PRIA Logo™
117-hr-2523117th CongressWALLET

THRIVE Act

Sponsored By: Representative Levin, Mike [D-CA-49]

Became Law

Summary

Revamps VRRAP to target training at verified high-demand occupations and to link benefits to job placement and measurable outcomes. It adds mandatory placement services, follow-up contacts, nonprofit partnerships, and stricter reporting and program limits.

Show full summary
  • Veterans: The VA must notify participants about job-placement services within 30 days of starting and help arrange placement within 14 days after they finish or leave training. The VA will also contact veterans at 30, 60, 90, and 180 days to track employment and gather feedback.
  • Program rules and oversight: The VA will use a high-demand occupations list prepared with the Secretary of Labor, may add or remove occupations, and must provide quarterly reports to congressional Veterans' Affairs committees on employment rates, median earnings, and credential attainment. The law also bars retraining payments for programs that begin on or after December 11, 2022.
  • Employer and nonprofit links: The VA must seek memoranda of understanding with qualified nonprofit business associations that have at least two years of veteran job-placement experience to help place participants.

*Caps VRRAP obligations and expenditures at $386 million, setting a firm spending limit for the program.*

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.

Stronger protections at VA approved schools

The law bans schools and their contractors from paying commissions or bonuses tied to getting enrollments or financial aid. The VA can suspend approval for new VA students or revoke approval for all VA students when schools break rules. Two years after enactment, the VA’s school search adds whether a school is religious, minority‑serving, or gender‑specific. One year after enactment, a state cannot run or colocate its approving agency inside a university it oversees. It also applies past conversion rules to for‑profit schools that switch to public status.

Missed check-ins pause VA housing stipend

The VA requires students using VA education benefits to verify enrollment every month in a VA-set electronic form. Schools must also verify enrollment electronically after enrollment and after the drop date. If you miss two months in a row, your monthly housing stipend stops until you verify.

Veteran retraining limits and job help

The law changes the COVID-19 veteran retraining program. It expands “veteran” to include some reserve members who served 30+ days for the emergency. Total program spending is capped at $386 million. No payments are allowed for programs that start on or after December 11, 2022. Programs taken only online at half-time or less are excluded. The VA must give outreach, job placement help, and check-ins at 30, 60, 90, and 180 days. Labor reports start quarterly one year after enactment, and a final outcomes report is due after the program ends.

New timing rule for VA grants

The law treats a grant rule as effective now but applies it only to grant applications filed two years after enactment.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Levin, Mike [D-CA-49]

CA • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Bost, Mike [R-IL-12]

    IL • R

    Sponsored 4/14/2021

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation