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HB2618 - 572R - I Ver
REFERENCE TITLE:
veterans; scholarship waivers;
counseling; benefits
State of Arizona
House of Representatives
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
HB 2618
Introduced by
Representative
Blackman
AN
ACT
Amending title 15, chapter 14, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-1809.03; Amending Title 36,
chapter 34, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 36-3417;
Amending section 41-603, Arizona Revised Statutes; amending title 41,
chapter 3, article 7, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 41-610.03;
amending Title 41, chapter 37, article 2, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding
section 41-3958; relating to the DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' SERVICES.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 15, chapter 14, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-1809.03, to read:
START_STATUTE
15-1809.03.
Tuition waiver scholarships; eligibility; violation;
classification
A. The arizona board of regents,
after verification by the department of veterans' services
that a person is
a child or the spouse
of a
member of the united states armed forces who was a resident of or stationed in
this state, 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 and was an arizona
gold star MILITARY medal recipient pursuant to section 41-608.05,
shall provide the CHILD OR THE SPOUSE who otherwise meets
the qualifications for admission with a tuition waiver scholarship
at any
university under the jurisdiction of the arizona board of regents.
B. A district as defined in section
15-1401, AFTER VERIFICATION BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' SERVICES THAT A
PERSON IS A CHILD OR THE SPOUSE OF A MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES
WHO WAS A RESIDENT OF OR STATIONED IN this state, 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 AND WAS AN ARIZONA GOLD STAR MILITARY MEDAL RECIPIENT PURSUANT TO
SECTION 41-608.05, SHALL PROVIDE THE CHILD OR THE SPOUSE WHO OTHERWISE MEETS
THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADMISSION WITH A TUITION WAIVER SCHOLARSHIP at any
community college under the jurisdiction of the district.
C. The tuition waiver scholarships
provided pursuant to this section shall be limited to children who are
twenty-six years of age or younger.
D. A CHILD OR a SPOUSE pursuant to
this section who KNOWINGLY submits false documentation to the department of
veterans' services to prove that the child or the spouse is related to A GOLD
STAR MILITARY MEDAL RECIPIENT is guilty of a class 1 MISDEMEANOR.
END_STATUTE
Sec. 2.
Title 36,
chapter 34, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes
, is amended by adding
section 36-3417, to read:
START_STATUTE
36-3417.
Arizona health care cost containment system administration;
trauma counseling
NOTWITHSTANDING any other law, The
administration shall provide trauma counseling for the direct RELATIVES,
spouses and children of deceased service members and GOLD STAR MILITARY MEDAL
RECIPIENTs. The TRAUMA COUNSELING provided pursuant to this section
shall be AVAILABLE for at least ten years.
END_STATUTE
Sec. 3. Section 41-603, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE
41-603.
Powers and duties
A. The department may act as guardian of an
incapacitated veteran, the incapacitated spouse of a veteran or minor children
of a veteran, or as conservator of the estate of a protected veteran or of the
veteran's incapacitated or surviving spouse or of the minor children of a
veteran.� The department may act in all fiduciary matters, including as power
of attorney, trustee, custodian or representative payee of a veteran, spouse of
a veteran or minor child of a veteran. The department may act as the
personal representative of the estate of a deceased veteran, deceased spouse of
a veteran or deceased child of a veteran.
B. The department shall:
1. Assist veterans and their families and dependents
in presenting, providing and establishing claims, privileges, rights and
benefits they may have under federal, state or local law.
2. Inform veterans and their families and dependents
and military and civilian authorities about federal, state and local laws
enacted to benefit veterans and their families and dependents and members of
the armed forces.
3. Collect information relating to services and
facilities available to veterans.
4. Cooperate with all government and private
agencies receiving services for or benefits to veterans and their families and
dependents.
5. Conduct administrative reviews and, if possible,
correct abuses or prevent exploitation of veterans and their families or
dependents and recommend corrective legislation.
6. Adopt rules deemed necessary to administer this
article.
7. Enter into agreements with veterans'
organizations in this state holding a charter granted by the Congress of the
United States for the beneficial interest of veterans.
8. Verify and provide written confirmation to the
person of eligibility for special license plates issued pursuant to section 28-2475
by determining that all of the following are true:
(a) The person was a member of the
armed
forces of the
United States
armed forces
on
December 7, 1941.
(b) The person received an honorable discharge from
the
armed forces of the
United States
armed
forces
.
(c) The person was on station on December 7, 1941,
during the hours of 7:55 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., Hawaii time at Pearl Harbor, the
Island of Oahu or offshore, at a distance not exceeding three miles.
9. Evaluate, supervise, approve and disapprove
programs offered by educational institutions and training establishments
pursuant to United States Code titles 10 and 38 and state rules, so that
veterans and their dependents may draw the educational allowance provided by
federal law while pursuing approved programs.
10. Establish an application process for the Arizona
gold star military medal, shall verify the eligibility of recipients and, if
funding is available, may award the Arizona gold star military medal to an
eligible individual.
11. Provide case management and
coordination of benefits to the immediate family members of arizona GOLD STAR
MILITARY AWARD RECIPIENTS IN THIS STATE PURSUANT TO SECTIONs 15-1809.03,
36-3417, 41-608.05, 41-610.03 and any other BENEFITS for which they are
eligible.
C. The department may:
1. Acquire property for and construct and operate
veterans' home facilities in this state.
2. Acquire property for and establish and operate
cemeteries for veterans in this state.
3. Establish a training center to provide training
to current or potential employees and the veteran community. The
department may establish a fee for this training.
4. Subject to legislative appropriation and as
authorized by the burial equity for guards and reserves act (P.L. 117-103; 136
Stat. 1109), provide burial services in state veterans' cemeteries for members
of the Arizona national guard and the United States armed forces reserves if
the member's service was terminated under honorable conditions.
END_STATUTE
Sec. 4. Title 41, chapter 3, article 7, Arizona
Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 41-610.03, to read:
START_STATUTE
41-610.03.
Fallen guard family relief fund; state gold star burial grant
program; emergency survivor relief grant program; administration
A. The Fallen guard family relief
fund is established consisting of legislative appropriations, grants, gifts,
donations, contributions and devises. The department shall administer the fund.
On notice from the department, 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. Monies in the fund are continuously
appropriated and may be used to pay the administrative costs of implementing
this section and to establish the grant programs pursuant to this section.
Monies may also be used to provide any of the following FOR the immediate
family members OF GOLD STAR MILITARY AWARD RECIPIENTS IN THIS STATE:
1. Benefits.
2. Burial supplements.
3. Emergency relief grants.
4. Tuition reimbursements.
5. Housing stability implementation.
6. Mental health and counseling
services.
B. The state gold star burial grant
program is established to provide grant monies to the families of Arizona gold
star military medal RECIPIENTS awarded pursuant to section 41-608.05 for burial
costs and other expenses. The department shall provide eligible applicants up
to $5,000 and grantees shall receive grant monies within fifteen days after
acceptance into the grant program.
c. The emergency survivor RELIEF
grant program is established to provide grant monies To aid the families of
armed forces members of the united states following the member'S or retired
member's death. grants are available to surviving families through
transition periods or initial periods of adjustment while awaiting further
benefits from the federal government and Shall be paid within seventy-two hours
after verification of the member's death by the department of veterans' services.
d. The department shall administer
the grant programs pursuant to this section and may adopt rules, policies and
procedures to carry out the purposes of this section
AN ELIGIBLE APPLICANT SHALL SUBMIT AN APPLICATION ON A FORM
PRESCRIBED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
END_STATUTE
Sec. 5. Title 41, chapter 37, article 2,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 41-3958, to read:
START_STATUTE
41-3958.
Eviction; foreclosure; prohibition
Notwithstanding any other law, The arizona
department of housing, in CONSULTATION with the department of veterans'
services, shall ensure that immediate family members of an armed forces member
of the United states who was a resident of or was stationed in this state and
who was killed in the line of duty or died from injuries suffered in the line
of duty may not face any of the following:
1. Eviction for at least NINETY days
after the member's death.
2. FORECLOSURE of their homes for at
least one hundred TWENTY days after the member's death.
3. Utility shutoff for at least sixty
days after the member's death.
END_STATUTE
Sec. 6.
Effective date
This act is effective to from and
after December 31, 2026.