BILL REQ. #:  S-1161.1 

Read first time 02/14/2003.   Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.

     AN ACT Relating to college and university fee exemptions for veterans; amending RCW 41.04.007 and 28B.15.380; and reenacting and amending RCW 41.04.005.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 41.04.005 and 2002 c 292 s 1 and 2002 c 27 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1) As used in RCW 41.04.005, 41.16.220, 41.20.050, and 41.40.170, ((and 28B.15.380)) "veteran" includes every person, who at the time he or she seeks the benefits of RCW 41.04.005, 41.16.220, 41.20.050, or 41.40.170((, or 28B.15.380)) has received an honorable discharge or received a discharge for physical reasons with an honorable record and who meets at least one of the following criteria:
     (a) The person has served between World War I and World War II or during any period of war, as defined in subsection (2) of this section, as either:
     (i) A member in any branch of the armed forces of the United States;
     (ii) A member of the women's air forces service pilots;
     (iii) A U.S. documented merchant mariner with service aboard an oceangoing vessel operated by the war shipping administration, the office of defense transportation, or their agents, from December 7, 1941, through December 31, 1946; or
     (iv) A civil service crewmember with service aboard a U.S. army transport service or U.S. naval transportation service vessel in oceangoing service from December 7, 1941, through December 31, 1946; or
     (b) The person has received the armed forces expeditionary medal, or marine corps and navy expeditionary medal, for opposed action on foreign soil, for service:
     (i) In any branch of the armed forces of the United States; or
     (ii) As a member of the women's air forces service pilots.
     (2) A "period of war" includes:
     (a) World War I;
     (b) World War II;
     (c) The Korean conflict;
     (d) The Vietnam era(([, which])), which means:
     (i) The period beginning on February 28, 1961, and ending on May 7, 1975, in the case of a veteran who served in the Republic of Vietnam during that period;
     (ii) The period beginning August 5, 1964, and ending on May 7, 1975;
     (e) The Persian Gulf War, which was the period beginning August 2, 1990, and ending on the date prescribed by presidential proclamation or law;
     (f) The period beginning on the date of any future declaration of war by the congress and ending on the date prescribed by presidential proclamation or concurrent resolution of the congress; and
     (g) The following armed conflicts, if the participant was awarded the respective campaign badge or medal: The crisis in Lebanon; the invasion of Grenada; Panama, Operation Just Cause; Somalia, Operation Restore Hope; Haiti, Operation Uphold Democracy; and Bosnia, Operation Joint Endeavor.

Sec. 2   RCW 41.04.007 and 2002 c 292 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     "Veteran" includes every person, who at the time he or she seeks the benefits of RCW 72.36.030, 28B.15.380, 41.04.010, 73.04.090, 73.04.110, 73.08.010, 73.08.060, 73.08.070, or 73.08.080 has received an honorable discharge or received a discharge for medical reasons with an honorable record, where applicable, and who has served in at least one of the following capacities:
     (1) As a member in any branch of the armed forces of the United States, including the national guard and armed forces reserves, and has fulfilled his or her initial military service obligation;
     (2) As a member of the women's air forces service pilots;
     (3) As a member of the armed forces reserves, national guard, or coast guard, and has been called into federal service by a presidential select reserve call up for at least one hundred eighty cumulative days;
     (4) As a civil service crewmember with service aboard a U.S. army transport service or U.S. naval transportation service vessel in oceangoing service from December 7, 1941, through December 31, 1946; or
     (5) As a member of the Philippine armed forces/scouts during the period of armed conflict from December 7, 1941, through August 15, 1945.

Sec. 3   RCW 28B.15.380 and 1993 sp.s. c 18 s 10 are each amended to read as follows:
     Subject to the limitations of RCW 28B.15.910, the governing boards of the state universities, the regional universities, and The Evergreen State College may exempt the following students from the payment of all or a portion of tuition fees and services and activities fees:
     (1) All veterans as defined in RCW ((41.04.005)) 41.04.007: PROVIDED, That such persons are no longer entitled to federal vocational or educational benefits conferred by virtue of their military service: AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That if any such veterans have not resided in this state for one year prior to registration, the board may exempt the student from paying up to fifty percent of the nonresident tuition fees differential. Such exemptions may be provided only to those persons otherwise covered who were enrolled in universities on or before October 1, 1977.
     (2) Children of any law enforcement officer or fire fighter who lost his or her life or became totally disabled in the line of duty while employed by any public law enforcement agency or full time or volunteer fire department in this state: PROVIDED, That such persons may receive the exemption only if they begin their course of study at a state-supported college or university within ten years of their graduation from high school.