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25LSO-0083
SENATE FILE NO. SF0030
Wyoming's investment in veteran's mental health.
Sponsored by: Joint Transportation, Highways & Military Affairs Interim Committee
A BILL
for
AN ACT relating to education; establishing the Wyoming veteran loan repayment program; specifying eligibility; providing for loan repayment for veterans who provide mental health services within this state to veterans; providing a definition; requiring reporting; providing an appropriation; and providing for an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
Section 1
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W.S. 21
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16
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2001 is created to read:
ARTICLE 20
WYOMING VETERAN LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM
21
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16
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2001.
Wyoming veteran loan repayment program; eligibility criteria; procedures; reporting.
(a)
The Wyoming veteran loan repayment program is created to be administered by the University of Wyoming.
(b)
To qualify for a loan under this section, the applicant shall:
(i)
Be a United States citizen or a permanent resident alien who meets the definition of an eligible noncitizen under federal Title IV requirements or requirements of a subsequent similar federal enactment;
(ii)
Be a veteran;
(iii)
Be enrolled in good standing in a course of study leading to a masters degree in social work or counseling or a doctorate degree in psychology at the University of Wyoming.
(c)
Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for this program, loans under this section may be granted to qualified applicants to pay the cost of attendance for the academic programs listed in paragraph (b)(iii) of this section. For purposes of this subsection, "cost of attendance" means the sum cost of tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, books and supplies, travel and personal expenses to attend the University of Wyoming as determined annually by the University of Wyoming.
(d)
Any federal, state or other grants or funding, other than loans received by the applicant for the cost of attendance for a qualifying academic program shall be prioritized by the University of Wyoming and applied before a loan provided under this section. A loan provided under this section shall not exceed the cost of attendance for a qualifying academic program, reduced by the amounts of any federal, state or other grants or funding received by the applicant.
(e)
A recipient of a loan under this section may repay the loan without monetary payment by working not less than twenty
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five percent (25%) of his working hours providing mental health services within this state to veterans. To qualify for repayment under this subsection, work shall be performed within the minimum amount of time necessary to repay the loan, plus three (3) years, which shall begin with the calendar month following the month in which the student completed the academic degree program.
(f)
Any recipient of a loan under this section who fails:
(i)
To complete the academic program for which the loan was provided shall commence monetary repayment of the loan not later than forty
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five (45) days after the recipient leaves the academic program;
(ii)
To obtain employment that provides mental health services within this state to veterans within two hundred forty (240) days after successfully completing the academic program, shall commence monetary repayment of the loan within two hundred eighty
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five (285) days after completion of the academic program.
(g)
Loan repayment options under this section may be deferred for a period not more than five (5) years while a loan recipient is serving on full
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time active duty in the armed forces as defined by W.S. 8
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102(a)(xxi), the army national guard or the air national guard.
(h)
The University of Wyoming shall have the powers and duties to implement this section and shall establish terms and conditions of loans issued under this section, including:
(i)
Interest rates and loan terms;
(ii)
The form and process for loan application, review and award;
(iii)
Criteria under which students may be relieved from having to repay loans and interest thereon, in whole or in part, where the requirement to repay would cause undue hardship;
(iv)
Criteria for determining the cost of attendance as used in establishing the loan amount for the academic programs listed in paragraph (b)(iii) of this section, based upon each semester or summer school session of full or part
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time program attendance.
(j)
Funding of the loan program established under this section shall be by appropriation of the legislature.
(k)
Repayment of loans and interest thereon shall be credited to the general fund.
(m)
The University of Wyoming shall annually review the loan program established under this section and report to the governor and the legislature in accordance with W.S. 9
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2
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1014 regarding program results, funds received and loans issued during the preceding academic year, together with the status of all outstanding loan commitments and repayments under the program.
(n)
This program created by this section shall expire effective June 30, 2035.
(o)
As used in this section "veteran" means any person who served in the United States armed forces as defined by W.S. 8
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102(a)(xxi), the army national guard or air national guard and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable.
Section 2.
There is appropriated two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00) from the general fund to the University of Wyoming for purposes of the Wyoming veteran loan repayment program established under W.S. 21-16-2001, as created by section 1 of this act. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2026. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2026. It is the intent of the legislature that this appropriation be included and doubled in the standard budget of the University of Wyoming for the immediately succeeding fiscal biennium but not be included in any subsequent fiscal biennium.
Section 3.
This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.
(END)
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