Bipartisan legislation cosponsored by 5th District Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty to expand and improve veterans’ GI Bill benefits has passed the House unanimously.

The legislation eliminates the 15-year limit for veterans to use their education benefits after leaving military service.  It also ensures that all Purple Heart recipients, regardless of their length of service, are able to access GI Bill benefits.  It also eases eligibility requirements for National Guard members and Reservists, who often don’t qualify for benefits under existing law.

She says the military is changing and the GI Bill needs to change with it.

Esty is a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and says the legislation represents the biggest expansion of veterans’ educational benefits in a decade.