Washington - A bipartisan group of lawmakers have unveiled their plan to modernize the Montgomery GI Bill.  Their legislation seeks to more effectively support the Armed Forces' efforts of recruiting, retention, and help veterans transition into civilian careers after service. 
 
The proposed "Total Force Educational Assistance Enhancement and Integration Act of 2007" is a comprehensive concept that would ensure that members of the Selected Reserve and National Guard receive educational benefits that are proportionate to their increased service to the nation. 

One of the most significant aspects of the bill is that it would allow servicemembers who have been activated for more than 90 days to use their benefits after they leave the service.  This "portability" is important, as the current law does not allow REAP to be used after a member leaves the service, which means that many veterans forfeit their benefits when they leave the military.

American Legion National Commander Paul A. Morin explains the importance of portability, “Today's National Guard and Reserve members are so busy training and deploying that they have little time to actually use their MGIB benefits.  Their ability to use the benefits while serving is curtailed because of repeated deployments and denied entirely once they finish their service.”

In addition the new law would combine the current MGIB for Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) and the Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP) benefits into a single program, eliminating the current confusion, which often causes servicemembers to miss out on their benefits.

Although the proposed bill does not address any of the numerous issues and concerns associated with the current Montgomery GI Bill for Active Duty (MGIB-AD), it is a step toward closing the gap between the Selected Reserve and Active Duty programs.

This new legislation is the second introduced by Congress this year.  Senator Jim Webb's bill S.22, introduced in January, would offer an additional GI Bill program for Selected Reserve and National Guard rather than restructuring the current programs.  You can read more about Sen. Webb's plan at: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,125505,00.html.