THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

INTRODUCED BY BAKER, ALLOWAY, BREWSTER, COSTA, ERICKSON, FERLO, FONTANA, KITCHEN, MENSCH, ORIE, PIPPY, RAFFERTY, ROBBINS, SOLOBAY, STACK, TARTAGLIONE, VOGEL, WARD AND YUDICHAK, APRIL 16, 2012

REFERRED TO VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, APRIL 16, 2012  

AN ACT

Amending Title 51 (Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes, further providing for tuition waiver

for children and spouses of deceased soldiers.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 3503(a) and (a.1) of Title 51 of the

Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:

§ 3503.  Tuition waiver for children and spouses of deceased

soldiers.

(a)  Children.--The children of members of the Pennsylvania

National Guard who were killed or die as a result of injuries

received while performing duty in an official duty status

authorized under Federal or State law shall be entitled to a

waiver of all tuition costs and fees remaining after receipt of

other scholarships and education benefits and Federal and State

grants, including, but not limited to, educational gratuities

for which the children are or may be eligible under the act of

December 16, 1998 (P.L.980, No.129), known as the Police

Officer, Firefighter, Correction Employee and National Guard

Member Child Beneficiary Education Act, at all Pennsylvania

State-owned colleges or universities, approved trade schools,

State-related institutions of higher learning or community

colleges in this Commonwealth for a period not exceeding eight

semesters or four years, whichever is greater. In order to be

eligible for waiver of tuition and fees under this section, the

member of the Pennsylvania National Guard must have been a bona

fide resident of Pennsylvania at any time during his service in

the Pennsylvania National Guard or at the time of his death, and

the member's children must be bona fide residents of

Pennsylvania, eligible for resident tuition at the institution

to which they have applied, at the time they apply for the

tuition and fee waiver.

(a.1)  Spouses.--The spouse of a member of the Pennsylvania

National Guard who was killed or dies as a result of injuries

received while performing duty in an official duty status

authorized under Federal or State law shall be entitled to a

waiver of all tuition costs and fees remaining after receipt of

other scholarships and education benefits and Federal and State

grants at any Pennsylvania State-owned college or university,

approved trade school, State-related institution of higher

learning or community college in this Commonwealth for a period

not exceeding eight semesters or four years, whichever is

greater. A spouse shall be eligible for a waiver of all tuition

costs and fees remaining after receipt of other scholarships and

education benefits and Federal and State grants under this

subsection for a period not to exceed ten years from the date

the member is killed or dies as a result of injuries while in

Federal or State active duty or until the spouse remarries,

whichever occurs first. In order to be eligible for waiver of

tuition and fees under this section, the member of the

Pennsylvania National Guard must have been a bona fide resident

of Pennsylvania at any time during his service in the

Pennsylvania National Guard or at the time of his death, and the

member's spouse must be a bona fide resident of Pennsylvania,

eligible for resident tuition at the institution to which the

spouse has applied, at the time the spouse applies for the

tuition and fee waiver.

* * *

Section 2.  The amendment of 51 Pa.C.S. § 3503(a) and (a.1)

shall be retroactive to September 11, 2001.

Section 3.  This act shall take effect immediately.