LAS VEGAS, NV – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), held a roundtable with student veterans from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) to discuss issues that student veterans are facing during the coronavirus pandemic.
“This pandemic created challenges that have impacted our communities, including Nevada’s student veteran community,” said Senator Rosen. “In Congress, I’ve worked to pass bipartisan legislation to expand housing benefits to student veterans taking part in remote learning during the pandemic, and I’ve been proud to introduce bipartisan legislation that supports student veterans by increasing access to housing, providing assistance obtaining employment, navigating the GI Bill, and reducing the suicide rate among veterans. I will continue working in Congress to ensure that our student veterans receive the support they need now and in the future.”
BACKGROUND: Last month, Senator Rosen introduced the VA Zero Suicide Demonstration Project Act, a bipartisan bill that would build upon the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) strong suicide prevention efforts by implementing a Zero Suicide Initiative pilot program at five VA medical centers across the nation, one of which must serve primarily veterans who live in rural and remote areas.
Last year, Senator Rosen introduced the Hire Student Veterans Act, bipartisan legislation to expand the existing Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) to ensure that all student veterans using their GI benefits can take advantage of paid internships or work opportunities while in school.
Senator Rosen also introduced the GI Bill Planning Act of 2019, bipartisan legislation to provide military enlistees additional time to pick their preferred GI Bill education benefits plan, instead of having to do so at arrival at Basic Training, which is a chaotic environment with little opportunity for recruits to make an informed decision about their future.
Senator Rosen is a co-sponsor of S. 3503, a bipartisan bill to authorize the VA to cover the housing costs of student veterans taking part in distance learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This bill was signed into law in March 2020.
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