Sponsors (34)
The bill expands and better compensates paid work‑study opportunities for veterans and students and increases administrative transparency, but it raises program costs and administrative burdens that could reduce available positions or strain smaller host organizations.
Veterans and student participants will be paid at least the highest applicable minimum wage (federal GS/FWS, state, or local), increasing earnings for participants in higher‑wage areas.
Veterans and service members will have expanded access to paid work‑study positions at state and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations, increasing employment and training opportunities.
Veterans, host supervisors, and public administrators will benefit from electronic timesheets and supervisor approval, which simplify payroll processing and reduce administrative delays.
State and local agencies, nonprofits, and the program overall may see higher costs from the required wage floor, which could force reductions in the number of paid positions if budgets are fixed.
Host organizations unfamiliar with federal pay definitions may face complexity and higher payroll liabilities from tying wages to federal GS/FWS minima, creating compliance and cost risks.
Smaller nonprofits and local agencies may incur additional administrative and IT costs to implement electronic timesheets and meet reporting requirements, burdening limited budgets.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Expands eligible VA work-study host organizations, sets the allowance floor as the highest federal/state/local rate, requires electronic timekeeping, and mandates annual public reporting.
Introduced November 10, 2025 by April McClain Delaney · Last progress November 10, 2025
Expands who can host VA work-study participants and raises the minimum wage floor used to calculate their allowances. It requires electronic timekeeping and supervisor approval, and mandates annual public reporting of participant counts, demographics, activities, wages, hours, and participating schools. Changes to wage rules, timekeeping, and reporting apply to work-study allowance payments made on or after January 1, 2028.