H. B. 2931
(By Delegates Wysong, Tabb, Longstreth,
Iaquinta, M. Poling, Shaver and Perry)
[Introduced February 8, 2007; referred to the
Committee on Education then Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §15-1B-21 of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to providing for the payment of
tuition and fees for members of the West Virginia Army
National Guard and West Virginia Air National Guard enrolled
in graduate study.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §15-1B-21 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 1B. NATIONAL GUARD.
§15-1B-21. Tuition and fees for guard members at institutions of
higher education.
(a) Any member of the Army National Guard or Air National
Guard who is enrolled in a course of undergraduate or graduate
study and is attending any accredited college, university, business
or trade school located in West Virginia or is attending any aviation school located in West Virginia for the purpose of taking
college-credit courses, may be entitled to payment of tuitions and
fees at that college, university, business or trade school or
aviation school during the period of his or her service in the
National Guard. Provided, That The Adjutant General may prescribe
criteria of eligibility for payment of tuition and fees at the
college, university, business or trade school or aviation school.
Provided, however, That The payment is contingent upon
appropriations being made by the Legislature for this express
purpose.
(b) The amount of the payment for members attending a
state-supported school shall be determined by the Adjutant General
and may not exceed the actual amount of tuition and fees at the
school. The amount of the payment for members attending a private
school shall be determined by the Adjutant General, but in no any
event may it not exceed the highest amounts payable at any
state-supported school.
(c) Any member of the National Guard who is enrolled in a
course of postgraduate study and is attending any accredited
college or university located in West Virginia, and is receiving
payments under the Army continuing education system, may be
entitled to payment of tuition and fees at that college or
university during his or her period of service in the National
Guard: Provided, That the sum of payments received under this subsection and the Army continuing education system may not exceed
the actual amount of tuition and fees at the school and in no event
may exceed the highest amounts payable at any state-supported
school. The payments are contingent upon appropriations being made
by the Legislature for this express purpose.
(d) (c) The Adjutant General may, in lieu of the tuition
payment authorized by this section, pay an amount equal to the
amount of tuition which otherwise would have been paid, directly to
members of the West Virginia Army National Guard or West Virginia
Air National Guard who are participating in the PROMISE Scholarship
program provided in article seven, chapter eighteen-c of this code.
(e)(d) A member of the West Virginia Army National Guard or
West Virginia Air National Guard who is receiving payments for
tuition and fees under this section, and is discharged from the
military service due to wounds or injuries received in the line of
duty, may continue to receive payments for tuition and fees under
this section as if he or she were still a member. of the West
Virginia National Guard.
(f) (e) The Adjutant General shall administer the tuition and
fee payments authorized under this section and shall propose
policies to implement the provisions of this section.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide for the payment
of tuition and fees for members of the West Virginia Army National
Guard or West Virginia Air National Guard enrolled in graduate
study.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.