SB 53

Current law requires the Board of Regents of the UW System (Board of

Regents) and each technical college district board (district board) to grant remission

of academic fees to certain veterans who are residents of this state for veterans

benefits purposes and to the spouse, unremarried surviving spouse, and children

(dependents) of a veteran who was a resident of this state at the time of entry into

service and who either: 1) while a resident of this state, died on active duty, died as

the result of a service-connected disability, or died in the line of duty while on active

or inactive duty for training purposes; or 2) incurred at least a 30 percent

service-connected disability rating. In the case of a veteran enrolled in the UW

System, "academic fees" includes nonresident tuition.

Current law requires the Board of Regents and a district board to grant full

remission of academic fees charged for up to 128 credits or eight semesters,

whichever is longer, less the amount of any academic fees paid under the federal

Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, commonly referred to as the

"New GI Bill."

This bill eliminates the deduction of academic fees paid under the New GI Bill

from the number of credits or semesters for which the Board of Regents or a district

board remits academic fees for veterans and their dependents.

Under current law, a sum certain is appropriated to the Higher Educational

Aids Board (HEAB) to reimburse the Board of Regents and each district board for the

amount of fees remitted for veterans and their dependents, and HEAB is required

to prorate that reimbursement if the moneys appropriated are not sufficient to

reimburse the Board of Regents and each district board for the full amount of fees

remitted. This bill converts that sum certain appropriation into a sum sufficient

appropriation and requires HEAB to reimburse the Board of Regents and each

district board for the full amount of fees remitted for veterans and their dependents.