HB 181-FN-A – AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
21Feb2007… 0051h
2007 SESSION
09/01
HOUSE BILL 181-FN-A
AN ACT establishing a tuition voucher program for New Hampshire national guard members and making an appropriation therefor.
SPONSORS: Rep. Bishop, Rock 2; Rep. B. Shaw, Hills 16; Rep. Coughlin, Hills 4; Rep. Kjellman, Merr 5; Sen. Burling, Dist 5; Sen. Barnes, Dist 17; Sen. Letourneau, Dist 19; Sen. Kenney, Dist 3; Sen. Gatsas, Dist 16
COMMITTEE: State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs
This bill establishes a tuition voucher program for New Hampshire national guard members to attend degree or certificate programs at state postsecondary institutions. The bill makes an appropriation for purposes of this program.
This bill was requested by the committee to study state programs for national guard members established by 2006, 66 (SB 344).
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
21Feb2007… 0051h
07-0163
09/01
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seven
AN ACT establishing a tuition voucher program for New Hampshire national guard members and making an appropriation therefor.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 National Guard Members; Postsecondary Education Assistance. Amend RSA 110-B:63-c – 110-B:63-g to read as follows:
110-B:63-c Educational Assistance [Authorized]; Tuition Vouchers; Minimum Requirements.
I. There is established a tuition voucher program to encourage recruitment and retention of national guard members. The program shall be administered by the adjutant general. National guard members may apply to the adjutant general for a tuition voucher to pay costs of tuition for a degree or certificate producing program at a state postsecondary institution. The amount of the voucher each year shall not exceed the tuition costs of a full-time student for a normal academic year. The tuition voucher applicant shall be enrolled or accepted for enrollment at the postsecondary institution at the time of application. The New Hampshire national guard shall issue the voucher to the student, the student shall submit the voucher to the postsecondary institution, and the postsecondary institution shall submit the voucher to the adjutant general for payment.
II. Members of the New Hampshire national guard may also take courses tuition-free on a space available basis in state-supported postsecondary institutions.
III. In order to be eligible to receive educational assistance under this subdivision, a member of the New Hampshire national guard shall:
[I.] (a) Be an active member of the New Hampshire national guard residing either in-state or out-of-state [who has completed advanced individual training or commissioning].
[II.] (b) Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a degree-enhancing curriculum in any vocational or technical school that is under the authority of the commissioner of regional community-technical colleges, or enrolled or accepted for enrollment in any degree-enhancing curriculum in any public college or university within the state.
[III.] (c) Have first utilized any federal educational entitlements, not including Montgomery GI Bill benefits, and national guard scholarship grants.
110-B:63-d Eligibility and Space Availability Determinations.
I. Eligibility for educational assistance provided by this subdivision shall be determined and monitored by the adjutant general, who shall adopt rules[, pursuant to RSA 541-A,] and procedures deemed by the adjutant general to be necessary to carry out and monitor the educational assistance provided by this subdivision.
II. The chancellor of the university system for the university system and the commissioner of regional community-technical colleges for the regional community-technical institute and colleges shall establish policies for determining when a course has space available for attendance of courses on a tuition-free basis.
110-B:63-e Termination of Educational Assistance.
I. Educational assistance may be terminated for the following reasons:
(a) Failure to complete the New Hampshire national guard military obligation.
(b) Failure to maintain a 90 percent rate of attendance at annual training and drill assemblies as required by the New Hampshire national guard.
(c) Nine unsatisfactory drill period performances in a calendar year while enrolled in the educational assistance program.
II. In the event the individual's service in the New Hampshire national guard is terminated or service becomes unsatisfactory while receiving educational assistance, the individual shall be required to pay for the remainder of the tuition for the course on a pro rata basis. Once terminated for the above causes, an individual shall be ineligible for any further educational assistance under this subdivision unless and until his or her eligibility has been reinstated by the adjutant general.
III. If for any reason an individual is dismissed from any school for academic or disciplinary reasons, the individual shall be ineligible for further educational assistance under this subdivision unless and until his or her eligibility has been reinstated by the adjutant general.
110-B:63-f In-State Tuition for New Hampshire National Guard Nonresidents. Any member of the New Hampshire national guard who is an otherwise eligible out-of-state resident who cannot qualify for educational assistance under this subdivision, due to unavailability of space for members attending tuition free, may take such course at the in-state tuition rate.
110-B:63-g Report. The chancellor of the university system on behalf of the university system and the commissioner of the regional community-technical colleges on behalf of the regional community-technical institute and colleges shall, no later than November 1 of each year, submit a report to the speaker of the house, the senate president, and the governor detailing the number of national guard members enrolled at postsecondary institutions for the prior fiscal year under this subdivision, the number of members receiving tuition vouchers, and the specific courses or curriculum in which [such] members are enrolled.
2 Appropriation; Adjutant General. The sum of $1,000,000 is appropriated to the adjutant general for the biennium ending June 30, 2009 for the purpose of funding the national guard tuition voucher program established in section 1 of this act. The governor is authorized to draw a warrant for said sum out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.
LBAO
07-0163
12/11/06
HB 181-FN-A - FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT establishing a tuition voucher program for New Hampshire national guard members and making an appropriation therefore.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Adjutant General’s Department has determined this bill will increase state general fund expenditures by $1,000,000 in FY 2008. There will be no fiscal impact on county and local expenditures or state, county and local revenue.
This bill appropriates $1,000,000 from the general fund to the Adjutant General’s Department for the biennium ending June 30, 2009 for the purpose of this act.
METHODOLOGY:
The Department stated this bill amends RSA 110-B:63-c through 110-B:63-g to change the way that National Guard member’s postsecondary education is funded. Under the RSA as currently enacted, National Guard members can attend a state college or university tuition free and the cost is borne by the institution. This bill appropriates $1,000,000 for the biennium ending June 30, 2009 from the general fund to the Adjutant General’s Department for tuition vouchers for qualifying National Guard members. The Department assumes that it can absorb the cost of administering the tuition voucher program within the existing budget. The cost of the vouchers will require funding each biennium.
The University System of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Community Technical College System assume that any costs associated with processing the tuition vouchers will be handled by existing staff and resources, and therefore can be absorbed within the existing budget. Both Systems anticipate that this bill will increase their in-state tuition revenue. The University System of New Hampshire spent $311,268 on National Guard program tuition waivers in fiscal year 2006, and anticipates that expenditures for fiscal year 2007 will be close to $400,000. The New Hampshire Community Technical College is unable to determine the number of National Guard members who will enroll at the various campuses.