SB539: Bill Text

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2007 - 2008 LEGISLATURE

2007 Senate BILL 539

February 27, 2008 - Introduced by Senator Roessler, cosponsored by Representatives Musser, Townsend, Owens, Bies, Berceau, Hahn and Lothian. Referred to Committee on Agriculture and Higher Education.

SB539,1,6 An Act to renumber and amend 36.27 (3n) (b) 1., 36.27 (3n) (b) 2., 38.24 (7) (b) 1. and 38.24 (7) (b) 2.; to amend 36.27 (3n) (b) (intro.) and 38.24 (7) (b) (intro.); and to create 36.27 (3n) (b) 1. b., 36.27 (3n) (b) 1. c., 36.27 (3n) (b) 2. b., 36.27 (3n) (b) 2. c., 36.27 (3n) (d), 38.24 (7) (b) 1. b., 38.24 (7) (b) 1. c., 38.24 (7) (b) 2. b., 38.24 (7) (b) 2. c. and 38.24 (7) (d) of the statutes; relating to: tuition fee remission for certain spouses of eligible veterans.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, a spouse, child, or unremarried surviving spouse of certain veterans is eligible for a full remission of tuition at the University of Wisconsin System and at technical colleges. For the spouse, child, or unremarried surviving spouse to be eligible, the veteran must have entered service while a resident of this state and either died as the result of a service-connected disability or while on duty or incurred a service-connected disability that is rated as 30 percent or more. Currently, the unremarried surviving spouse of a deceased veteran is eligible for the fee remission during the first ten years after the veteran died and, if the spouse had a child with the veteran, until ten years after the youngest child reaches 18 years of age. The spouse of a disabled veteran is currently eligible for the fee remission only during the first ten years after the veteran received the service-connected disability rating.

This bill adds full tuition remission eligibility to the spouse of an eligible veteran if the veteran died of a service-connected disability or had a service-connected disability that is rated as 100 percent, and if the spouse is eligible for the educational assistance benefits under the federal Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program. The bill provides that a person is only eligible for the full tuition remission for the ten-year period that the original fee remission was based on.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB539, s. 1 Section 1. 36.27 (3n) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB539,2,5 36.27 (3n) (b) (intro.) Except as provided in subds. 1. to 3. and par. (d), the board shall grant full remission of academic fees and segregated fees for 128 credits or 8 semesters, whichever is longer, to any resident student who is also any of the following:

SB539, s. 2 Section 2. 36.27 (3n) (b) 1. of the statutes is renumbered 36.27 (3n) (b) 1. (intro.) and amended to read:

SB539,2,9 36.27 (3n) (b) 1. (intro.) A spouse of an eligible veteran. The Eligibility for a remission under this subdivision applies only during the one of the following periods:

SB539,2,11 a. The first 10 years after the eligible veteran received the service-connected disability rating.

SB539, s. 3 Section 3. 36.27 (3n) (b) 1. b. of the statutes is created to read:

SB539,2,14 36.27 (3n) (b) 1. b. The first 10 years after the spouse becomes eligible for educational assistance under 35 USC 3501-3566.

SB539, s. 4 Section 4. 36.27 (3n) (b) 1. c. of the statutes is created to read:

SB539,2,18 36.27 (3n) (b) 1. c. The first 10 years after the effective date of this subd. 1. c. .... [revisor inserts date], if the spouse was eligible for educational assistance under 35 USC 3501-3566 on that date.

SB539, s. 5 Section 5. 36.27 (3n) (b) 2. of the statutes, as affected by 2007 Wisconsin Act 20, is renumbered 36.27 (3n) (b) 2. (intro.) and amended to read:

SB539,3,5 36.27 (3n) (b) 2. (intro.) Except as provided in subd. 2m., an unremarried surviving spouse of an eligible veteran. The Eligibility for a remission under this subdivision applies only during the one of the following periods:

SB539,3,6 a. The first 10 years after the veteran died.

SB539, s. 6 Section 6. 36.27 (3n) (b) 2. b. of the statutes is created to read:

SB539,3,9 36.27 (3n) (b) 2. b. The first 10 years after the spouse becomes eligible for educational assistance under 35 USC 3501-3566.

SB539, s. 7 Section 7. 36.27 (3n) (b) 2. c. of the statutes is created to read:

SB539,3,13 36.27 (3n) (b) 2. c. The first 10 years after the effective date of this subd. 2. c. .... [revisor inserts date], if the spouse was eligible for educational assistance under 35 USC 3501-3566 on that date.

SB539, s. 8 Section 8. 36.27 (3n) (d) of the statutes is created to read:

SB539,3,17 36.27 (3n) (d) Once a person receives a fee remission under this subsection, the person is eligible for additional fee remissions under this subsection only for the period of eligibility for which the original fee remission was based.

SB539, s. 9 Section 9. 38.24 (7) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB539,3,22 38.24 (7) (b) (intro.) Except as provided in subds. 1. to 3. and par. (d), the district board shall grant full remission of fees under sub. (1m) (a) to (c) for 128 credits or 8 semesters, whichever is longer, to any resident student who is also any of the following:

SB539, s. 10 Section 10. 38.24 (7) (b) 1. of the statutes is renumbered 38.24 (7) (b) 1. (intro.) and amended to read:

SB539,4,2 38.24 (7) (b) 1. (intro.) A spouse of an eligible veteran. The Eligibility for a remission under this subdivision applies only during the one of the following periods:

SB539,4,4 a. The first 10 years after the eligible veteran received the service-connected disability rating.

SB539, s. 11 Section 11. 38.24 (7) (b) 1. b. of the statutes is created to read:

SB539,4,7 38.24 (7) (b) 1. b. The first 10 years after the spouse becomes eligible for educational assistance under 35 USC 3501-3566.

SB539, s. 12 Section 12. 38.24 (7) (b) 1. c. of the statutes is created to read:

SB539,4,11 38.24 (7) (b) 1. c. The first 10 years after the effective date of this subd. 1. c. .... [revisor inserts date], if the spouse was eligible for educational assistance under 35 USC 3501-3566 on that date.

SB539, s. 13 Section 13. 38.24 (7) (b) 2. of the statutes, as affected by 2007 Wisconsin Act 20, is renumbered 38.24 (7) (b) 2. (intro.) and amended to read:

SB539,4,16 38.24 (7) (b) 2. Except as provided in subd. 2m., an unremarried surviving spouse of an eligible veteran. The Eligibility for a remission under this subdivision applies only during the one of the following periods:

SB539,4,17 a. The first 10 years after the veteran died.

SB539, s. 14 Section 14. 38.24 (7) (b) 2. b. of the statutes is created to read:

SB539,4,20 38.24 (7) (b) 2. b. The first 10 years after the spouse becomes eligible for educational assistance under 35 USC 3501-3566.

SB539, s. 15 Section 15. 38.24 (7) (b) 2. c. of the statutes is created to read:

SB539,4,24 38.24 (7) (b) 2. c. The first 10 years after the effective date of this subd. 2. c. .... [revisor inserts date], if the spouse was eligible for educational assistance under 35 USC 3501-3566 on that date.

SB539, s. 16 Section 16. 38.24 (7) (d) of the statutes is created to read:

SB539,5,3 38.24 (7) (d) Once a person receives a fee remission under this subsection, the person is eligible for additional fee remissions under this subsection only for the period of eligibility for which the original fee remission was based.

SB539, s. 17 Section 17. Initial applicability.

SB539,5,7 (1) This act first applies to fee remissions for persons registered for or enrolled in the academic semester or session that begins after the effective date of this subsection.

SB539,5,8 (End)