Bill Text: NH SB421 | 2020 | Regular Session | Amended


Bill Title: Relative to educational assistance for members of the New Hampshire national guard and relative to tuition waivers for children in state foster care or guardianship.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 5-3)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-09-23 - Died on Table [SB421 Detail]

Download: New_Hampshire-2020-SB421-Amended.html

SB 421-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

 

02/13/2020   0441s

2020 SESSION

20-2800

01/05

 

SENATE BILL 421-FN

 

AN ACT relative to educational assistance for members of the New Hampshire national guard and relative to tuition waivers for children in state foster care or guardianship.

 

SPONSORS: Sen. D'Allesandro, Dist 20; Sen. Giuda, Dist 2; Sen. Birdsell, Dist 19; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. Feltes, Dist 15; Sen. Morse, Dist 22; Rep. Ford, Graf. 3; Rep. Ladd, Graf. 4

 

COMMITTEE: Education and Workforce Development

 

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AMENDED ANALYSIS

 

This bill clarifies postsecondary educational assistance for members of the New Hampshire national guard.

 

This bill also authorizes tuition waivers for children in state foster care or guardianship for part-time enrollment in programs in public postsecondary institutions.

 

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

02/13/2020   0441s 20-2800

01/05

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty

 

AN ACT relative to educational assistance for members of the New Hampshire national guard and relative to tuition waivers for children in state foster care or guardianship.

 

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 

1  Postsecondary Educational Assistance; Definitions.  Amend RSA 110-B:63-b, III-VI to read as follows:

III.  "Educational assistance" means the waiver of the tuition cost of a course at a state-supported postsecondary institution[, provided that there is space available in that course].

IV.  "New Hampshire national guard" means federally-recognized units of the New Hampshire national guard.

V.  ["Space available" means any allocated seating in a course not filled by paying students.

VI.] "Tuition" means the total semester, quarter, or classroom hour cost of instruction to the student as established by the university system board of trustees or the board of trustees of the community college system of New Hampshire.

2  Post Educational Assistance; Educational Assistance Authorized; Minimum Requirements.  Amend the introductory paragraph and paragraph I of RSA 110-B:63-c to read as follows:

Members of the New Hampshire national guard may take courses tuition-free [on a space available basis] in state-supported postsecondary institutions.  The admission of a New Hampshire national guard member shall be in accordance with the state-supported postsecondary institution's standard student admissions criteria policies and practices.  In order to be eligible to receive educational assistance under this subdivision, a member of the New Hampshire national guard shall:  

I.  Be [an] a sworn in active member of the New Hampshire national guard residing either in-state or out-of-state [who has completed advanced individual training or commissioning].

3  Postsecondary Educational Assistance: Eligibility.  Amend RSA 110-B:63-d to read as follows:

110-B:63-d  Eligibility [and Space Availability] Determinations.

[I.]  Eligibility for educational assistance provided by this subdivision shall be determined and monitored by the adjutant general, who shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, and procedures deemed by the adjutant general to be necessary to carry out and monitor the educational assistance provided by this subdivision.

[II.  The chancellor of the university system for the university system and the chancellor of the community college system of New Hampshire for the community college system of New Hampshire shall establish policies for determining when a course has space available.]

4  Postsecondary Educational Assistance; In-State Tuition for New Hampshire National Guard Nonresidents.  Amend RSA 110-B:63-f to read as follows:

110-B:63-f  In-State Tuition for New Hampshire National Guard Nonresidents.  Any member of the New Hampshire national guard who is an otherwise eligible out-of-state resident who cannot qualify for educational assistance under this subdivision[, due to unavailability of space for members attending tuition free,] may take such course at the in-state tuition rate.

5  Tuition Waiver for Children in State Foster Care or Guardianship.  Amend RSA 187-A:20-b, I to read as follows:

I.  An eligible individual who enrolls full-time or part-time, with the approval of the division for children, youth and families, in a program leading to a certificate, associate, or bachelor degree at any public postsecondary institution within the state shall not be required to pay tuition [or fees for attendance at such institution] or mandatory fees for attendance at such institution.

6  Tuition Waiver for Children in State Foster Care or Guardianship.  Amend RSA 187-A:20-b, III(a) to read as follows:

III.(a)  Eligible individuals interested in a tuition waiver shall annually apply on forms provided and within the deadlines established by the university system of New Hampshire and the community college system of New Hampshire for their respective institutions.  No more than 15 tuition waivers per year shall be granted by the university system of New Hampshire and no more than 15 tuition waivers per year shall be granted by the community college system of New Hampshire.  The university system of New Hampshire and the community college system of New Hampshire shall have the authority to develop eligibility criteria for their respective institutions designed to give the children with the greatest financial need first priority in the tuition waiver program.  Such eligibility criteria shall also include provisions for continuing eligibility based on continued full-time or part-time, with the approval of the division for children, youth and families, enrollment and satisfactory academic progress as defined by the institution.

7  Effective Date.  

I.  Sections 5 and 6 of this act shall take effect July 1, 2020.

II.  The remainder of this act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

 

LBAO

20-2800

11/25/19

 

SB 421-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

 

AN ACT relative to educational assistance for members of the New Hampshire national guard.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:      [ X ] State              [    ] County               [    ] Local              [    ] None

 

 

 

Estimated Increase / (Decrease)

STATE:

FY 2020

FY 2021

FY 2022

FY 2023

   Appropriation

$0

$0

$0

$0

   Revenue

$0

Indeterminable Decrease

Indeterminable Decrease

Indeterminable Decrease

   Expenditures

$0

$0

$0

$0

Funding Source:

  [    ] General            [    ] Education            [    ] Highway           [ X ] Other - Community College System Revenue

 

 

 

 

 

METHODOLOGY:

This bill clarifies postsecondary educational assistance for members of the New Hampshire national guard.  The Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) indicates this bill would alter the existing national guard tuition waiver to remove the provision that enrollment of guard members under the waiver is subject to space availability.  The CCSNH assumes the bill could result in a decrease in revenue to the extent tuition waiver students supplant tuition-paying students.  Such decrease is indeterminable.

 

The University System of New Hampshire indicates there would be no fiscal impact to the University System because the proposed bill would align the statute with the USNH institutions current practices.

 

The Department of Military Affairs and Veterans Services indicates there would be no fiscal impact on the Department.

 

It is assumed this bill will not take effect until FY 2021.

 

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Community College System of New Hampshire, University System of New Hampshire and Department of Military Affairs and Veterans Services

 

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