SB238: Bill Text

2023 Senate BILL 238

April 14, 2023 - Introduced by Senators Cowles and Tomczyk, cosponsored by Representatives Maxey, Behnke, Binsfeld, Cabrera, Donovan, Edming, Green, Myers, Michalski, Murphy, Mursau, Nedweski, Novak, Ortiz-Velez, Schmidt, Shankland, Sinicki and Wichgers. Referred to Committee on Universities and Revenue.

SB238,1,5 An Act to amend 36.27 (3n) (a) 1m. (intro.), 36.27 (3n) (am), 36.27 (3n) (bd), 38.24 (7) (a) 1m. (intro.), 38.24 (7) (am) and 38.24 (7) (bd); and to create 36.27 (3n) (a) 1m. c. and 38.24 (7) (a) 1m. c. of the statutes; relating to: tuition and fee remission for eligible veterans' spouses and children enrolled in the University of Wisconsin System or a technical college.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill expands the definition of “eligible veteran” for the purposes of a tuition and fee remission program for eligible veterans' spouses and children.

Current law provides for full remission of tuition and fees at technical colleges and UW System institutions for up to eight semesters or 128 credits for the spouse and 17-to-25-year-old children of eligible veterans. Under current law, an “eligible veteran” is a military service member who suffered service-connected death or disability and who either was a resident of this state when he or she entered military service or satisfies one of the following: 1) if the veteran, 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, the veteran resided in this state for at least five consecutive years while an adult; or 2) if the veteran received at least a 30 percent service-connected disability rating, the veteran resided in this state for at least five consecutive years immediately before the veteran's spouse or child registers at a technical college or a UW System institution. In addition, if a veteran was not a resident of this state when he or she entered military service, the veteran's spouse or child is eligible for tuition and fee remission only if the spouse or child has resided in this state for at least five consecutive years immediately before the spouse's or child's enrollment in a technical college or UW System institution.

This bill expands the tuition and fee program's definition of “eligible veteran” to include a person who has served on active duty for 20 or more years and who is on active duty in the time immediately preceding the beginning of any semester or session for which the person's spouse or child registers at a technical college or UW System institution. In addition, the person must either have been a resident of this state at the time of the person's entry into service or have resided in this state for at least five consecutive years immediately preceding the beginning of any semester or session for which the person's spouse or child registers at an institution. If the person was not a resident of this state when he or she entered military service, the person's spouse or child is eligible for tuition and fee remission only if the spouse or child has resided in this state for at least five consecutive years immediately preceding the spouse's or child's enrollment in a technical college or UW System institution.

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:

SB238,1 Section 1. 36.27 (3n) (a) 1m. (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB238,2,3 36.27 (3n) (a) 1m. (intro.) “Eligible veteran" means a person verified by the department of veterans affairs to be either any of the following:

SB238,2 Section 2. 36.27 (3n) (a) 1m. c. of the statutes is created to read:

SB238,3,2 36.27 (3n) (a) 1m. c. A person who has served on active duty for at least 20 years in the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces; who is on active duty in service in the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces in the time immediately preceding the beginning of any semester or session for which the person's spouse or child described in par. (b) 1., 2., or 3. registers at an institution; and who was a resident of this state at the time of the person's entry into service or resided in this state for at least 5 consecutive years immediately preceding the beginning of any semester or session for which the person's spouse or child described in par. (b) 1., 2., or 3. registers at an institution.

SB238,3 Section 3. 36.27 (3n) (am) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB238,3,6 36.27 (3n) (am) In determining a person's residency at the time of entry into service under par. (a) 1m. a., or b. or c., the state from which the person entered service is irrelevant.

SB238,4 Section 4. 36.27 (3n) (bd) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB238,3,13 36.27 (3n) (bd) If an eligible veteran was not a resident of this state at the time of entry into service described in par. (a) 1m. a. or c., the board may grant a remission of academic fees and segregated fees under this subsection only if the eligible veteran's spouse or child described in par. (b) 1., 2., or 3. has resided in this state for at least 5 consecutive years immediately preceding the spouse's or child's enrollment in an institution.

SB238,5 Section 5. 38.24 (7) (a) 1m. (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB238,3,16 38.24 (7) (a) 1m. (intro.) “Eligible veteran" means a person verified by the department of veterans affairs to be either any of the following:

SB238,6 Section 6. 38.24 (7) (a) 1m. c. of the statutes is created to read:

SB238,4,2 38.24 (7) (a) 1m. c. A person who has served on active duty for at least 20 years in the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces; who is on active duty in service in the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces in the time immediately preceding the beginning of any semester or session for which the person's spouse or child described in par. (b) 1., 2., or 3. registers at a technical college; and who was a resident of this state at the time of the person's entry into service or resided in this state for at least 5 consecutive years immediately preceding the beginning of any semester or session for which the person's spouse or child described in par. (b) 1., 2., or 3. registers at a technical college.

SB238,7 Section 7. 38.24 (7) (am) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB238,4,6 38.24 (7) (am) In determining a person's residency at the time of entry into service under par. (a) 1m. a., or b., or c., the state from which the person entered service is irrelevant.

SB238,8 Section 8. 38.24 (7) (bd) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB238,4,13 38.24 (7) (bd) If an eligible veteran was not a resident of this state at the time of entry into service described in par. (a) 1m. a. or c., the district board may grant a remission of academic fees and segregated fees under this subsection only if the eligible veteran's spouse or child described in par. (b) 1., 2., or 3. has resided in this state for at least 5 consecutive years immediately preceding the spouse's or child's enrollment in a technical college.

SB238,9 Section 9. Initial applicability.

SB238,4,16 (1) This act first applies to the first semester or session beginning after the effective date of this subsection.

SB238,4,17 (End)