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Session of 2026
SENATE BILL No. 477
By Senator Corson
2-4
AN ACT concerning postsecondary education; relating to scholarship
programs; enacting the Kansas first responder scholarship act;
providing tuition assistance to certain first responders and dependents
of such first responders.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the
Kansas first responder scholarship act.
(b) As used in the Kansas first responder scholarship act:
(1) "Dependent" means a birth child, adopted child or stepchild of a
first responder or any child other than the foregoing who is actually a
dependent, in whole or in part, of the first responder and related to such
first responder by marriage or consanguinity.
(2) "Emergency medical service provider" means the same as defined
in K.S.A. 65-6112, and amendments thereto.
(3) "Firefighter" means an individual who is employed by any city,
county, township or other political subdivision of Kansas, assigned to the
fire department thereof and engaged in the fighting and extinguishment of
fires and the protection of life and property from such fires.
(4) "First responder" includes emergency medical service providers,
firefighters, public safety telecommunicators and law enforcement officers
who are employed as a first responder in Kansas and reside in Kansas.
(5) "Law enforcement officer" means the same as defined in K.S.A.
74-5602, and amendments thereto.
(6) "Postsecondary educational institution" means the same as
defined in K.S.A. 74-3201b, and amendments thereto.
(7) "Public safety telecommunicator" means an individual employed
by a state or local government whose primary duties involve receiving,
processing and transmitting emergency and nonemergency
communications to law enforcement officers, emergency medical service
providers, firefighters or other public safety services.
(8) "State board" means the state board of regents.
(9) "Tuition" means the charges and cost of tuition set by the
governing body of a postsecondary educational institution, including
course fees, activity fees, technology fees and any other mandatory fees
charged by such institution to full-time students as a condition of
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enrollment. "Tuition" does not include the cost of room, board, books or
other educational materials, equipment or supplies.
(c) (1) There is hereby established the Kansas first responder
scholarship program. Such program shall be administered by the state
board. The purpose of the program is to provide tuition assistance to
certain first responders and their dependents.
(2) Up to the aggregate limit for the awards established for each
academic year by the state board based on the annual appropriated
amounts for the reimbursements paid pursuant to subsection (d), every
Kansas postsecondary educational institution shall provide for enrollment
without charge of tuition to first responders or dependents who meet the
requirements of subsection (d). The award provided by this section shall
not exceed 10 semesters of undergraduate instruction, or the equivalent
thereof, at all such institutions.
(3) Subject to appropriations, any postsecondary educational
institution that provides for enrollment without charge of tuition to a first
responder or dependent may file a claim with the state board for
reimbursement of the amount of such tuition. The state board shall include
in its budget estimates pursuant to K.S.A. 75-3717, and amendments
thereto, a request for appropriations to cover tuition claims pursuant to this
section. The state board shall be responsible for payment of
reimbursements to such postsecondary educational institutions upon
certification by each such institution of the amount of reimbursement that
such institution is entitled to receive. Payments to postsecondary
educational institutions shall be made upon vouchers approved by the state
board or the state board's designee and upon warrants of the director of
accounts and reports. Payments may be made by issuance of a single
warrant to each postsecondary educational institution at which one or more
eligible first responders and dependents are enrolled for the total amount
of tuition not charged for enrollment at that institution. The director of
accounts and reports shall cause such warrant to be delivered to the
postsecondary educational institution at which any such eligible first
responders and dependents are enrolled. If an eligible first resopnder or
dependent discontinues attendance before the end of any semester after the
postsecondary educational institution has received payment under this
subsection, such institution shall pay to the state the entire amount that
such eligible first responder or dependent would otherwise qualify to be
refunded, not to exceed the amount of the payment made by the state on
behalf of such first responder or dependent for the semester. All amounts
paid to the state by postsecondary educational institutions under this
subsection shall be deposited in the state treasury and credited to the state
general fund.
(d) To qualify for an award as provided in this section, a first
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responder with at least six years of service or the dependent of a first
responder with at least 12 years of service shall:
(1) Provide proof that the first responder is licensed or certified with
the appropriate professional licensing or certifying body and compliant
with ongoing training requirements on a form and in a manner determined
by the state board;
(2) meet admission requirements of the postsecondary educational
institution where the first responder or dependent seeks to enroll;
(3) have not earned a baccalaureate degree at the time of enrollment;
(4) provide proof that the first responder is employed as a first
responder in Kansas and resides in Kansas. Such proof shall be provided
each year that the first responder or dependent applies for and receives a
tuition award pursuant to this section; and
(5) first apply for all other federal and state student financial aid
before applying for a first responder tuition award, including, but not
limited to, filing the United States department of education free application
for federal student aid and submit confirmation of such application on a
form and in a manner determined by the state board.
(e) The state board may adopt rules and regulations to implement and
administer the Kansas first responder scholarship program.
Sec. 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
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