Senate Bill No. 536

(By Senators Stollings, Plymale, Unger, Yost, Kessler (Mr. President), Tucker, Cookman, Carmichael and Nohe)

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[Introduced February 11, 2014; referred to the Committee on Education; and then to the Committee on Finance.]

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A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-10-7d, relating to granting in-state tuition rates to veterans who were honorably discharged or received a discharge related to a medical issue resulting from their military service.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-10-7d, to read as follows:

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

§18B-10-7d. In-state tuition waivers for veterans.

    The governing boards at state institutions of higher education shall grant residency status to any veteran upon receipt of necessary documentation that the veteran served one or more years on active military duty and was honorably discharged or received a discharge related to a medical issue resulting from his or her military service. For purposes of this section “necessary documentation” shall mean form DD-214 issued to each veteran upon discharge from active duty, which documents the length and character of service and the type of discharge. The governing boards shall have the right to request additional documentation and retain the authority to make the final determination on whether a veteran qualifies and meets the necessary requirements for in-state tuition rates.

    NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide in-state tuition to honorably discharged and injured veterans regardless of state residency.

    This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.