The AVIATE Act of 2025: Enabling Vocational Flight Training for Eligible Veterans

Direct Link: https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/BILLS-119s1614is

Introduction

The AVIATE Act of 2025 is a bill introduced in the United States Senate on May 6, 2025. The bill aims to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to approve rehabilitation programs for certain veterans with service-connected disabilities that include non-degree flight training programs.

Section 1: Short Title

This Act may be cited as the “Authorizing Vocational and Instructional Aviation Training for Eligible Veterans Act of 2025” or the “AVIATE Act of 2025”.

Section 2: Authority of Secretary of Veterans Affairs to Approve Non-Degree Flight Training Courses

Section 3104(b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended as follows:

(a) In General. — Section 3104(b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘A rehabilitation program’’;
by striking ‘‘To the maximum extent practicable’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as provided under paragraph (2), to the maximum extent practicable’’;
and adding at the end the following new paragraph:
(2) Notwithstanding section 3680A(b) of this title, the Secretary may approve a rehabilitation program for a veteran under this chapter that includes the pursuit of a course of flight training other than one given by an educational institution of higher learning for credit toward a standard college degree the veteran is seeking.’’.

Section 2 (b) Applicability

The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to a rehabilitation program approved on or after August 1, 2025.

“This Act may be cited as the ‘Authorizing Vocational and Instructional Aviation Training for Eligible Veterans Act of 2025’ or the ‘AVIATE Act of 2025’.”