PRINTER'S NO. 53
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
48
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY BURNS, LONGIETTI, BARRAR, READSHAW, MOUL,
BIZZARRO, WARD, DEASY, SNYDER, V. BROWN, GABLER AND FREEMAN,
JANUARY 23, 2017
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, JANUARY 23, 2017
AN ACT
Establishing a recruitment scholarship program for volunteer
fire companies, volunteer ambulance services and volunteer
rescue squads; providing for duties of the Pennsylvania
Higher Education Assistance Agency; and making an
appropriation.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Volunteer
Recruitment Service Scholarship Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Agency." The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
Agency.
"Degree-producing curriculum." A series of courses designed
to culminate in a specific postsecondary degree or diploma when
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successfully completed.
"Full-time study." Enrollment in an approved postsecondary
degree program for at least 12 credit hours per semester or at
least eight credit hours per quarter in an institution of higher
education.
"Institution of higher education." An accredited
postsecondary institution of higher education that provides a
course of study leading to the granting of a postsecondary
degree or diploma.
"Legal resident." A person whose principal domicile is
located within this Commonwealth in excess of one year.
"Part-time study." Enrollment in an approved postsecondary
degree program for at least six but less than 12 credit hours
per semester or at least four but less than eight credit hours
per quarter in an institution of higher education.
"Tuition." The total semester, quarter or credit hour cost
of instruction to the student as periodically published in the
catalog of the institution of higher education, excluding
mandatory fees, book charges and room and board.
"Tuition benefit." The payment of whatever cost is
attributable to the cost of tuition after the deduction of any
other available educational grant aid, not to exceed an amount
equal to the annual tuition charged by the State System of
Higher Education.
"Volunteer ambulance service." A nonprofit chartered
corporation, association or organization located in this
Commonwealth and regularly engaged in the service of providing
emergency medical care and transportation of patients.
"Volunteer fire company." A nonprofit chartered corporation,
association or organization located in this Commonwealth that
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provides fire protection services and may offer other voluntary
emergency services within this Commonwealth. Voluntary emergency
services may include voluntary ambulance and voluntary rescue
services.
"Volunteer organization." A volunteer fire company,
volunteer ambulance service or volunteer rescue squad.
"Volunteer rescue squad." A nonprofit chartered corporation,
association or organization located in this Commonwealth that
provides rescue services in this Commonwealth.
Section 3. Volunteer recruitment service scholarships.
(a) Program.--The agency is authorized, within amounts
appropriated or otherwise lawfully available from any other
source, to establish a recruitment scholarship program for
volunteer organizations.
(b) Award.--Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to
the contrary, the agency is authorized to grant, based upon
available funding, volunteer recruitment service scholarships
that shall be awarded in the following manner:
(1) Volunteer organizations may annually submit one
application to the agency.
(2) Volunteer organizations submitting an application
shall develop a policy for selecting the candidate that will
be forwarded to the agency.
(3) The agency shall designate a date by which all
applications shall be received by the agency.
(4) The agency shall award a volunteer recruitment
service scholarship to all eligible applicants unless the
number of applications received is greater than the funding
available for the program, in which case the agency shall
develop a random system for selecting the recipients.
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(5) A recipient of the volunteer recruitment service
scholarship shall automatically continue to receive the
scholarship once awarded, provided that the recipient remains
compliant with the provisions of this section, the recipient
is continuously enrolled in a degree-producing curriculum at
an institution of higher education and funding is available.
(6) The agency shall develop a system for certifying
each semester or quarter that the recipient is compliant with
the conditions enumerated in section 4 prior to receiving the
tuition benefit.
Section 4. Qualifications.
Recipients of the volunteer recruitment service scholarships
must:
(1) Have been a member of the volunteer organization for
less than six months at the time of the initial award,
provided that this paragraph shall not apply to any
individual under 23 years of age.
(2) Maintain an active volunteer status, as determined
by the volunteer organization, for the duration of the
scholarship.
(3) Have graduated from high school or have received a
high school equivalency diploma and not possess a bachelor's
degree or higher.
(4) Be enrolled in a degree-producing curriculum at an
institution of higher education located within a 50-mile
radius of the volunteer organization, or, provided that no
such institution exists, the next closest institution.
(5) Maintain a cumulative grade point average of at
least 2.0.
(6) Be a legal resident of this Commonwealth.
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(7) Apply for all other available Federal, State or
other educational grant aid at the time of enrollment. Any
grant aid or financial assistance received shall be utilized
to offset the cost of tuition to the maximum extent possible,
except that aid or assistance received which may be used
toward costs other than that of tuition need not be applied
toward the cost of tuition.
Section 5. Use.
The tuition benefit provided by this act may be used for
either part-time or full-time study.
Section 6. Discontinuance.
Upon the recipient's attainment of a bachelor's degree or
cessation of status as a volunteer with the volunteer
organization, whichever occurs first, the tuition benefit
provided by this act shall be discontinued. The tuition benefit
provided by this act shall be suspended at the direction of the
agency if the recipient fails to:
(1) Continue to serve as a volunteer with the volunteer
organization.
(2) Maintain good academic progress and program pursuit.
(3) Maintain sufficient academic standing to retain
eligibility for any other financial assistance the recipient
may be receiving.
(4) Comply with any provision of this act.
Section 7. Limitations.
Unless otherwise provided for in this section, the tuition
benefit for the volunteer recruitment service scholarships shall
be on the terms and conditions set by the agency, provided that
any tuition benefit for:
(1) Full-time study shall not exceed an amount equal to
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the annual tuition charged to the recipient or the tuition
charged by the State System of Higher Education, whichever is
less.
(2) Part-time study shall not exceed an amount equal to
the part-time tuition charged to the recipient or the per
credit hour tuition charged by the State System of Higher
Education multiplied by the number of credit hours taken,
whichever is less.
Section 8. Regulations.
The agency may promulgate regulations necessary for the
implementation of this act.
Section 9. Appropriation.
The sum of $2,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Pennsylvania Higher
Education Assistance Agency for the fiscal year July 1, 2017, to
June 30, 2018, to carry out the purposes of this act.
Section 10. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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