterious case of the serviceman whose smoke detector was replaced with a camera. | |
| But before we get to the fun stuff, here's what the GI bill does for veterans. Congressman Jeff Miller, chairman of the House committee on veteran's affair who introduced the bill, referred to it as "a win for taxpayers as well as veterans". | But before we get to the fun stuff, here's what the GI bill does for veterans. Congressman Jeff Miller, chairman of the House committee on veteran's affair who introduced the bill, referred to it as "a win for taxpayers as well as veterans". |
| If the bill were to pass into law, it would require public schools to extend in-state tuition to all veterans who have applied to college within three years of being discharged from active duty. The applicants will also have to prove intent to become residents of the state where the school is located. Those savings are significant for the veterans. In Miller's floor remarks prior to the vote, the Florida lawmaker referred to the College Board's findings that the average non-resident tuition rate at public four-year schools is $21,706 while for residents, that price is a much more modest $8,655. | If the bill were to pass into law, it would require public schools to extend in-state tuition to all veterans who have applied to college within three years of being discharged from active duty. The applicants will also have to prove intent to become residents of the state where the school is located. Those savings are significant for the veterans. In Miller's floor remarks prior to the vote, the Florida lawmaker referred to the College Board's findings that the average non-resident tuition rate at public four-year schools is $21,706 while for residents, that price is a much more modest $8,655. |
| Currently, 20 states have state laws providing student veterans with an in-state residency waiver, and eight provide student veterans with an in-state residency waiver through their school systems, according to Student Veterans of America. Twelve more states have legislation pending. | Currently, 20 states have state laws providing student veterans with an in-state residency waiver, and eight provide student veterans with an in-state residency waiver through their school systems, according to Student Veterans of America. Twelve more states have legislation pending. |
| Now that the GI Bill's good works are covered, here are five other non-tuition policies in the bill that might make you crook an eyebrow. | Now that the GI Bill's good works are covered, here are five other non-tuition policies in the bill that might make you crook an eyebrow. |
| Section 14: Veterans privacy | Section 14: Veterans privacy |
| Miller himself introduced section 14 of the bill, called the Veterans Privacy Act. He told the story of a brain-dead veteran who was filmed without permission while staying at a veteran hospital in Tampa, Florida- filmed, that is, by a camera disguised as a smoke detector. Miller said that when he inquired about the hospital's legal authority to install a camera disguised as a smoke detector without a patient's consent, the reply was that the hidden camera didn't violate the law. | |
| Section 14 of the GI Bill looks to change that. The section demands that "any visual recording made by the secretary [of Veteran Affairs] of a patient during the course of furnishing care under this title is carried out only with the full and informed consent of the patient or, in appropriate cases, a representative thereof." | Section 14 of the GI Bill looks to change that. The section demands that "any visual recording made by the secretary [of Veteran Affairs] of a patient during the course of furnishing care under this title is carried out only with the full and informed consent of the patient or, in appropriate cases, a representative thereof." |
| Section 13: Infectious diseases | Section 13: Infectious diseases |
| The secretary of veteran affairs must make sure to notify appropriate entities about "each case of a notifiable infectious disease or condition that is diagnosed" at a veterans administration medical facility. This doesn't seem remarkable until you start wondering: weren't they doing that before? | The secretary of veteran affairs must make sure to notify appropriate entities about "each case of a notifiable infectious disease or condition that is diagnosed" at a veterans administration medical facility. This doesn't seem remarkable until you start wondering: weren't they doing that before? |
| But it may also be a good thing for the rest of us. The Centers for Disease Control could use the kind of data that VA hospitals hold onto. According to not-so-recent research, veterans affairs is one of the largest healthcare systems in the country – and infectious diseases occur much more frequently among veterans, including everything from AIDS to tuberculosis. | But it may also be a good thing for the rest of us. The Centers for Disease Control could use the kind of data that VA hospitals hold onto. According to not-so-recent research, veterans affairs is one of the largest healthcare systems in the country – and infectious diseases occur much more frequently among veterans, including everything from AIDS to tuberculosis. |
| Section 11: Performance awards | Section 11: Performance awards |
| Wall Street, it's not. If the bill were to be enacted into law in its current form, the secretary won't be able to give out any performance awards (read: bonuses) for the next four years. | Wall Street, it's not. If the bill were to be enacted into law in its current form, the secretary won't be able to give out any performance awards (read: bonuses) for the next four years. |
| Section 10: Pinching pennies … literally. | Section 10: Pinching pennies … literally. |
| You know that Keep the Change savings program at Bank of America? The one where all your purchases are rounded up and the extra change goes into your savings account? | You know that Keep the Change savings program at Bank of America? The one where all your purchases are rounded up and the extra change goes into your savings account? |
| Well, section 10 of GI Bill is like that. Except for rounding up, all veterans' compensation increased under Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2013 will be rounded down to the next whole dollar amount. And the extra change? The government gets to keep it. The national piggy bank will grow at the expense of veterans. | Well, section 10 of GI Bill is like that. Except for rounding up, all veterans' compensation increased under Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2013 will be rounded down to the next whole dollar amount. And the extra change? The government gets to keep it. The national piggy bank will grow at the expense of veterans. |
| Section 5: Jobs for more veterans | Section 5: Jobs for more veterans |
| The Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program was initially designed to help homeless veterans find "meaningful employment". The new GI Bill is looking to expand the eligibility pool for the program by opening the program to veterans participating in VA's supported housing programs and veterans who recently got out of jail as well as homeless veterans. | The Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program was initially designed to help homeless veterans find "meaningful employment". The new GI Bill is looking to expand the eligibility pool for the program by opening the program to veterans participating in VA's supported housing programs and veterans who recently got out of jail as well as homeless veterans. |
| Over the past few years, VA has been on a noble mission to end veteran homelessness by 2015. So far, the department has made significant progress, going from 76,329 in 2010 to 57,849 homeless veterans in January 2013. | Over the past few years, VA has been on a noble mission to end veteran homelessness by 2015. So far, the department has made significant progress, going from 76,329 in 2010 to 57,849 homeless veterans in January 2013. |
| Homelessness doesn't exist on its own, however. It's usually preceded by jail. In a speech this past December, Secretary Eric Shinseki said that nearly 58,000 veterans "are estimated to be homeless on any given night. I am told that incarceration is the number one predictor of homelessness." | Homelessness doesn't exist on its own, however. It's usually preceded by jail. In a speech this past December, Secretary Eric Shinseki said that nearly 58,000 veterans "are estimated to be homeless on any given night. I am told that incarceration is the number one predictor of homelessness." |
| One in 10 American prisoners have previously served in the US armed forces, according to the most recent data released by Bureau of Justice Statistics. About 140,000 veterans were held in US prisons in 2004, down from 153,100 in 2000. |