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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, Second Regular Session
tuition; family; posttraumatic stress; suicide
Purpose
Retroactive to taxable periods beginning July 1, 2023, requires the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) or a community college district (CCD) to provide a tuition waiver scholarship to a child or spouse of a deceased veteran or member of the U.S. Armed Forces, or a current or previous peace officer or firefighter if the person meets the requirements as outlined and the parent or spouse committed suicide while having a documented posttraumatic stress injury that occurred in the line of duty.
Background
ABOR and CCDs must grant a tuition waiver scholarship to attend any university or community college under its jurisdiction to: 1) a verified child or spouse of a peace officer, correctional officer, firefighter, emergency paramedic or member of the National Guard or U.S. Armed Forces who resided or was stationed in Arizona and was killed or died from injuries suffered in the line of duty while traveling to or from duty; 2) an Arizona National Guard member who received a Purple Heart citation on or after September 11, 2001; 3) an Arizona National Guard member who was medically discharged due to an injury suffered during active duty, in training status or in response to a Governor-declared state of emergency; and 4) a U.S. Armed Forces member or former member who was residing or stationed in Arizona at the time of an injury that resulted in a Purple Heart citation and whose U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (U.S. VA) disability rating is at least 50 percent (military personnel with a Purple Heart and disability rating of at least 50 percent). A tuition waiver recipient who is a child of the outlined individuals must be 30 years old or younger, and a recipient who is a spouse must not be remarried. The tuition waiver is limited to 64 community college credit hours and a total number of credits equal to the number required for a baccalaureate degree at a public university (A.R.S. § 15-1808).
If ABOR is required to provide tuition waiver scholarships to a child or spouse of a deceased veteran or member of the U.S. Armed Forces, or a current or previous peace officer or firefighter, then there may be an impact to the state General Fund.
Provisions
1. Requires ABOR and CCDs to provide a person with a tuition waiver scholarship to attend any university or community college that the person meets the admission requirements for, is under the jurisdiction of ABOR or the CCD and if:
a) the applicant is verified by the Peace Officers Memorial Board, the Arizona Fallen Firefighter Memorial Committee or the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services to be a child or spouse of a deceased:
i. veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces;
ii. current peace officer or firefighter;
iii. previous peace officer or firefighter; or
iv. member of the U.S. Armed Forces; and
b) the parent or spouse was a resident of Arizona at the time of death;
c) the parent or spouse suffered a posttraumatic stress injury in the line of duty; and
d) the parent or spouse died by suicide.
2. Specifies that it is not a requirement that the parent or spouse was employed as a peace officer, firefighter or was serving on active duty as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces at the time of death.
3. Specifies that a person who meets the requirements as outlined is eligible to receive a tuition waiver scholarship regardless of the date on which the person's parent or spouse suffered the posttraumatic stress injury or committed suicide.
4. Specifies that a person who is eligible to receive a tuition waiver scholarship and who did not receive one in the 2023-2024 or 2024-2025 school year, or both, is eligible for reimbursement in an amount equal to the tuition waiver scholarship award that the person was eligible to receive for each school year.
5. Establishes the following items as prima facie evidence that the parent or spouse suffered a posttraumatic stress injury in the line of duty:
a) a disability pension for a posttraumatic stress injury;
b) a Public Safety Personnel Retirement System plan disability benefit for a posttraumatic stress injury;
c) a discharge or other document from the U.S. Armed Forces showing that the member or veteran was discharged due to a posttraumatic stress injury; or
d) documentation from the U.S. VA showing that the member or veteran suffered from a posttraumatic stress injury.
6. Requires ABOR to distribute surplus monies that were appropriated to the Spouses of Military Veterans Tuition Scholarship Fund to each university under ABOR's jurisdiction for the costs associated with the tuition waiver scholarships.
7. Repeals, on January 1, 2029, the requirement for ABOR to provide a tuition waiver scholarship to a child or spouse of a deceased veteran or member of the U.S. Armed Forces, or a current or previous peace officer or firefighter.
8. Makes technical and conforming changes.
9. Becomes effective on the general effective date, retroactive to July 1, 2023.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 29, 2024
ZD/KK/cs