Veteran's tuition waiver.

WORKING DRAFT

ORIGINAL HOUSE

BILL

NO.
0076

ENROLLED ACT NO. 42, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FIFTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF
WYOMING
2006 BUDGET SESSION

AN ACT relating to veterans; providing for free tuition at the
University
of
Wyoming
and community colleges for overseas combat veterans and combat veteran
surviving spouses
and orphans; providing definitions; requiring a report; providing an appropriation; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of
Wyoming
:

Section 1.

W.S. 19
‑
14
‑
106(a) by creating new paragraphs (iii) through (v), (c) and by creating new subsections (d) and (e) is amended to read:

19
‑
14
‑
106.

Free tuition and fees for education of war orphans and veterans; definitions.

(a)

As used in this section:

(iii)

"Academic year" means the twelve (12) month period beginning with the commencement of the fall semester
for the
University
of
Wyoming
and with the commencement of the summer semester for community colleges
;

(iv)

"Combat veteran
surviving spouse
or orphan" means a person who is a
surviving spouse
or orphan of any overseas combat veteran when the overseas combat veteran was a resident of Wyoming for at least one (1) year prior to entering active service and the overseas combat veteran died during active service
. For purposes of this paragraph, a child is a combat orphan only if he was under twenty-one (21) years of age at the time his parent died in overseas combat during active service
;

(v)

"Overseas combat veteran" means a person
other than a Vietnam veteran
who was a resident of Wyoming for at least one (1) year prior to entering into active service, who is an honorably discharged veteran who served in the military service of the United States and who was awarded the armed forces expeditionary medal or other authorized service or campaign medal indicating service to the United States in any armed conflict in a foreign country.

(c)

The University of Wyoming and each community college shall provide free tuition for not more than ten (10) semesters for any
Vietnam veteran not presently receiving education benefits under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, as amended,
overseas combat veteran or combat veteran
surviving spouse
or orphan
for
any credit
or vocational education
course for which the
Vietnam veteran
,
overseas combat veteran or combat veteran
surviving spouse
or orphan

registers.
In order to continue to receive free tuition, the overseas combat veteran or combat veteran surviving spouse or orphan shall earn a cumulative 2.0 grade point average by the end of the third semester of enrollment, shall maintain a 2.0 grade point average after the third semester of enrollment and shall otherwise remain eligible as provided in this section.
No overseas combat veteran or combat veteran
surviving spouse
or orphan shall be eligible for free tuition under this subsection for any semester commencing after eight (8) academic years following the initial receipt of the free tuition under this subsection.

No overseas combat veteran shall be eligible for free tuition under this section for any semester commencing more than ten (10) academic years after the veteran's completion of military service. Except for good cause as defined in rules and regulations of the community college commission, no combat orphan shall be eligible to apply for his first semester of free tuition under this section more than three (3) academic years after the graduation date of the student's high school class or, for a student with a general equivalency diploma or who was home schooled, the high school graduation date of students of the same age.

(d)

The community college commission shall reimburse the
University
of
Wyoming
and each community college for the costs of tuition provided under this section. If insufficient funds are appropriated, the reimbursement shall be proportionally reduced based on tuition expenses. The commission shall promulgate rules for the implementation of the free tuition pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, including the reimbursement to the university and community colleges.

(e)

The community college commission
shall submit to the joint appropriations and the joint education interim committees by October 1, 2006, a report identifying the actions taken and monies expended pursuant to this act and shall submit the report annually thereafter on October 1.

Section 2.

There is appropriated from the general fund to the community college commission two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000.00) for reimbursement to the
University
of
Wyoming
and the community colleges to cover the free tuition authorized under this act. The community college commission may take an administrative fee, not to exceed five percent (5%), to administer and disburse the funds pursuant to this act.
Notwithstanding W.S. 9
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4
‑
207(a), any unexpended funds appropriated under this section shall not revert to the general fund at the end of the biennium.

Section 3.

This act is effective immediately upon co
m
pletion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constit
u
tion.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.

Chief Clerk

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