PRINTER'S NO. 524
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
560
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY DEASY, SCHLOSSBERG, HOWARD, HILL-EVANS, SANCHEZ,
D. WILLIAMS, CIRESI, WEBSTER, SCHWEYER, WARREN, SAINATO,
PISCIOTTANO, MATZIE, POLINCHOCK AND DELLOSO,
FEBRUARY 22, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, FEBRUARY 22, 2021
AN ACT
Amending Title 51 (Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, providing for the Combat-to-college
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:
CHAPTER 88
COMBAT-TO-COLLEGE PROGRAM
Sec.
8801. Scope of chapter.
8802. Definitions.
8803. Student veterans program.
8804. Requirements.
8805. Statewide Combat-to-college Task Force.
8806. Private education institutions.
8807. Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
8808. Reporting provisions.
8809. Expiration.
§ 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 armed forces of the United States or of this
Commonwealth.
"Community college." An institution established and operated
under Article XIX-A of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30,
No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949.
"Department." The Department of Military and Veterans
Affairs of the Commonwealth.
"Private education institution." An institution within this
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 institution of higher education." 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.
(2) Offers needed, specified higher education services
in the public interest of this Commonwealth.
(3) Is statutorily established as an instrumentality of
20210HB0560PN0524 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
this Commonwealth.
(4) Receives a direct annual Commonwealth appropriation.
"State system institution." A member university as provided
for in section 2002-A of the Public School Code of 1949.
"Student veteran." An individual who is attending or
planning to attend a State institution of higher education 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
discharged or released from service under conditions other than
dishonorable.
"Task force." The Statewide Combat-to-college Task Force
established under section 8805 (relating to Statewide Combat-to-
college Task Force).
§ 8803. Student veterans program.
Each campus of a State institution of higher education 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 institution of higher
education shall do the following:
(1) For a campus that is not solely online, provide a
centralized geographic location on campus for student
veterans for admissions, class registration, financial aid
20210HB0560PN0524 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
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.
(4) Develop programs to provide reasonable access to
specialized mental health counseling services or resources
for student veterans.
(5) Develop job search assistance programs designed for
a student veteran during a student veteran's enrollment and
for at least two years following the student veteran's
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
the American Council on Education recommends that
postsecondary credit should be provided for military training
or provide preadmission counseling to provide a prospective
student veteran a detailed analysis of what postsecondary
20210HB0560PN0524 - 4 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
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.
(b) Coordinator duties.--Each State institution of higher
education shall designate a coordinator for each campus who
shall:
(1) Develop programs to promote a positive educational
environment for student veterans.
(2) Implement training programs for the staff relating
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 institution of
higher education'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.
(6) Coordinate with the United States Department of
Veterans Affairs to educate student veterans on available
Federal benefits, including work-study programs offered by
the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
20210HB0560PN0524 - 5 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
(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:
(1) Four members appointed by the Governor, one of whom
shall be from each of the following:
(i) a State system institution;
(ii) a State-related institution;
(iii) a community college; and
(iv) a private education institution that provides
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.
(7) One Senator appointed by the President pro tempore
of the Senate, one Senator appointed by the Minority Leader
of the Senate, one member of the House of Representatives
appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and
20210HB0560PN0524 - 6 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
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.
(d) Duties.--
(1) Assess, refine and recommend improvements for
outreach services to provide veterans with necessary
information regarding postsecondary opportunities upon return
from service and develop best practices to help veterans
graduate from this Commonwealth's postsecondary education
institutions.
(2) Review and approve annual applications of State
institutions of higher education 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-pocket
expenses to student veterans.
(5) Assess gaps in student support and policy that may
exist at the Federal level, including the Servicemen's
Readjustment Act of 1944 (58 Stat. 284) and the Federal Pell
20210HB0560PN0524 - 7 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Grant Program, and recommend changes in the Federal Student
Aid programs and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
Agency's programs to develop solutions that 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 institutions of higher education and
private education institutions to meet the State standards
authorized under this chapter.
(8) Receive comments and testimony from student veterans
and others.
(9) Annually report to the General Assembly on the use
and results of the programs described under this chapter.
§ 8806. Private education institutions.
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
help enable State institutions of higher education and private
education institutions to meet the State standards authorized
under this chapter.
(c) Reports.--The department shall publish on the
20210HB0560PN0524 - 8 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
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 institution of higher education and private education
institution voluntarily deemed as "Combat-to-college Certified"
shall annually report to the department and to the task force
that the State institution of higher education or private
education institution offers the services described under
section 8804 (relating to requirements) and the utilization and
results of the services authorized under this chapter.
§ 8809. Expiration.
This chapter shall expire 15 years from the effective date of
this section.
Section 2. This act shall take effect as follows:
(1) 51 Pa.C.S. §§ 8803 and 8804 shall take effect in one
year.
(2) The remainder of this act shall take effect in 60
days.
20210HB0560PN0524 - 9 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24