Sgt. Isaac Woodard, Jr. and Sgt. Joseph H. Maddox GI Bill Restoration Act of 2023

Sgt. Isaac Woodard, Jr. and Sgt. Joseph H. Maddox GI Bill Restoration Act of 2023

This bill expands eligibility for Post-9/11 GI bill benefits and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) home loan program by updating terminology related to certain Black veterans. Specifically, the bill explicitly includes the following individuals as eligible veterans under the programs:

• Black veterans who served on active duty during World War II and can certify they were denied a specific benefit on the basis of race; and
• the living surviving spouses, children, grandchildren, or other direct descendants of such veterans described above who can certify the veteran was denied a specific benefit on the basis of race.
  

Eligible veterans must apply for educational or home loan benefits within the five-year period after the bill is enacted.

The Government Accountability Office must report on the number of individuals who received VA educational or housing loan benefits due to the amendments made by the bill and the total value of such benefits.

Finally, the VA must appoint a panel of independent experts to develop recommendations regarding additional benefits and assistance for female and minority members of the Armed Forces.

The Sgt. Isaac Woodard, Jr. and Sgt. Joseph H. Maddox GI Bill Restoration Act of 2023, also known as Bill 118 s 3257, is a piece of legislation introduced in the US Congress. The bill aims to restore GI Bill benefits to two African American World War II veterans, Sgt. Isaac Woodard, Jr. and Sgt. Joseph H. Maddox, who were denied these benefits due to racial discrimination.

Sgt. Isaac Woodard, Jr. was a decorated war hero who was brutally beaten and blinded by a police officer while traveling home from his military service. Despite his sacrifice for his country, he was denied GI Bill benefits that would have helped him rebuild his life.

Sgt. Joseph H. Maddox also faced discrimination and was denied GI Bill benefits after returning from his service in World War II. This bill seeks to rectify these injustices by restoring their benefits and providing them with the support they deserve. The Sgt. Isaac Woodard, Jr. and Sgt. Joseph H. Maddox GI Bill Restoration Act of 2023 is an important step towards addressing the historical injustices faced by African American veterans and ensuring that all veterans receive the benefits they have earned through their service to our country.