Fiscal Note
BILL # HB 2354 TITLE: tuition; family; post-traumatic stress; suicide
SPONSOR: Biasiucci STATUS: House Engrossed
PREPARED BY: Lydia Chew
Description
HB 2354 provides university and community college tuition waivers to surviving spouses and children of Arizona military
servicemembers, veterans, peace officers, and firefighters with documented post-traumatic stress injuries who died by
suicide.
Estimated Impact
We estimate that individuals affected by HB 2354 would receive approximately $300,000 each year in tuition waivers to
Arizona public universities and community colleges.
The Arizona Board of Regents and the Arizona Community College Coordinating Council were unable to estimate the
impact of this bill due to a lack of data.
Analysis
Table 1 displays the estimated number of persons affected by HB 2354. Based on 2020 Census Bureau data and May 2021
data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently 20,096 military servicemembers, 496,239 veterans,
12,740 peace officers, and 7,180 firefighters in Arizona. These numbers do not include former peace officers and
firefighters. To the extent that spouses and children of former peace officers and firefighters seek tuition waivers under
HB 2354, the impact of the bill may be higher.
Table 1
Estimated Number of Persons Under HB 2354
Population
Death by
Suicide Rate
(Per 100,000) Estimated #
Estimated
# Spouses
Estimated
# Children
Military 20,096 28.7 6 3 0
Veterans 496,239 31.6 157 78 5
Peace Officers 12,740 17.0 2 1 0
Firefighters 7,420 18.0 1 1 0
Total 536,495
166 83 5
Estimated # of Persons Under HB 2354 88
(Continued) - 2 -
According to the U.S. Department of Defense CY 2020 Annual Suicide Report, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
2021 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, and the Ruderman Family Foundation (a disability inclusion
advocacy group) White Paper on Mental Health and Suicide of First Responders, rates of death by suicide for these groups
are 28.7, 31.6, 17, and 18 per 100,000, respectively. Roughly 50% of military servicemembers are married and 3% have
children between the ages of 19 and 22. Assuming that these percentages are similar for veterans, peace officers, and
firefighters, we estimate that there are approximately 88 spouses and children that may receive tuition waivers under HB
2354.
For these individuals, HB 2354 would provide tuition waivers at any Arizona public university or community college. Based
on the distribution of FY 2021 full-time student equivalent enrollment in the Arizona higher education system, we
estimate that individuals would be split roughly evenly between attending universities and attending community colleges.
Before financial aid, annual tuition ranges from $2,280 (Yavapai) to $11,299 (UA). Assuming that the tuition waivers are
applied after federal grants, we estimate that students would receive approximately $300,000 in annual tuition waivers
under HB 2354.
Local Government Impact
None
5/6/22