1Amending Title 51 (Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania
2Consolidated Statutes, providing for course scheduling for
3military students.

4The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5hereby enacts as follows:

6Section 1. Title 51 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
7Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:

8CHAPTER 97

9COURSE SCHEDULING FOR MILITARY STUDENTS

10Sec.

119701. Scope.

129702. Definitions.

139703. Priority scheduling for military students.

149704. Duties of department and public institutions of higher
15education.

169705. Expiration.

17§ 9701. Scope.

1This chapter relates to a course scheduling preference for
2military students who are enrolled in public institutions of
3higher education to obtain a bachelor's or an associate's
4degree.

5§ 9702. Definitions.

6The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
7shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
8context clearly indicates otherwise:

9"Active duty military service member."  An individual who is
10an active duty member of the armed forces of the United States
11or the National Guard or any other reserve component of the
12armed forces of the United States.

13"Department."  The Department of Education of the
14Commonwealth.

15"Distance education."  A traditional or nontraditional path
16in which a student is enrolled in an approved online education
17program at a public institution of higher education.

18"Nontraditional student."  Any undergraduate student over 21
19years of age who has a family and work responsibilities or other
20life circumstances that may interfere with successful completion
21of educational objectives.

22"Public institution of higher education." A community
23college, State-related institution or a member institution of
24the State System of Higher Education.

25"Military student."  An individual who meets all of the
26following:

27(1) Is an active duty military service member or a
28veteran.

29(2) Has been admitted to a public institution of higher
30education.

1(3) Resides in this Commonwealth while enrolled in the
2public institution of higher education.

3(4) Is in his or her final year at the public
4institution of higher education and is working toward a
5bachelor's or an associate's degree.

6"Traditional student." A financially dependent student
7matriculating from high school to college who pursues college
8studies on a continuous full-time basis and completes a
9bachelor's degree program in four or five years.

10"Veteran." An individual who meets all of the following:

11(1) Has served in the armed forces of the United States
12or the National Guard or any other reserve component.

13(2) Was discharged or released from such service under
14any conditions other than dishonorable.

15§ 9703. Priority scheduling for military students.

16(a) General rule.--Within 90 days of the effective date of
17this section, a public institution of higher education shall
18provide a scheduling preference to military students to obtain a
19bachelor's or associate's degree over a traditional,
20nontraditional or part-time student taking classes on-campus or
21through distance education.

22(b) Exception.--If a professor offers to open enrollment in
23a class to add a military student, a public institution of
24higher education does not need to offer priority scheduling to
25the military student.

26(c) Existing policies.--If on the effective date of this
27section a public institution of higher education has established
28and implemented a policy relating to preference in course
29scheduling that includes military students and the policy
30complies with this chapter, the public institution of higher

1education shall not be required to establish and implement a new
2policy under the provisions of this chapter.

3§ 9704. Duties of department and public institutions of higher
4education.

5(a) Duties of department.--The department shall have the
6following duties:

7(1) Promulgate regulations to administer this chapter.

8(2) Create a one-page form for public institutions of
9higher education to access and input information required by
10the department through the department's Internet website.

11(3) Share reporting information with the department's
12Office of Postsecondary and Higher Education, Division of
13Veterans and Military Education.

14(4) Share reporting information with the Veterans
15Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee of the Senate,
16the Education Committee of the Senate, the Veterans Affairs
17and Emergency Preparedness Committee of the House of
18Representatives and the Education Committee of the House of
19Representatives.

20(b)  Duties of public institutions of higher
21education.--Public institutions of higher education shall have
22the following duties:

23(1) Provide the department with information relating to
24an existing priority scheduling policy or a new priority
25scheduling policy.

26(2) Provide the department with information relating to
27the number of military students taking senior-level courses
28to obtain bachelor's or associate's degrees.

29(3) Provide the department with information relating to
30the number of traditional, nontraditional or distance

1education students affected by priority scheduling under this
2chapter.

3§ 9705. Expiration.

4This chapter shall expire December 31, 2018.

5Section 2. This act shall take effect in 90 days.