ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5355


State of Washington	64th Legislature	2015 Regular Session

By Senate Higher Education (originally sponsored by Senators Bailey, Kohl-Welles, Roach, Conway, Braun, Baumgartner, Rolfes, O'Ban, McAuliffe, and Chase; by request of Governor Inslee)

READ FIRST TIME 02/13/15.

AN ACT Relating to modifying the definition of resident student to comply with federal requirements established by the veterans access, choice, and accountability act of 2014; reenacting and amending RCW 28B.15.012; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

(a) A financially independent student who has had a domicile in the state of Washington for the period of one year immediately prior to the time of commencement of the first day of the semester or quarter for which the student has registered at any institution and has in fact established a bona fide domicile in this state primarily for purposes other than educational;

(b) A dependent student, if one or both of the student's parents or legal guardians have maintained a bona fide domicile in the state of Washington for at least one year immediately prior to commencement of the semester or quarter for which the student has registered at any institution;

(c) A student classified as a resident based upon domicile by an institution on or before May 31, 1982, who was enrolled at a state institution during any term of the 1982-1983 academic year, so long as such student's enrollment (excepting summer sessions) at an institution in this state is continuous;

(d) Any student who has spent at least seventy-five percent of both his or her junior and senior years in high schools in this state, whose parents or legal guardians have been domiciled in the state for a period of at least one year within the five-year period before the student graduates from high school, and who enrolls in a public institution of higher education within six months of leaving high school, for as long as the student remains continuously enrolled for three quarters or two semesters in any calendar year;

(e) Any person who has completed the full senior year of high school and obtained a high school diploma, both at a Washington public high school or private high school approved under chapter 28A.195 RCW, or a person who has received the equivalent of a diploma; who has lived in Washington for at least three years immediately prior to receiving the diploma or its equivalent; who has continuously lived in the state of Washington after receiving the diploma or its equivalent and until such time as the individual is admitted to an institution of higher education under subsection (1) of this section; and who provides to the institution an affidavit indicating that the individual will file an application to become a permanent resident at the earliest opportunity the individual is eligible to do so and a willingness to engage in any other activities necessary to acquire citizenship, including but not limited to citizenship or civics review courses;

(f) Any person who has lived in Washington, primarily for purposes other than educational, for at least one year immediately before the date on which the person has enrolled in an institution, and who holds lawful nonimmigrant status pursuant to 8 U.S.C. Sec. (a)(15) (E)(iii), (H)(i), or (L), or who holds lawful nonimmigrant status as the spouse or child of a person having nonimmigrant status under one of those subsections, or who, holding or having previously held such lawful nonimmigrant status as a principal or derivative, has filed an application for adjustment of status pursuant to 8 U.S.C. Sec. 1255(a);

(h) A student who is on active military duty or a member of the national guard who entered service as a Washington resident and who has maintained Washington as his or her domicile but is not stationed in the state;

(i) A student who is the spouse or a dependent of a person who is on active military duty or a member of the national guard who entered service as a Washington resident and who has maintained Washington as his or her domicile but is not stationed in the state. If the person on active military duty is reassigned out-of-state, the student maintains the status as a resident student so long as the student is continuously enrolled in a degree program;

(k) A student who has separated from the ((military under honorable conditions after at least two years of service, and who enters an institution of higher education in Washington within one year of the date of separation who:

(iii) Enters an institution of higher education in Washington within one year of the date of discharge)) uniformed services with any period of honorable service after at least ninety days of active duty service; is eligible for benefits under the federal all-volunteer force educational assistance program (38 U.S.C. Sec. 3001 et seq.), the federal post-9/11 veterans educational assistance act of 2008 (38 U.S.C. Sec. 3301 et seq.), or any other federal law authorizing educational assistance benefits for veterans; and enters an institution of higher education in Washington within three years of the date of separation;

(l) A student who is entitled to veterans administration educational assistance benefits based on the student's relationship as a spouse, former spouse, or child to an individual who has separated from the uniformed services with any period of honorable service after at least ninety days of active duty service, and who enters an institution of higher education in Washington within three years of the service member's date of separation;

(m) A student who is entitled to veterans administration educational assistance benefits based on the student's relationship with a deceased member of the uniformed services who completed at least ninety days of active duty service and died in the line of duty, and the student enters an institution of higher education in Washington within three years of the service member's death;

(((m))) (n) A student of an out-of-state institution of higher education who is attending a Washington state institution of higher education pursuant to a home tuition agreement as described in RCW 28B.15.725;

(((n))) (o) A student who meets the requirements of RCW 28B.15.0131 or 28B.15.0139: PROVIDED, That a nonresident student enrolled for more than six hours per semester or quarter shall be considered as attending for primarily educational purposes, and for tuition and fee paying purposes only such period of enrollment shall not be counted toward the establishment of a bona fide domicile of one year in this state unless such student proves that the student has in fact established a bona fide domicile in this state primarily for purposes other than educational;

(((o))) (p) A student who resides in Washington and is on active military duty stationed in the Oregon counties of Columbia, Gilliam, Hood River, Multnomah, Clatsop, Clackamas, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, or Washington; or

(((p))) (q) A student who resides in Washington and is the spouse or a dependent of a person who resides in Washington and is on active military duty stationed in the Oregon counties of Columbia, Gilliam, Hood River, Multnomah, Clatsop, Clackamas, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, or Washington. If the person on active military duty moves from Washington or is reassigned out of the Oregon counties of Columbia, Gilliam, Hood River, Multnomah, Clatsop, Clackamas, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, or Washington, the student maintains the status as a resident student so long as the student resides in Washington and is continuously enrolled in a degree program.

(3)(a) A student who qualifies under subsection (2)(k), (l), or (m) of this section and who remains continuously enrolled at an institution of higher education shall retain resident student status.

(b) Nothing in subsection (2)(k), (l), or (m) of this section applies to students who have a dishonorable discharge from the uniformed services, or to students who are the spouse or child of an individual who has had a dishonorable discharge from the uniformed services, unless the student is receiving veterans administration educational assistance benefits.

(4) The term "nonresident student" shall mean any student who does not qualify as a "resident student" under the provisions of this section and RCW 28B.15.013. Except for students qualifying under subsection (2)(e) or (((m))) (n) of this section, a nonresident student shall include:

(a) A student attending an institution with the aid of financial assistance provided by another state or governmental unit or agency thereof, such nonresidency continuing for one year after the completion of such semester or quarter. This condition shall not apply to students from Columbia, Multnomah, Clatsop, Clackamas, or Washington county, Oregon participating in the border county pilot project under RCW ((28B.80.806, 28B.80.807)) 28B.76.685, 28B.76.690, and 28B.15.0139.

(b) A person who is not a citizen of the United States of America who does not have permanent or temporary resident status or does not hold "Refugee-Parolee" or "Conditional Entrant" status with the United States citizenship immigration services or is not otherwise permanently residing in the United States under color of law and who does not also meet and comply with all the applicable requirements in this section and RCW 28B.15.013.

(((4))) (5) The term "domicile" shall denote a person's true, fixed and permanent home and place of habitation. It is the place where the student intends to remain, and to which the student expects to return when the student leaves without intending to establish a new domicile elsewhere. The burden of proof that a student, parent or guardian has established a domicile in the state of Washington primarily for purposes other than educational lies with the student.

(((5))) (6) The term "dependent" shall mean a person who is not financially independent. Factors to be considered in determining whether a person is financially independent shall be set forth in rules adopted by the student achievement council and shall include, but not be limited to, the state and federal income tax returns of the person and/or the student's parents or legal guardian filed for the calendar year prior to the year in which application is made and such other evidence as the council may require.

(8) The term "active duty service" means full-time duty, other than active duty for training, as a member of the uniformed services of the United States. Active duty service as a national guard member under Title 32 U.S.C. for the purpose of organizing, administering, recruiting, instructing, or training and active service under 32 U.S.C. Sec. 502(f) for the purpose of responding to a national emergency is recognized as active duty service.

(9) The term "uniformed services" is defined by Title 10 U.S.C.; subsequently structured and organized by Titles 14, 33, and 42 U.S.C.; consisting of the United States army, United States marine corps, United States navy, United States air force, United States coast guard, United States public health service commissioned corps, and the national oceanic and atmospheric administration commissioned officer corps.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. Section 1 of this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect July 24, 2015.