Sgt. Isaac Woodard, Jr. and Sgt. Joseph H. Maddox GI Bill Restoration Act of 2025

# Summary of HR 1725: Sgt. Isaac Woodard, Jr. and Sgt. Joseph H. Maddox GI Bill Restoration Act of 2025 **What the Bill Does:** This bill would expand veterans' benefits to address historical racial discrimination in the GI Bill program and VA home loan program. Specifically, it would make Black veterans who served on active duty in World War II—and were denied benefits because of their race—newly eligible for Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits and VA home loans.

The bill would also extend these benefits to the living descendants (spouses, children, grandchildren) of such veterans if they can document that their veteran ancestor was discriminated against. Eligible individuals would have five years from the bill's enactment to apply for these benefits. **Who It Affects:** This bill targets a specific group: Black World War II veterans who faced racial discrimination and were denied benefits, plus their direct living descendants. It's a corrective measure acknowledging that some veterans were denied education and housing benefits due to race during an era when the GI Bill was not equally administered to all service members. **Key Provisions and Current Status:** The bill requires the Government Accountability Office to report on how many people received benefits under these new provisions. Currently, the bill is in committee and has not yet been voted on by the full House of Representatives. It was introduced by Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) in the 119th Congress.