{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-tester-introduce-legislation-to-streamline-education-benefits-for-veterans-", "Rounds, Tester Introduce Legislation to Streamline Education Benefits for Veterans", "2019-07-29", "2019", "2019-07", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) are introducing bipartisan legislation to provide timelier education benefits to student veterans across the country.\n\nExcessive bureaucracy at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has caused significant delays in education benefits to veterans participating in the VA Work-Study Allowance Program. The program allows student veterans\u2014 whether on campus, at VA facilities or at other veteran-centered organizations\u2014 to earn money at a second job while getting an education.\n\nRounds and Testers\u2019G.I. Bill Work Study Improvement Act of 2019 streamlines the processing and administration of VA benefits through the VA Work-Study Allowance Program, providing veterans with timelier benefits.\n\n\u201cFor years, the VA\u2019s work-study program has been a great benefit to veterans seeking to help other veterans through on-the-job training,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cBut under the current system, many students are waiting weeks to get paid for their work, and some aren\u2019t receiving paychecks at all due to administrative delays in processing at the VA. Our legislation streamlines the program to make certain student workers are getting paid on-time and in-full. Work-study programs are a great way to earn some extra cash while working toward a degree. Our bill makes improvements to the VA\u2019s work-study program to better serve the needs of our service members transitioning into civilian life.\u201d\n\n\u201cStudent veterans often work multiple jobs to make ends meet, and we should be making it easier, not harder, for them to access the benefits they\u2019re owed by the VA,\u201d said Tester. \u201cOur bipartisan bill cuts down bureaucratic inefficiencies and invests in our future by getting Montana veterans better access to the benefits they need while they get an education.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, the G.I. Bill Work Study Improvement Act reforms the process and manner in which work-study payments are made to participating student veterans. It also authorizes payments to schools based on their usage of work-study funds from previous semesters.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:32:25Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-tester-introduce-legislation-to-streamline-education-benefits-for-veterans-"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5016859397292137, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}