FINAL BILL REPORT

SB 6164

C 128 L 04

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Concerning residency status of military dependents.

Sponsors: Senators B. Sheldon, Shin, Kastama, Oke, Swecker, Franklin, Winsley, Rasmussen, Brown, Eide, Kohl-Welles, Haugen, Schmidt, Murray and McAuliffe.

Senate Committee on Higher Education

House Committee on Higher Education

Background: The state of Washington has a history of recognizing the special circumstances of residency for active duty members of the military and their spouses or dependents. For a number of years they were included in the waiver statutes but when waivers became permissive and variable, the Legislature decided to include them in the definition of resident for tuition paying purposes. Currently included in that definition are (1) a student who is on active military duty stationed in Washington or who is a member of the Washington National Guard, (2) a student who is the spouse or dependent of a person who is on active military duty stationed in the state, and (3) a student who resides in Washington and is the spouse or dependent of a person who is a member of the Washington National Guard.

Summary: Included in the definition of resident student for tuition paying purposes is a student who remains continuously enrolled in a degree program even when the person on active military duty is reassigned out-of-state. "Active military duty" is defined for the purpose of resident tuition eligibility by the same criteria as used by the State Department of Veterans' Affairs. The Coast Guard and Merchant Marines are included when they are called into active duty military service.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate       49  0

House       94  0    (House amended)

Senate       46  0    (Senate concurred)

Effective: June 10, 2004