Sec. 203. Educational assistance during extended school closures due to natural disasters
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Section 3680 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: An individual described in paragraph
(2)shall be entitled to a monthly stipend in the amount to which the individual would be entitled were the individual pursuing a course of education at an institution of higher education through resident training but for a school closure described under paragraph (4). An individual described in this paragraph is an individual pursuing a course of education at an institution of higher education using educational assistance under chapter 32, 33, 34, or 35 of this title, who— is forced to discontinue pursuing such course at such institution by reason of a school closure described under paragraph (4); and opts to— pursue that course of education solely by distance learning; or pursue an alternative course of education solely by distance learning. The duration of the monthly stipends payable to an individual under paragraph
(1)shall be the shorter of the following: The period of time necessary to complete the quarter, semester, term or academic period during which the school closure described in paragraph
(4)occurs. Four months. A school closure described in this paragraph is the closure of an institution of higher education— by reason of a natural disaster; for a period of time that— the institution confirms will last for four weeks or longer; or the institution describes as indefinite and that endures for a period of four weeks or longer; and that the Secretary confirms is covered for purposes of this subsection. In this subsection, the term natural disaster means a specific weather event or earth process, including a hurricane, tornado, wildfire or forest fire, earthquake, avalanche, mudslide, hailstorm, thunderstorm, lightning storm, freeze, blizzard, sinkhole, or other disastrous event that occurs as a result of such an event or process, that the President or the governor of a State declares a natural disaster. No charge shall be made to the entitlement of any individual to educational assistance under chapter 32, 33, 34, or 35 of this title by reason of a payment under this subsection. .