Education, Higher

Plain English Breakdown

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Tuition Waiver for Dependent Children of Fallen Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters

This bill provides a tuition waiver for dependent children of law enforcement officers or firefighters who were killed in the line of duty, starting from the 2026-2027 academic year.

What This Bill Does

• Provides a full tuition and fee waiver to eligible students at public institutions of higher education.
• Defines 'dependent child' as natural, step, adopted, or posthumous children of fallen law enforcement officers or firefighters.
• Requires dependent children to provide official certification from their parent's employer verifying the officer or firefighter was killed in duty.
• Limits eligibility based on age and academic progress.
• Requires public institutions to post information about this waiver on their websites.

Who It Names or Affects

• Dependent children of law enforcement officers or firefighters who died in the line of duty.
• Public institutions of higher education in Tennessee.

Terms To Know

dependent child

A natural, step, adopted, or posthumous child of a fallen law enforcement officer or firefighter.

public institution of higher education

An educational institution operated by the state that offers courses leading to certificates or degrees.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not provide refunds for tuition and fees already paid.
• Eligibility is limited based on age and academic progress, such as earning a degree or completing certain credit hours.
• The bill applies starting from the 2026-2027 academic year.

Official Summary Text

For
the 2026-2027 academic year
,
and each academic year thereafter
, this bill entitles a
resident of this state who is under

23 and who is the
natural child, stepchild, adopted child, or posthumous child
("
dependent child
")
of a law enforcement officer or firefighter who was killed, or who died as a direct result of injuries received, while performing their official duties as a law enforcement officer or firefighter, to a waiver of tuition, maintenance fees, student activit
y fees, and any required registra
tion or matriculation fees at the public institution of higher education at which the dependent child is admitted and enrolled.

"LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER" AND "FIREFIGHTER" DEFINED

As used in this bill, a "law enforcement officer" means a
(
i
)
p
olice officer of a municipality in this state; (
ii
)
c
ommissioned member of the department of safety, the wildlife resources agency, or the Tennessee bureau of investigation;

(
iii
)
s
heriff or deputy sheriff of a county in this state who is engaged in law enforcement; or

(
iv
)
c
orrectional officer employed by the department of correction or the department of children's services
. Further, as used in this bill, a "firefighter" includes
a bona fide
member of a volunteer fire department
.

DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED FOR WAIVER

In order to receive a waiver of tuition and fees pursuant to this
bill
,
this bill requires
the dependent child
to
present to the public institution of higher education at which the dependent child is enrolled official certification from the state, local government, agency, or department that employed the law enforcement officer or firefighter verifying that the law
enforcement officer or firefighter was killed, or died as a direct result of injuries received, while performing their official duties as a law
enforcement officer or firefighter.

REFUNDS OR CREDIT NOT PERMITTED

This bill clarifies that a
dependent child who qualifies for a waiver of tuition and fees pursuant to this
bill
after the dependent child has paid all tuition and fees assessed for the term by the public institution of higher education at which the dependent child is enrolled, is not entitled to any refund or credit in the amount of the previously paid tuition and
fees.

DETERMINING AGE FOR APPLICABILITY

This bill prohibits t
he age limitation for dependent children
described above from
be
ing
strictly applied. To be eligible for a waiver of tuition and fees pursuant to this
bill
, the dependent child must be matriculated as a full-time student at a public institution of higher education before attaining 23. Once declared eligible, the dependent child remains eligible until one of the following events has occurred:



Before attaining 23, the dependent child earns an undergraduate degree or certificate
.


The dependent child has earned 135 semester hours, or the equivalent, excluding any required remedial or developmental hours
.


The dependent child has attempted 150 semester hours, or the equivalent, including any required remedial or developmental hours.

REQUIRED POSTING

This bill requires each
public institution of higher education
to
post information regarding the tuition and fee waiver established in this
bill
on the institution's website.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 1608
By Bailey

HOUSE BILL 1868
By Travis
HB1868
008469
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
relative to higher education.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 7, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) As used in this section:
(1) "Dependent child" means the natural child, stepchild, adopted child,
or posthumous child of a law enforcement officer or firefighter;
(2) "Firefighter" has the same meaning as defined in § 4-24-201 or a
bona fide member of a volunteer fire department;
(3) "Law enforcement officer" means a:
(A) Police officer of a municipality in this state;
(B) Commissioned member of the department of safety, the
wildlife resources agency, or the Tennessee bureau of investigation;
(C) Sheriff or deputy sheriff of a county in this state who is
engaged in law enforcement; or
(D) Correctional officer employed by the department of correction
or the department of children's services; and
(4) "Public institution of higher education" means a postsecondary
institution operated by the board of trustees of the University of Tennessee
system, a local governing board of trustees of a state university, or the board of
regents that offers courses of instruction leading to a certificate or degree.

- 2 - 008469

(b) A resident of this state who is under twenty-three (23) years of age and who
is the dependent child of a law enforcement officer or firefighter who was killed, or who
died as a direct result of injuries received, while performing their official duties as a law
enforcement officer or firefighter, is entitled to a waiver of tuition, maintenance fees,
student activity fees, and any required registration or matriculation fees at the public
institution of higher education at which the dependent child is admitted and enrolled.
(c) In order to receive a waiver of tuition and fees pursuant to this section, the
dependent child must present to the public institution of higher education at which the
dependent child is enrolled official certification from the state, local government, agency,
or department that employed the law enforcement officer or firefighter verifying that the
law enforcement officer or firefighter was killed, or died as a direct result of injuries
received, while performing their official duties as a law enforcement officer or firefighter.
(d) A dependent child who qualifies for a waiver of tuition and fees pursuant to
this section after the dependent child has paid all tuition and fees assessed for the term
by the public institution of higher education at which the dependent child is enrolled, is
not entitled to any refund or credit in the amount of the previously paid tuition and fees.
(e) The age limitation for dependent children in subsection (b) must not be
strictly applied. To be eligible for a waiver of tuition and fees pursuant to this section, the
dependent child must be matriculated as a full-time student at a public institution of
higher education before attaining twenty-three (23) years of age. Once declared eligible,
the dependent child remains eligible until one (1) of the following events has occurred:
(1) Before attaining twenty-three (23) years of age, the dependent child
earns an undergraduate degree or certificate;

- 3 - 008469

(2) The dependent child has earned one hundred thirty-five (135)
semester hours, or the equivalent, excluding any required remedial or
developmental hours; or
(3) The dependent child has attempted one hundred fifty (150) semester
hours, or the equivalent, including any required remedial or developmental hours.
(f) Each public institution of higher education shall post information regarding the
tuition and fee waiver established in this section on the institution's website.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it, and
applies to the 2026-2027 academic year and each academic year thereafter.