HOUSE BILL REPORT

                      HB 1108

                     As Reported By House Committee on:

                              Higher Education

Title:  An act relating to higher education.

Brief Description:  Exempting certain individuals from college tuition and fees.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives Jones, Wood, Jacobsen, Morris, Sprenkle, Miller, Zellinsky, Broback, Edmondson, D. Sommers, Wynne, Chandler, Van Luven, P. Johnson, Casada, Hochstatter, Bowman and Tate.

Brief History:

   Reported by House Committee on:

Higher Education, February 28, 1991, DPS.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

HIGHER EDUCATION

Majority Report: That Substitute House Bill No. 1108 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 10 members:  Representatives Jacobsen, Chair; Ogden, Vice Chair; Wood, Ranking Minority Member; Basich; Fraser; Ludwig; Miller; Prince; Sheldon; and Van Luven. 

Minority Report: Without recommendation.  Signed by 2 members:  Representatives May, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; and Spanel. 

Staff:  Susan Hosch (786-7120).

Background:  Washington provides a number of tuition and fee waivers, reduced fees, and residency exemptions for veterans, active duty military personnel, and for some of the members of their families.  The first waiver program for military personnel was adopted in 1921.  During that year, the University of Washington was authorized to waive tuition for military veterans.

Active duty military personnel are exempt from the nonresident tuition differential charged to out-of-state students.  The waiver is also extended to their spouses and dependent children.  Tuition and fee waivers are granted to children of Washington residents who were prisoners of war or missing in action in southeast Asia during the Vietnam Conflict.

Veterans who enrolled before October 1, 1977, who are state residents and who are no longer entitled to federal education benefits may receive a tuition and fee waiver.  Veterans who are not state residents but meet the other conditions may have one-half of the nonresident tuition differential waived at the research universities. 

Veterans of the Vietnam conflict pay reduced tuition rates if they served in the southeast Asia theater of operations between August 5, 1964, and May 7, 1975.  Participants must be state residents when they enroll, and must have been enrolled in a state college or university by May 7, 1990.  This program expires in 1995.

For the 1990-91 academic year, the foregone revenue for these programs is estimated to be $6,269,000.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  Institutions of higher education are permitted to waive tuition and fees for a student who meets the following conditions:  (1) the student is 25 years of age or under; and (2) a parent of the student was domiciled in the state of Washington for at least one year when the parent was killed in action or became totally disabled in the line of duty while a member of the active duty military forces of the United States.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  Participating students must be 25 years of age or under, and the parent of that student must have been a Washington resident for at least one year when the parent was killed or became totally disabled.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Soldiers from the State who were killed in action or who become totally disabled while in the line of duty have made the ultimate sacrifice for all of the state's citizens.  They will not be able to help their children obtain a college education.  The waiver proposed in this legislation will assist the children.  It is similar to the waiver provided to children of persons missing in action or held as prisoners of war in Vietnam.  However, with the age restriction included, it is more restrictive than most existing waiver programs.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Representative Jones; Bill Merifield, Veterans Legislative Coalition; Keith Sherman, Veterans Legislative Coalition; Hugh Moag, Evergreen College Veterans Support Group; Garth Coogan, Evergreen College Veterans Reservist Group; and Maureen Flak, National Guard Association.