Central ND News

On January 5, 2021, the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 was enacted. This legislation expanded eligibility for the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) home loan program to include servicemembers in the National Guard and Reserves who have performed "full-time National Guard duty" for at least 90 days.

However, following the law's enactment, an unintended gap in the legislation has emerged. The current law does not fully incorporate time spent in active-duty training, such as Special Forces or Aviation. Consequently, certain National Guard and Reserves service members have been denied access to the VA home loan benefit.

In response to this issue, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), along with U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), introduced the Expanding Home Loans for Guard and Reservists Act. This proposed legislation aims to correct the eligibility standards for a VA Home Loan so that individuals who performed active duty for training can receive the benefits they earned.

Senator Cramer stated: “Our guard and reservists answer the call and drop everything to serve our country when needed most. While Congress intended each of them to access these benefits when we expanded the program, a technical error stands in the way. Our bill corrects the flaw within the program to ensure eligible servicemembers can actually utilize the VA Home Loan benefit they’ve earned.”

Echoing similar sentiments, Senator Shaheen said: “Our nation’s housing affordability crisis has widespread impacts, including on National Guard Members and Reservists who have bravely served our country. By closing this eligibility loophole, the legislation would ensure that all of our veterans and service members can use VA home loans to access affordable housing options.”

The full text of this proposed bill is available here.