WEST virginia legislature

2017 regular session

Introduced

Senate Bill 520

By Senators Weld, Blair and Takubo

[Introduced March 6, 2017; Referred
to the Committee on Military; and then to the Committee on Education]

A BILL to amend and reenact §18B-10-1a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to in-state residency tuition rates; providing that members of the reserve who are not residents of West Virginia but who are active members of a reserve unit in West Virginia shall qualify as residents for purposes of calculating tuition rates; and providing that current members of the United States armed forces and veterans of the United States armed forces shall qualify as residents for purposes of calculating tuition rates.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That §18B-10-1a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

 ARTICLE 10. FEES AND OTHER MONEY COLLECTED AT STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.

§18B-10-1a. Resident tuition rates for National Guard and Reserve members, service members, and veterans.

(a) The term "resident" or "residency", or any other term or expression used to designate a West Virginia resident student, when used to determine the rate of tuition to be charged students attending community colleges and state-related and state-owned institutions of higher education shall be construed to include the following:

(1) Members of the National Guard or Reserve who are not residents of West Virginia but who are active members of a National Guard or Reserve unit in West Virginia; who are participating in the National Guard education services program

(2) Current members of the United States Armed Forces; and

(3) Veterans of the United States Armed Forces who have been honorably discharged who, prior to entering into the United States Armed Forces, were residents of West Virginia.

(b) A member of the National Guard who qualifies as a resident A person who qualifies as a resident, as that term is defined in subsection (a) of this section, on the first day of the semester or term of the college or institution, shall be charged resident tuition rates.

(c) The provisions of this section apply at the beginning of the semester or term immediately following the effective date of this section.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide that members of the Reserve who are not residents of West Virginia but who are active members of a Reserve unit in West Virginia qualify as residents for purposes of calculating tuition rates; and that current members of the United States Armed Forces and veterans of the United States Armed Forces qualify as residents for purposes of calculating tuition rates.

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