June 13, 2025 - Attorney General Miyares Leads Coalition of 52 AGs to Protect Veterans’ Education Benefits

Attorney General Miyares Leads Coalition of 52 AGs to Protect Veterans’ Education Benefits

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares today led a bipartisan coalition of 51 other attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, standing in support with military veterans and their families who were denied full G.I. Bill education benefits by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). 

“Our veterans kept their promise to defend our nation. The federal government has a legal and moral obligation to keep its promise to them,” said Attorney General Jason Miyares. “The VA knows better than to defy a clear Supreme Court ruling, and all attorneys general in America expect them to do the right thing and award Lieutenant Colonel Yoon the full benefits he earned by fighting for our country.” 

The case, Yoon v. Collins, centers on Lieutenant Colonel Paul Yoon, a decorated Virginia Army veteran who served nearly 24 years, including deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo. Despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Rudisill v. McDonough, the VA continues to deny LTC Yoon full G.I. Bill education benefits and has blocked him from transferring those benefits to his daughter.

In Rudisill, the Supreme Court held that veterans who qualify under both the Montgomery and Post-9/11 GI Bills are entitled to 48 months of combined education benefits based on their total length of service. The VA’s refusal to apply that ruling to LTC Yoon’s case directly contradicts the Supreme Court’s decision and undermines the federal government’s commitment to those who have served.

The Commonwealth has invested heavily in state veterans programs, but the GI Bill remains a critical federal benefit that cannot be replaced by state efforts alone. Attorney General Miyares remains committed to fighting for those who fought for us, ensuring that all veterans in the Commonwealth and across the nation receive the full scope of benefits they deserve.

Virginia Attorney General Miyares’ brief was joined by the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Read the brief here. 

# # #