PRINTER'S NO. 1970
No. 1656 Session of 1995
INTRODUCED BY MICOZZIE, DeLUCA, FAIRCHILD, GEORGE, BROWN,
ARGALL, BELARDI, HERMAN, CAPPABIANCA, COLAIZZO, McCALL,
HALUSKA, COY, GODSHALL, LYNCH, SURRA, MELIO, SATHER, MUNDY,
JOSEPHS, RUBLEY, J. TAYLOR, KENNEY, L. I. COHEN, KUKOVICH,
TRELLO, ITKIN, BELFANTI, O'BRIEN, HORSEY, WAUGH, WOGAN,
RAYMOND, STABACK, KING, GRUPPO, BAKER, LUCYK, GEIST, ADOLPH,
CORNELL, TANGRETTI, BOSCOLA, RAMOS AND SERAFINI, MAY 23, 1995
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MAY 23, 1995
AN ACT
1 Providing for a higher education tuition assistance program for
2 children of firefighters, law enforcement officers and
3 members of the ambulance services and rescue squads killed in
4 the performance of their duties.
5 The General Assembly finds that, because firefighters, law
6 enforcement officers and members of ambulance services and
7 rescue squads put their lives on the line every day in the
8 performance of their duties, this act shall provide a means of
9 providing their dependent children with a higher education.
10 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
11 hereby enacts as follows:
12 Section 1. Short title.
13 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Emergency and
14 Law Enforcement Officers' Dependent Children Tuition Assistance
15 Program Act.
16 Section 2. Definitions.
1 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
2 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
3 context clearly indicates otherwise:
4 "Agency." The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
5 Agency.
6 "Community colleges." Institutions now or hereafter created
7 pursuant to Article XIX-A of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30,
8 No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, or pursuant to
9 the act of August 24, 1963 (P.L.1132, No.484), known as the
10 Community College Act of 1963.
11 "State-owned universities." The 14 universities of
12 Pennsylvania of the State System of Higher Education and their
13 branches and campuses.
14 "State-related universities." The Pennsylvania State
15 University, the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University and
16 Lincoln University of the Commonwealth System of Higher
17 Education and their branches or campuses.
18 Section 3. Tuition assistance program.
19 (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established a tuition
20 assistance program for dependent children of the following:
21 (1) Firefighters who are members of municipal fire
22 departments, whether paid or volunteer members, who are
23 killed in the performance of their duties.
24 (2) Law enforcement officers of the Commonwealth, or any
25 political subdivision thereof, who are killed in the
26 performance of their duties.
27 (3) Members of ambulance services and rescue squads of
28 the Commonwealth, or any political subdivision thereof,
29 whether paid or volunteer members, who are killed in the
30 performance of their duties.
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1 (b) Credits or payments.--The tuition assistance program
2 shall consist of a credit or payment, by a State-owned
3 university, State-related university or community college of
4 this Commonwealth, of a qualified student's share of tuition,
5 with reimbursement from the Commonwealth going directly to the
6 State-owned or State-related university or community college for
7 such credits or payments.
8 (c) Qualifications.--Any applicant who meets the appropriate
9 following criteria shall be eligible for tuition assistance
10 under this act:
11 (1) The applicant must be the dependent child of a
12 firefighter who was a member of a municipal fire department,
13 whether as a paid member or as a volunteer member, who was
14 killed in the performance of his duties as certified under
15 the act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424, No.101), referred to as
16 the Emergency and Law Enforcement Personnel Death Benefits
17 Act.
18 (2) The applicant must be the dependent child of a law
19 enforcement officer of the Commonwealth, or a political
20 subdivision thereof, who was killed in the performance of his
21 duties as certified under the Emergency and Law Enforcement
22 Personnel Death Benefits Act.
23 (3) The applicant must be the dependent child of a
24 member of an ambulance service or rescue squad of the
25 Commonwealth, or any political subdivision thereof, whether a
26 paid or volunteer member, who was killed in the performance
27 of his duties as certified under the Emergency and Law
28 Enforcement Personnel Death Benefits Act.
29 (4) The applicant must be a resident of this
30 Commonwealth.
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1 (5) The applicant must be a resident in the area of one
2 of the local sponsors of the community college, if the
3 applicant wishes to attend a community college.
4 (6) The applicant must make an application to the agency
5 for any other available financial assistance.
6 (7) The applicant must pursue an academic curriculum.
7 (d) Limitation.--No applicant or student shall be eligible
8 for tuition assistance under this act for more than four
9 academic years.
10 Section 4. Reimbursement of tuition assistance.
11 The agency shall reimburse the State-owned or State-related
12 university or community college the amount of tuition assistance
13 granted by it pursuant to this act. The reimbursements shall be
14 verified by enrollment and itemized by the student or applicant
15 for auditing purposes under this act. The reimbursements shall
16 be made annually by the agency to the appropriate university or
17 community college.
18 Section 5. Funding.
19 The General Assembly shall annually include in the
20 appropriation to the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
21 Agency in the General Appropriation Act an appropriation from
22 the General Fund in an amount sufficient to make tuition
23 payments pursuant to this act.
24 Section 6. Effective date.
25 This act shall take effect in 90 days.
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