13-1160/P2

LRB-1160/P2

PG:sac&wlj:rs

2013 - 2014 LEGISLATURE

DOA:......Lawrence, BB0386 - Expand GI Bill; tuition remissions

For 2013-2015 Budget -- Not Ready For Introduction

An Act relating to: the budget.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

education

Higher education

Under current law, a veteran who was a resident of this state when he or she entered the armed forces and who meets certain additional criteria is eligible for a full remission of tuition and segregated fees at a UW institution, or of tuition and materials fees at a technical college, for 128 credits or eight semesters, whichever is longer.

This bill makes the following changes to this fee remission program for eligible veterans:

1. The bill provides that the veteran must have been a resident of this state when he or she entered the armed forces or for at least five consecutive years.

2. The bill provides that in determining a veteran's residence at the time he or she entered the armed forces, the state from which the veteran entered is irrelevant.

3. The bill requires a veteran to maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 to remain eligible for the fee remission.

Under current law, the spouse and children of a veteran who was a resident of this state when he or she entered the armed forces and to whom one of the following applies is eligible for a remission of resident tuition and segregated fees at a UW institution, or of tuition and materials fees at a technical college, for 128 credits or eight semesters, whichever is longer:

1. The veteran, while a state resident, died while on active duty, as the result of a service-connected disability, or in the line of duty while in training.

2. The veteran has been awarded at least a 30 percent service-connected disability rating by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Under current law, with certain exceptions, a spouse is eligible for a fee remission under this program only if he or she is a state resident and only for the first ten years after the veteran receives the disability rating or after the veteran dies. A child is eligible only if he or she is a state resident and is at least 17 and not yet 26 years old.

This bill makes the same changes to this fee remission program as it makes to the first-described program. In addition, the bill eliminates the ten-year limitation described above.

For further information see the state and local 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:

Section 1. 36.27 (3n) (a) 1m. a. and b. of the statutes are amended to read:

36.27 (3n) (a) 1m. a. A person who has served on active duty under honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces, in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces, in the national guard, or in a reserve component of the U.S. armed forces; who was a resident of this state at the time of entry into that service or resided in this state for at least 5 consecutive years; and who, while a resident of this state, died on active duty, died as the result of a service-connected disability, or died in the line of duty while on active or inactive duty for training purposes.

b. A person who was a resident of this state at the time of entry into service described in subd. 1m. a. or resided in this state for at least 5 consecutive years, and who the U.S. department of veteran affairs has awarded at least a 30 percent service-connected disability rating under 38 USC 1114 or 1134.

Section 2. 36.27 (3n) (am) of the statutes is created to read:

36.27 (3n) (am) In determining a person's residency at the time of entry into service under par. (a) 1m. a. or b., the state from which the person entered service is irrelevant.

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

36.27 (3n) (b) (intro.) Except as provided in subds. 1. to 3. and par. (bg), the board shall grant full remission of academic fees and segregated fees for 128 credits or 8 semesters, whichever is longer, less the number of credits or semesters for which the person received remission of fees under s. 38.24 (7) and less the amount of any academic fees or segregated fees paid under 38 USC 3319, to any resident student who maintains a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 and is also any of the following:

Section 4. 36.27 (3n) (b) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

36.27 (3n) (b) 1. A spouse of an eligible veteran. The remission under this subdivision applies only during the first 10 years after the eligible veteran received the service-connected disability rating.

Section 5. 36.27 (3n) (b) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

36.27 (3n) (b) 2. Except as provided in subd. 2m., an An unremarried surviving spouse of an eligible veteran. The remission under this subdivision applies only during the first 10 years after the veteran died.

Section 6. 36.27 (3n) (b) 2m. of the statutes is repealed.

Section 7. 36.27 (3p) (a) 1r. (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

36.27 (3p) (a) 1r. (intro.) "Veteran" means a person who is verified by the department of veterans affairs as being a resident of this state for purposes of receiving benefits under ch. 45,; as being a resident of this state at the time of his or her entry into the U.S. armed forces or forces incorporated in the U.S. armed forces, or as being a resident of this state for at least 5 consecutive years; and as meeting any of the following conditions:

Section 8. 36.27 (3p) (am) of the statutes is created to read:

36.27 (3p) (am) In determining a person's residence at the time of entry into service under par. (a) 1r., the state from which the person entered service is irrelevant.

Section 9. 36.27 (3p) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

36.27 (3p) (b) Except as provided in par. (bg), the board shall grant full remission of nonresident tuition, academic fees, and segregated fees charged for 128 credits or 8 semesters, whichever is longer, less the number of credits or semesters for which the person received remission of fees under s. 38.24 (8) and less the amount of any academic fees or segregated fees paid under 10 USC 2107 (c), 38 USC 3104 (a) (7) (A), or 38 USC 3313, to any student who is a veteran and maintains a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0.

Section 10. 38.24 (7) (a) 1m. a. and b. of the statutes are amended to read:

38.24 (7) (a) 1m. a. A person who has served on active duty under honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces, in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces, in the national guard, or in a reserve component of the U.S. armed forces; who was a resident of this state at the time of entry into that service or resided in this state for at least 5 consecutive years; and who, while a resident of this state, died on active duty, died as the result of a service-connected disability, or died in the line of duty while on active or inactive duty for training purposes.

Section 11. 38.24 (7) (am) of the statutes is created to read:

38.24 (7) (am) In determining a person's residency at the time of entry into service under par. (a) 1m. a. or b., the state from which the person entered service is irrelevant.

Section 12. 38.24 (7) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

38.24 (7) (b) (intro.) Except as provided in subds. 1. to 3. and par. (bg), the district board shall grant full remission of fees for 128 credits or 8 semesters, whichever is longer, less the number of credits or semesters for which the person received remission of fees from any other district board under this subsection and from the Board of Regents under s. 36.27 (3n) (b) and less the amount of any fees paid under 38 USC 3319, to any resident student who maintains a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 and is also any of the following:

Section 13. 38.24 (7) (b) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

38.24 (7) (b) 1. A spouse of an eligible veteran. The remission under this subdivision applies only during the first 10 years after the eligible veteran received the service-connected disability rating.

Section 14. 38.24 (7) (b) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

38.24 (7) (b) 2. Except as provided in subd. 2m., an An unremarried surviving spouse of an eligible veteran. The remission under this subdivision applies only during the first 10 years after the veteran died.

Section 15. 38.24 (7) (b) 2m. of the statutes is repealed.

Section 16. 38.24 (8) (a) 1r. (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

38.24 (8) (a) 1r. (intro.) "Veteran" means a person who is verified by the department of veterans affairs as being a resident of this state for purposes of receiving benefits under ch. 45,; as being a resident of this state at the time of his or her entry into the U.S. armed forces or forces incorporated in the U.S. armed forces, or as being a resident of this state for at least 5 consecutive years; and as meeting any of the following conditions:

Section 17. 38.24 (8) (am) of the statutes is created to read:

38.24 (8) (am) In determining a person's residence at the time of entry into service under par. (a) 1r., the state from which the person entered service is irrelevant.

Section 18. 38.24 (8) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

38.24 (8) (b) Except as provided in par. (bg), the district board shall grant full remission of the fees charged for 128 credits or 8 semesters, whichever is longer, less the number of credits or semesters for which the person received remission of fees from any other district board under this subsection and from the Board of Regents under s. 36.27 (3p) and less the amount of any fees paid under 10 USC 2107 (c), 38 USC 3104 (a) (7) (A), or 38 USC 3313, to any student who is a veteran and maintains a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0.

Section 9343. Initial applicability; Technical College System.

(1) Fee remission. The treatment of section 38.24 (7) (b) (intro.) and (8) (b) of the statutes first applies in the first semester beginning after the effective date of this subsection.

Section 9348. Initial applicability; University of Wisconsin System.

(1) Fee remission. The treatment of section 36.27 (3n) (b) (intro.) and (3p) (b) of the statutes first applies in the first semester beginning after the effective date of this subsection.

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