PRINTER'S NO. 2406

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

1779

Session of

2017

INTRODUCED BY DEASY, READSHAW, KAVULICH, KINSEY, SCHLOSSBERG,

SIMS, RAVENSTAHL, FREEMAN, SOLOMON, ROTHMAN, BARRAR, McNEILL,

V. BROWN, SCHWEYER, GOODMAN, FARRY, MATZIE, GILLEN AND ROZZI,

Program.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Title 51 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated

Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:

Sec.

8801. Scope of chapter.

8802. Definitions.

8809. Sunset provision.

§ 8801. Scope of chapter.

This chapter relates to the Combat-to-College Program.

§ 8802. Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this chapter

shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Active military service." Active service in any of the

armed services or forces of the United States or of this

Commonwealth.

Commonwealth that is legally authorized to grant degrees or

career and technical certifications and that is not statutorily

established as an instrumentality of this Commonwealth nor a

State-related institution or community college.

"State higher education institution." A State system

institution, a State-related institution or a community college

located within this Commonwealth.

"State-related institution." A nonprofit institution that

meets all of the following:

(1) Is legally authorized to grant degrees.

(4) Receives a direct annual Commonwealth appropriation.

"State system institution." A member university as provided

for in section 2002-A of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30,

No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949.

"Student veteran." An individual who is attending or

planning to attend a State higher education institution or

private education institution and is serving in the United

States Armed Forces, including a reserve component or National

Guard, or has served in the United States Armed Forces,

including a reserve component or National Guard, and who was

Each campus of a State higher education institution shall

provide the services and a coordinator described under section

8804 (relating to requirements) to help student veterans go from

combat to college in order to create a positive educational

environment for student veterans to successfully graduate from

universities and vocational degree programs while recognizing

the skills, training and experience associated with military

training.

§ 8804. Requirements.

(a) Requirements.--Each State higher education institution

administration and the coordinator under subsection (b) to

the extent that funds are available.

(2) Provide outreach, information and advocacy

assistance to student veterans to help ensure that they

receive reasonable accommodations for a disability under

Federal and State laws.

(3) Develop programs to provide academic and career

counseling specifically for student veterans that may

include, but not be limited to, peer mentoring and peer

support programs.

graduation.

(6) Not charge an admissions fee or similar fee for a

student veteran returning to the same education institution

that the student veteran attended prior to mobilization.

(7) Provide specific information on programs developed

or coordinated under this chapter, and other information

relevant to student veterans, on the institution's publicly

accessible Internet website.

(8) Provide postsecondary credit to student veterans for

military training while providing active military service if

credit will be accepted based on the student veteran's

military training.

(9) Provide a student veteran an alternative status that

reflects mobilization rather than a "W" or withdrawn status

on a student veteran's transcript at the student veteran's

request if the student veteran is being called to active

Federal or State duty.

(10) Provide for community-based collaborations to allow

the private sector to support combat-to-college programs

through financial and in-kind gifts.

to identifying and assisting student veterans who may benefit

from the specialized services and resources developed or

coordinated under this chapter.

(3) Make recommendations to the State higher education

institution's administration and the task force concerning

ways to improve the education of student veterans.

(4) Coordinate access to stress management, counseling

programs and other resources available.

(5) Coordinate with the department to educate student

veterans about available Commonwealth programs.

(7) Coordinate activities, seminars and programs for

student veterans presented by veterans organizations.

(8) Coordinate campus activities and social events

designed for student veterans.

(9) Coordinate programs to assist student veterans in

locating employment and internships.

§ 8805. Statewide Combat-to-College Task Force.

(a) Establishment and composition.--A Statewide Combat-to-

College Task Force shall be established, consisting of the

following members:

services specified under section 8804 (relating to

requirements) to student veterans.

(2) One member appointed by the Governor who serves on

the State Veterans' Commission.

(3) The Chairman of the Pennsylvania Higher Education

Assistance Agency or a designee.

(4) The Secretary of Education or a designee.

(5) The Adjutant General or a designee.

(6) Three members appointed by the Governor who are

student veterans or former student veteran representatives.

one member of the House of Representatives appointed by the

Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.

(b) Terms.--Terms of members under subsection (a) shall be

as follows:

(1) The members under subsection (a)(1), (2), (3), (4),

(5) and (6) shall serve four-year terms.

(2) The members under subsection (a)(7) shall serve two-

year terms.

(c) Vacancies.--Any vacancy on the task force shall be

filled by the original appointing officer.

institutions.

(2) Review and approve annual applications of State

higher education institutions that demonstrate compliance

with section 8804 in order to receive the "Combat-to-College

Certified" title.

(3) Review and approve annual applications from private

education institutions to receive a "Combat-to-College

Certified" title for voluntary compliance with this chapter.

(4) Promote partnerships with the United States

Department of Veterans' Affairs that help reduce out-of-

Grant Program, and recommend changes in the Federal Student

Aid programs and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance

Agency's programs to develop solutions to result in

unfettered access to postsecondary education opportunities.

(6) Provide ways to easily report accurate data on the

use and results of the programs authorized under this

chapter.

(7) Promote partnerships to provide financial resources

to help enable State higher education institutions and

private education institutions to meet the State standards

A private education institution shall be awarded an annual

"Combat-to-College Certified" status by the task force if the

private education institution voluntarily complies with State

standards for student veterans' programs as described in section

8804 (relating to requirements).

§ 8807. Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

(a) Department assistance.--The department may assist the

task force in the task force's duties.

(b) Funding.--The department may apply for Federal and

private funding for training, outreach and other expenses to

department's publicly accessible Internet website the reports on

information collected under sections 8804 (relating to

requirements), 8805 (relating to Statewide Combat-to-College

Task Force), 8806 (relating to private education institutions)

and 8808 (relating to reporting provisions) with other

information the department deems useful to assist student

veterans.

§ 8808. Reporting provisions.

Starting 90 days after the effective date of this section,

each State higher education institution and private education

§ 8809. Sunset provision.

This chapter shall expire 15 years from the effective date of

this section.

Section 2. This act shall take effect as follows:

(1) Sections 8803 and 8804 of Title 51 shall take effect

in one year.

(2) The remainder of this act shall take effect in 60

days.