Bill Text - HB1582 (2020)

(New Title) relative to free tuition at colleges and universities for children of veterans who are totally and permanently disabled; programs to aid veterans' access to employment, housing, health care, and college degrees; educational assistance for members of the New Hampshire national guard; tuition waivers for children in state foster care or guardianship; and prohibiting higher education institutions from discriminating on the basis of military, law enforcement, or veterans status.


Revision: Dec. 3, 2019, 11:52 a.m.

HB 1582-FN - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2020 SESSION

20-2567

04/01

 

HOUSE BILL 1582-FN

 

AN ACT providing free tuition at colleges and universities for children of veterans who are totally and permanently disabled.

 

SPONSORS: Rep. Roy, Rock. 32; Rep. Aron, Sull. 7

 

COMMITTEE: Education

 

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ANALYSIS

 

This bill establishes a tuition waver at any institution in the university system or community college system of New Hampshire for a child of a totally and permanently disabled veteran.

 

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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

20-2567

04/01

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty

 

AN ACT providing free tuition at colleges and universities for children of veterans who are totally and permanently disabled.

 

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 

1  State College and University System; Tuition Waived.  Amend RSA 187-A:20 to read as follows:

187-A:20  Tuition Waived.  

I.  If a person is domiciled in this state while serving in or with the armed forces of the United States and is, after February 28, 1961, reported or listed as missing, or missing in action, or interned in a neutral country, or beleaguered, beseiged or captured by the enemy during the South East Asian conflict, any child of such person, enrolled after August 16, 1981, in the university of New Hampshire, Plymouth state university, or Keene state college shall, so long as said person is so reported, listed, interned, beleaguered, beseiged or captured, not be required to pay tuition for attendance at such institutions.  Any person entitled to free tuition under this section shall apply to the board of trustees of the university system, and said board may require such proof as they may deem necessary in order for a person to qualify for free tuition under this section.

II.  If a person while serving in or with the armed forces of the United States has received a discharge other than dishonorable from service and is totally and permanently disabled from such service-connected disability and is domiciled in the state of New Hampshire when he or she is determined by the U.S. Veterans Administration to be so disabled, whether on original decision or appeal, and who has been so domiciled for at least 4 consecutive years subsequent to such determination, any child of such person enrolled in the university of New Hampshire, Plymouth state university, or Keene state college shall not be required to pay tuition or fees for attendance at such institutions.  Any person entitled to free tuition and fees under this section shall apply to the board of trustees of the university system.  The board shall only require a determination of disability letter from the Veterans’ Administration indicating that the disability is 100 percent permanent, service connected, character of discharge, as proof of service connected disability in order for a person to qualify for free tuition and fees under this section.  The board shall accept department of motor vehicle records, voter registration records, property tax records, affidavits of residence signed by town clerks or other such proof as it deems necessary to prove the required residency.

2  New Paragraph; Community College System of New Hampshire; Tuition Waived.  Amend RSA 188-F:15 by inserting after paragraph I the following new paragraph:

I-a.  If a person while serving in or with the armed forces of the United States has received a discharge other than dishonorable from service and is totally and permanently disabled from such service-connected disability and is domiciled in the state of New Hampshire when he or she is determined by the U.S. Veterans Administration to be so disabled, whether on original decision or appeal, and who has been so domiciled for at least 4 consecutive years subsequent to such determination, any child of such person enrolled in any institution in the community college system of  New Hampshire shall not be required to pay tuition or fees for attendance at such institutions.  Any person entitled to free tuition and fees under this section shall apply to the board of trustees of the university system.  The board shall only require a determination of disability letter from the Veterans’ Administration indicating that the disability is 100 percent permanent, service connected, character of discharge, as proof of service connected disability in order for a person to qualify for free tuition and fees under this section.  The board shall accept department of motor vehicle records, voter registration records, property tax records, affidavits of residence signed by town clerks or other such proof as it deems necessary to prove the required residency.

3  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

 

LBAO

20-2567

11/25/19

 

HB 1582-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

 

AN ACT providing free tuition at colleges and universities for children of veterans who are totally and permanently disabled.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:      [ X ] State              [    ] County               [    ] Local              [    ] None

 

 

 

Estimated Increase / (Decrease)

STATE:

FY 2020

FY 2021

FY 2022

FY 2023

   Appropriation

$0

$0

$0

$0

   Revenue

$0

Indeterminable Decrease

Indeterminable Decrease

Indeterminable Decrease

   Expenditures

$0

$0

$0

$0

Funding Source:

  [    ] General            [    ] Education            [    ] Highway           [ X ] Other - USNH and CCSNH Operating Revenue (Tuition and Fees)

 

 

 

 

 

METHODOLOGY:

This bill provides a waiver of tuition and fees, for eligible children of totally and permanently disabled veterans, at the University of New Hampshire, Plymouth State University, Keene State College, and all Community College System of New Hampshire institutions.  According to Office of Veterans Services data, there are 4,525 totally and permanently disabled veterans in New Hampshire.  However, neither the University System nor the Community College System can estimate the number of potential eligible students there are that may utilize this waiver and therefore are unable to estimate this bill’s impact on operating revenue from tuition and fees.

 

It is assumed this bill will not take effect until FY 2021.

 

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

University System of New Hampshire and Community College System of New Hampshire