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                                                      PRINTER'S NO. 1852

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


SENATE BILL

No. 1315 Session of 2008


        INTRODUCED BY WAUGH, BAKER, RAFFERTY, PUNT, O'PAKE, MADIGAN,
           KASUNIC, FONTANA, ERICKSON, BOSCOLA, ORIE, KITCHEN,
           TOMLINSON, EICHELBERGER, WONDERLING, REGOLA, LOGAN, CORMAN,
           ARMSTRONG, BROWNE, BRUBAKER, ROBBINS, PIPPY, EARLL, COSTA,
           WOZNIAK, C. WILLIAMS, FOLMER, M. WHITE, D. WHITE, RHOADES,
           McILHINNEY, DINNIMAN AND STOUT, MARCH 20, 2008

        REFERRED TO EDUCATION, MARCH 20, 2008

                                     AN ACT

     1  Providing for a Postsecondary Education Tuition Reimbursement
     2     Program for volunteer firefighters and emergency services
     3     personnel.

     4     The General Assembly finds that, since volunteer firefighters
     5  and emergency services personnel provide essential public
     6  services and save taxpayers billions of dollars annually in
     7  communities across this Commonwealth, this act shall provide
     8  significant assistance to them in attaining a quality
     9  postsecondary 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 Volunteer
    14  Firefighter and Emergency Services Postsecondary Education
    15  Tuition Reimbursement 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 college."  An institution established pursuant to
     7  Article XIX-A of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14),
     8  known as the Public School Code of 1949, or the former act of
     9  August 24, 1963 (P.L.1132, No.484), known as the Community
    10  College Act of 1963.
    11     "State-owned university."  A university which is part of the
    12  State System of Higher Education as established under Article
    13  XX-A of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the
    14  Public School Code of 1949, and all branches and campuses of a
    15  State-owned university.
    16     "State-related university."  Any of the following
    17  universities, including any of their branch campuses:
    18         (1)  The Pennsylvania State University.
    19         (2)  The University of Pittsburgh.
    20         (3)  Temple University.
    21         (4)  Lincoln University.
    22  Section 3.  Tuition assistance program.
    23     (a)  Establishment.--The Volunteer Firefighter and Emergency
    24  Services Postsecondary Education Tuition Reimbursement Program
    25  is established in the agency.
    26     (b)  Credits or payments.--The tuition reimbursement program
    27  shall consist of a credit or payment by a community college,
    28  State-owned university or State-related university of 50% of a
    29  qualified student's share of tuition for each course credit,
    30  with payment from the Commonwealth going directly to the
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     1  community college, State-owned university or State-related
     2  university for such credits or payments.
     3     (c)  Qualifications.--Any applicant who meets the following
     4  criteria shall be eligible for tuition assistance under this
     5  act:
     6         (1)  The applicant must be a resident of this
     7     Commonwealth.
     8         (2)  The applicant has successfully completed the
     9     requirements for and has received certification as a
    10     Firefighter I, II or III, Fire Officer I or II or Fire
    11     Instructor I or II from the Pennsylvania Fire Academy or one
    12     of its delegated authorities consistent with the National
    13     Board of Professional Qualifications or the applicant is
    14     certified as an Emergency Medical Technician by the
    15     Department of Health as provided for in the act of July 3,
    16     1985 (P.L.164, No.45), known as the Emergency Medical
    17     Services Act.
    18         (3)  The applicant must provide the community college,
    19     State-owned university or State-related university with a
    20     sworn statement of fact by the fire chief, president or
    21     commissioner of a volunteer fire department, nonprofit
    22     ambulance service, nonprofit rescue squad or nonprofit
    23     hazardous material response team, of which the applicant is a
    24     volunteer, attesting that the applicant has participated in
    25     at least 30% of the volunteer organization's emergency
    26     responses within the last 18 months. A junior volunteer 16
    27     through 18 years of age must have participated in at least
    28     20% of the emergency responses and have attended at least 20
    29     hours of training or classroom instruction on an annual
    30     basis, as certified by the fire chief, president or
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     1     commissioner of the volunteer organization.
     2         (4)  The applicant must make an application to the agency
     3     for any other financial assistance.
     4     (d)  Limitation.--No applicant shall be eligible for tuition
     5  reimbursement under this act for more than five academic years.
     6  Section 4.  Reimbursement of tuition costs.
     7     The agency shall reimburse the community college, State-owned
     8  university or State-related university an amount equal to 50% of
     9  the cost of a course credit for each course where tuition
    10  reimbursement is granted pursuant to this act. The
    11  reimbursements shall be verified by enrollment and itemized by
    12  the applicant for auditing purposes under this act. The
    13  reimbursements shall be made annually by the agency to the
    14  appropriate community college, State-related university or
    15  State-owned university.
    16  Section 5.  Funding.
    17     The General Assembly shall annually include in the
    18  appropriation to the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
    19  Agency in the General Appropriation Act an appropriation from
    20  the General Fund in an amount sufficient to make tuition
    21  reimbursement payments pursuant to this act.
    22  Section 6.  Regulations.
    23     The agency shall in a manner provided by law promulgate rules
    24  and regulations necessary to carry out this act.
    25  Section 7.  Effective date.
    26     This act shall take effect July 1, 2008, or immediately,
    27  whichever is later.


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