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HB2240 - 572R - H Ver
House Engrossed
tuition waiver;
children; veterans; disabilities
State of Arizona
House of Representatives
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
HOUSE BILL 2240
AN
ACT
amending section 15-1808, Arizona Revised
Statutes; amending title 15, chapter 14, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes,
by adding section 15-1809.03; appropriating monies; relating to student
tuition.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 15-1808, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE
15-1808.
Tuition waiver scholarships; eligibility; definitions
A. The Arizona board of regents, after verification
by the Arizona peace officers memorial board, by the Arizona fallen firefighter
memorial committee, by the adjutant general of the national guard or by the
Arizona department of veterans' services that a person is a child or the spouse
of a peace officer, correctional officer, firefighter, emergency paramedic,
national guard member or member of the United States armed forces who was a
resident of the state of Arizona or stationed in Arizona and who was killed in
the line of duty or who died from injuries suffered in the line of duty while
traveling to or from duty, shall provide the person who qualifies under
subsection D of this section and who otherwise meets the qualifications for
admission with a tuition waiver scholarship at any university under the
jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents.� A district as defined in
section 15-1401, after verification by the Arizona peace officers
memorial board, by the Arizona fallen firefighter memorial committee, by the
adjutant general of the national guard or by the Arizona department of
veterans' services that a person is the child or the spouse of a peace officer,
correctional officer, firefighter, emergency paramedic, national guard member
or member of the United States armed forces who was a resident of Arizona or
stationed in Arizona and who was killed in the line of duty or who died from
injuries suffered in the line of duty while traveling to or from duty, shall
provide the person who qualifies under subsection D of this section and who
otherwise meets the qualifications for admission with a tuition waiver
scholarship at any community college under the jurisdiction of the district.
B. The Arizona board of regents, after verification
by the Arizona peace officers memorial board, the Arizona fallen firefighter
memorial committee or the department of veterans' services that a person is a
child or the spouse of a person who meets the requirements prescribed in
subsection C of this section, shall provide the person who qualifies under
subsection D of this section and who otherwise meets the qualifications for
admission with a tuition waiver scholarship at any university under the
jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents. A district as defined
in section 15-1401, after verification by the Arizona peace officers
memorial board, the Arizona fallen firefighter memorial committee or the
department of veterans' services that a person is a child or the spouse of a
person who meets the requirements prescribed in subsection C of this section,
shall provide the person who qualifies under subsection D of this section and
who otherwise meets the qualifications for admission with a tuition waiver scholarship
at any community college under the jurisdiction of the
district. Notwithstanding section 15-1809, if sufficient
monies are available, the Arizona board of regents shall distribute surplus
monies that were appropriated to the spouses of military veterans tuition
scholarship fund established by section 15-1809 to each university under
the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents for the costs associated with
the tuition waiver scholarships provided pursuant to this subsection.
C. To be eligible for a tuition waiver scholarship
under subsection B of this section, the applicant must be the child or spouse
of a person who meets all of the following criteria:
1. Was a veteran of the United States armed forces
or was serving or previously served as a peace officer, a firefighter or a
member of the United States armed forces at the time of the person's
death. It is not a requirement for the purposes of this paragraph
that the person was employed as a peace officer or firefighter or was serving
on active duty as a member of the United States armed forces at the time of the
person's death.
2. Was a resident of this state at the time of the
person's death.
3. Suffered a post-traumatic stress injury in
the line of duty. Documentation that the peace officer or firefighter at any point
received a disability pension under section 38-844 for a post-traumatic
stress injury or benefits under title 38, chapter 5, article 4.2 for a post-traumatic
stress injury is prima facie evidence that the peace officer or firefighter met
the requirements of this paragraph. A discharge or other document
from the United States armed forces showing that the member or veteran of the
United States armed forces was discharged because of or suffered from a post-traumatic
stress injury, or documentation from the United States department of veterans
affairs showing that the member or veteran suffered from a post-traumatic
stress injury, is prima facie evidence that the member or veteran met the
requirements of this paragraph.
4. Died by suicide.
D. The tuition waiver scholarships shall be limited
to children who are thirty years of age or younger or a spouse who has not
remarried and shall be limited for a spouse or for any one child to not more
than sixty-four credit hours at Arizona community colleges and a total
number of credits including any transfer credits from an Arizona community
college equal to the number of credits required for a baccalaureate degree at
Arizona universities for that student's initially declared course of study.
E. A member of the Arizona national guard who
received a purple heart citation on or after September 11, 2001 or a former
member of the Arizona national guard who was medically discharged from the
Arizona national guard due to an injury or disability suffered during status
under title 10, United States Code, in weekend training status, in annual
training status or in response to a state of emergency declared by the governor
is eligible for a tuition waiver scholarship provided for in this section.
F. The Arizona board of regents, after verification
by the Arizona department of veterans' services that a person is a member or
former member of the United States armed forces who received a purple heart
citation, who was a resident of the state of Arizona or was stationed in
Arizona at the time of the injury that resulted in the purple heart citation
and whose disability rating determined by the United States department of
veterans affairs is fifty percent or more, shall provide the person who
otherwise meets the qualifications for admission with a tuition waiver
scholarship at any university under the jurisdiction of the board. A district
as defined in section 15-1401, after verification by the Arizona
department of veterans' services that a person is a member or former member of
the United States armed forces who received a purple heart citation, who was a
resident of the state of Arizona or was stationed in Arizona at the time of the
injury that resulted in the purple heart citation and whose disability rating
determined by the United States department of veterans affairs is fifty percent
or more, shall provide the person who otherwise meets the qualifications for
admission with a tuition waiver scholarship at any community college under the
jurisdiction of the district. A person who is convicted of a class
1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 felony is ineligible for a tuition waiver scholarship as
provided in this subsection.
G.
in addition
to the tuition waiver scholarships provided pursuant to this section, The
Arizona board of regents
may provide a tuition
scholarship to a child or a dependent of a member or a former member of the
armed forces of the United States whose disability rating determined
by the United States department of veterans affairs is thirty percent or more
and who is a resident of this state or was stationed in this state at the time
of the injury that resulted in the disability rating,
subject
to the requirements prescribed by section 15-1809.03.
G.
H.
For
the purposes of this section:
1. "Correctional officer" means a person,
other than an elected official, who is employed by this state or a county, city
or town and who is responsible for the supervision, protection, care, custody
or control of inmates in a state, county or municipal correctional institution,
including counselors but excluding secretarial, clerical and professionally
trained personnel.
2. "Emergency paramedic" means a person
who has been trained in an emergency paramedic training program certified by
the director of the department of health services or in an equivalent training
program and who is certified by the director of the department of health
services to render services pursuant to section 36-2205.
3. "Firefighter" means a professional
firefighter who is a member of a state, federal, tribal, city, county, district
or private fire department.
4. "Peace officer" means a county sheriff,
a constable, a marshal, a police officer of a city or town, an individual who
is commissioned by the department of public safety and a police officer who is
appointed by a community college district governing board or the Arizona board
of regents who received a certificate from the Arizona peace officer standards
and training board, and any other state, federal, tribal, city or county
officer who is vested by law with a duty to maintain public order and make
arrests.
END_STATUTE
Sec. 2. Title 15, chapter 14, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-1809.03, to read:
START_STATUTE
15-1809.03.
Dependents of military personnel tuition scholarship fund;
eligibility; requirements
A. The dependents of military
personnel tuition scholarship fund is established consisting of legislative
appropriations.� The Arizona board of regents shall administer the fund.�
Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated and are exempt from the
provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of
appropriations. On notice from the Arizona board of regents, the
state treasurer shall invest and divest monies in the fund as provided by
section 35-313, and monies earned from investment shall be credited to
the fund.� Subject to available monies, the Arizona board of regents shall use
the monies in the fund to award tuition scholarships on a first-come,
first-served basis to any individual who meets all of the following
requirements:
1. Is the child or dependent of a
member or a former member of the armed forces of the United States who both:
(
a
) Is
determined by the United States department of veterans affairs to have a
disability rating of at least thirty percent.
(
b
) Either:
(
i
) Is a
resident of this state.
(
ii
) Was
stationed in this state at the time of the injury that resulted in the
disability rating.
2. Provides to the Arizona board of
regents documentation from the department of veterans' services that verifies
that the individual meets the requirements prescribed by paragraph 1 of this
subsection.
3. Is enrolled as a full-time
student in either:
(
a
) A
university under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents.
(
b
) A community
college as defined in section 15-1401.
4. Completed and submitted a free
application for federal student aid before each year in which the individual
receives a tuition scholarship pursuant to this section.
5. Is a resident of this state.
6. Has not been convicted of a
felony.
7. Has not obtained more than a total
of sixty-four credit hours at community colleges in this state.
8. Has not obtained a total number of
postsecondary education credits, including transfer credits, that meets or
exceeds the number of credits required for a baccalaureate degree at a
university under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents for the
individual's initially declared course of study.
B. The Arizona board of regents:
1. May not award a tuition
scholarship under this section to any individual for more than four academic
years or eight semesters.
2. If there are insufficient monies
in the fund, may not award a tuition scholarship to an individual who is
eligible pursuant to this section.
3. May award a tuition scholarship to
an individual who is eligible pursuant to this section in an amount that does
not exceed the individual's actual cost of in-state tuition and fees minus the
amount of any federal aid scholarships, public grants or other financial gifts,
grants or aid that the individual receives for the same term.
END_STATUTE
Sec. 3.
Appropriation;
dependents of military personnel tuition scholarship fund
The sum of $15,000,000 is appropriated
from the state general fund in fiscal year 2026-2027 to the dependents of
military personnel tuition scholarship fund established by section 15-1809.03,
Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act.