The U.S. House has passed a bill authored by 4th District Congressman Jim Himes.  The SERVE Act, Securing Electronic Records for Veteran’s Ease, will be taken up by the Senate in the coming days. 

The measure  would make it easier for veterans to secure housing by requiring the Department of Veteran Affairs to make documentation of Post 9/11 GI Bill monthly housing stipend accessible and available online. Student veterans will use this documentation to provide needed verification to housing agents, leasing companies, apartment managers, and landlords.  The difficulty student veterans face with housing stipends was brought up through conversations with student veterans throughout Southwest Connecticut. Nicholas Quinzi, a Marine and founder of the Student Veterans Club at Sacred Heart University, expressed that his top priority would be fixing the lack of verification for the monthly housing stipend.

The SERVE Act had previously passed the House of Representatives in 2017, but no action was taken in the Senate.