H. B. 4383


(By Delegates Cann, Kuhn, Butcher, Kominar,
Martin, Mattaliano and Coleman)
[Introduced February 3, 2000; referred to the
Committee on Veterans Affairs then Finance.]



A BILL to amend and reenact section twenty-one, article one-b, chapter fifteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to providing that a member of the national guard who is enrolled in a course of postgraduate study and is attending an accredited college or university located in West Virginia, and is receiving payments under the army continuing education system, may be entitled to payment from the state for tuition and fees at that college or university during his or her period of service in the national guard.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section twenty-one, article one-b, chapter fifteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 1B. NATIONAL GUARD.

§15-1B-21. Tuition and fees for guard members at institutions of higher education.

(a) Any member of the national guard who is enrolled in a course of undergraduate study at and is attending any accredited college, university, business or trade school located in West Virginia, may be entitled to payment of tuitions and fees at such that college, university, business or trade school during the period of his or her service in the national guard: Provided, That the adjutant general may prescribe criteria of eligibility for payment of tuition and fees at such the college, university, business or trade school: Provided, however, That such payment shall be is contingent upon appropriations being made by the Legislature for this express purpose.
The amount of such the payment for members attending a state-supported school shall be determined by the adjutant general, and shall may not exceed the actual amount of tuition and fees at such the school. The amount of such payment for members attending a private school shall be determined by the adjutant general, but in no event shall may exceed the highest amounts payable at any state-supported school.
(b) Any member of the national guard who is enrolled in a course of postgraduate study and is attending any accredited college or university located in West Virginia, and is receiving payments under the army continuing education system, may be entitled to payment of tuition and fees at that college or university during his or her period of service in the national guard: Provided, That the sum of payments received under this subsection and the army continuing education system may not exceed the actual amount of tuition and fees at the school, and in no event may exceed the highest amounts payable at any state-supported school. Such payments are contingent upon appropriations being made by the Legislature for this express purpose.
(c) The adjutant general is charged with the administration of tuition and fee payments under this section and shall promulgate rules and regulations for the same propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to implement the provisions of this section.


NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide that a member of the national guard who is enrolled in a course of postgraduate study and is attending an accredited college or university located in West Virginia, and is receiving payments under the Army Continuing Education System, may be entitled to payment from the state for tuition and fees at that college or university during his or her period of service in the national guard.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.