|
REFERENCE TITLE: law enforcement; families; tuition scholarships |
|
State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025
|
|
HB 2171 |
|
|
|
Introduced by Representatives Gress: Carbone, Carter P, Livingston, Martinez, Nguyen, Taylor
|
An Act
amending title 15, chapter 14, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-1809.02; repealing section 15-1809.02, Arizona Revised Statutes; appropriating monies; relating to education.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 15, chapter 14, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-1809.02, to read:
15-1809.02. Spouses and dependents of law enforcement officers tuition scholarship fund; tuition scholarships; eligibility; rules; reporting requirements; definition
A. The spouses and dependents of law enforcement officers tuition scholarship fund is established consisting of legislative appropriations. Monies in the fund are subject to legislative appropriation and are exempt from the provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations. The Arizona board of regents shall administer the fund and may use up to three percent of the monies deposited in the fund each fiscal year for administrative purposes under this section. On notice from the Arizona board of regents, the state treasurer shall invest and divest monies in the fund as provided by section 35-313, and monies earned from investment shall be credited to the fund.
B. Subject to available monies, the Arizona board of regents shall use the monies in the fund to award tuition scholarships to any individual who meets both of the following requirements:
1. Enrolls in any of the following:
(a) A university under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents.
(b) A community college as defined in section 15-1401 that has entered into an agreement WITH the Arizona board of regents for THE purposes of this section.
(c) A career technical education program that is offered to adults or an associate degree program offered pursuant to section 15-398 if the program is offered by a career technical education district that has entered into an agreement WITH the Arizona board of regents for THE purposes of this section.
(d) A private postsecondary educational institution in this state that is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 30, article 2 and that has entered into an agreement WITH the Arizona board of regents for THE purposes of this section.
2. Is either:
(a) the spouse of a law enforcement officer.
(b) Under twenty-seven years of age and A dependent of a law enforcement officer.
C. an individual who meets the requirements prescribed in subsection B of this section may apply to the Arizona board of regents for a tuition scholarship from the fund in a manner prescribed by the Arizona board of regents. Subject to available monies, the Arizona board of regents shall award an eligible individual a tuition scholarship that is equal to the amount of tuition and mandatory fees charged by the university, community college or career technical education district in which the individual is enrolled, reduced by the amount of any federal aid scholarships or public grants and any other financial gifts, grants or aid received by that individual, except that if the individual is enrolled in a private postsecondary educational institution, the tuition scholarship may not exceed the remainder of the average in-state tuition and fees charged by universities under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents minus other gifts and aid awarded to that individual. The Arizona board of regents shall verify that the individual satisfies the requirements prescribed in subsection B of this section before awarding a tuition scholarship. If the Arizona board of regents determines that an individual no longer satisfies the requirements prescribed in subsection B of this section, the Arizona board of regents may not distribute ADDITIONAL monies from the fund to the individual until the individual submits documentation showing that the individual satisfies all requirements prescribed in subsection B of this section.
D. A tuition scholarship provided pursuant to this section shall be:
1. Limited to not more than four academic years or eight semesters.
2. Used only for a career technical education district program certificate or license, a private vocational program as defined in section 32-3001, an associate degree or a baccalaureate degree.
3. Used only to pay tuition and mandatory fees at a career technical education district, a private postsecondary educational institution in this state that is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 30, article 2, a university under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents or a community college as defined in section 15-1401. If the applicant is not charged to attend a career technical education district program, the Arizona board of regents may not award the applicant a tuition scholarship under this section.
E. Tuition scholarships under this section shall be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. If there are insufficient monies in the fund, the Arizona board of regents may not award a tuition scholarship to an eligible individual under this section.
F. The Arizona board of regents may rely on a copy of the law enforcement officer's commission card and a current employment verification letter from the law enforcement officer's employer to establish that an individual is a law enforcement officer for the purposes of this section.
G. The Arizona board of regents may adopt rules for the purposes of administering this section.
H. On or before March 1, 2026 and each year thereafter, the Arizona board of regents shall report to the joint legislative budget committee and the governor's office of strategic planning and budgeting on all of the following:
1. The total number of students who received a tuition scholarship under this section, by eligible postsecondary institution, in the current academic year.
2. The total amounts awarded and average amounts awarded under this section, by eligible postsecondary institution, in the current academic year.
3. The total number of students who received a tuition scholarship under this section and who graduated or completed a program of study, by ELIGIBLE postsecondary institution.
4. Each law enforcement agency that employs a law enforcement officer whose spouse or dependent, or both, receives a tuition scholarship under this section.
I. For the purposes of this section, "law enforcement officer" means a person who is currently employed as either a peace officer as defined in section 15-1808 or a correctional officer as defined in section 15-1808.
Sec. 2. Delayed repeal
Section 15-1809.02, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act, is repealed from and after June 30, 2035.
Sec. 3. Appropriation; spouses and dependents of law enforcement officers tuition scholarship fund
The sum of $5,000,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2025-2026 to the spouses and dependents of law enforcement officers tuition scholarship fund established by section 15-1809.02, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act, and is appropriated from the spouses and dependents of law enforcement officers tuition scholarship fund to the Arizona board of regents.