[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1614 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1614

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of 
   Veterans Affairs to approve a rehabilitation program for certain 
 veterans with service-connected disabilities that include the pursuit 
    of non-degree flight training programs, and for other purposes.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 6, 2025

    Mr. Cruz (for himself, Mr. Budd, and Mr. Sheehy) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

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                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of 
   Veterans Affairs to approve a rehabilitation program for certain 
 veterans with service-connected disabilities that include the pursuit 
    of non-degree flight training programs, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Authorizing Vocational and 
Instructional Aviation Training for Eligible Veterans Act of 2025'' or 
the ``AVIATE Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIR TO APPROVE NON-DEGREE 
              FLIGHT TRAINING COURSES AS PART OF VOCATIONAL 
              REHABILITATION PROGRAMS FOR CERTAIN VETERANS WITH 
              SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITIES.

    (a) In General.--Section 3104(b) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(1)'' before ``A rehabilitation 
        program'';
            (2) by striking ``To the maximum extent practicable'' and 
        inserting ``Except as provided under paragraph (2), to the 
        maximum extent practicable''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(2) Notwithstanding section 3680A(b) of this title, the Secretary 
may approve a rehabilitation program for a veteran under this chapter 
that includes the pursuit of a course of flight training other than one 
given by an educational institution of higher learning for credit 
toward a standard college degree the veteran is seeking.''.
    (b) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to a rehabilitation program approved on or after 
August 1, 2025.
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