COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
H. B. 2697
(By Delegates Pino, Doyle and Manuel)
(Originating in the Committee on Finance)
[March 1, 1999]
A BILL to amend and reenact section seven, article ten, chapter
eighteen-b of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine
hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to institutions of
higher education; tuition and fee waivers; waivers for
children and spouses of officers and firefighters killed in
the line of duty; waivers for certain persons at least age
sixty-five.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section seven, article ten, chapter eighteen-b of the
code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 10. FEES AND OTHER MONEY COLLECTED AT STATE INSTITUTIONS
OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
§18B-10-7. Tuition and fee waivers for children and spouses of
officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty and senior citizens.
Each state institution of higher education shall permit any person to attend its undergraduate courses and classes, if
classroom space is available, without charging
such the person
any tuition or any fees, including those provided in sections two
and three of this article, if
such the person is
at least sixty-
five years of age or is the child or spouse of a law-enforcement
officer as defined in section one, article twenty-nine, chapter
thirty of this code, a correctional officer at a state penal
institution, a conservation officer or a registered firefighter
and
such that officer or firefighter was killed in the line of
duty while employed by the state or any political subdivision
thereof, or
such the firefighter was a member of a volunteer fire
department serving a political subdivision of this state:
Provided, That the state institution of higher education may
require
such the person to pay special fees, including any
laboratory fees, if
such the fees are required of all other
students taking the particular course and may also require
such
the person to pay for parking:
Provided, however, That under the
provisions of this section persons aged sixty-five or older may
also attend graduate courses: Provided further, That persons
aged sixty-five or older may attend the undergraduate or graduate
courses under the provisions of this section on an audit basis
only, and may not receive college credit for the course attend:
And provided further, That persons aged sixty-five or older
attending any course under the provisions of this section may not
be counted towards full-time enrollment for the purposes of
distribution of the funds using the resource allocation model and resource allocation policy. The governing boards may promulgate
rules for determining the availability of classroom space and
other rules as
it considers they consider necessary to implement
this section, including rules regarding qualifications for
attendance, which
shall may not exceed the qualifications
required of other persons.
The governing boards may also extend to persons attending
courses and classes under this section any rights, privileges or
benefits extended to other students which it considers
appropriate.