| 1 | 1 | | 25 LC 61 0262 |
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| 2 | 2 | | House Bill 888 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By: Representative Carpenter of the 4 |
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| 4 | 4 | | th |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | To amend Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, so as to |
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| 9 | 9 | | 1 |
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| 10 | 10 | | provide for in-state tuition for postsecondary education for certain noncitizen students; to2 |
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| 11 | 11 | | provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.3 |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:4 |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1.5 |
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| 14 | 14 | | Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to education, is amended in6 |
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| 15 | 15 | | Code Section 20-3-66, relating to determination of in-state resident status of students in the7 |
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| 16 | 16 | | University System of Georgia for tuition or fees, by revising subsection (e) as follows:8 |
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| 17 | 17 | | "(e)(1) |
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| 18 | 18 | | Noncitizen students shall not be classified as in-state for tuition purposes unless9 |
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| 19 | 19 | | the student is legally in this state and there is evidence to warrant consideration of in-state10 |
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| 20 | 20 | | classification as determined by the board of regents.:11 |
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| 21 | 21 | | (A) Obtained a high school diploma or state approved high school equivalency (HSE)12 |
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| 22 | 22 | | diploma in this state;13 |
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| 23 | 23 | | (B) Is legally authorized to work in this state;14 |
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| 24 | 24 | | H. B. 888 |
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| 25 | 25 | | - 1 - 25 LC 61 0262 |
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| 26 | 26 | | (C) Has independently established and maintained domicile in this state since15 |
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| 27 | 27 | | January 1, 2020, or is the dependent child of a parent who has established and16 |
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| 28 | 28 | | maintained domicile in this state since January 1, 2020;17 |
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| 29 | 29 | | (D) Has not been convicted of a felony or a high and aggravated misdemeanor; and18 |
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| 30 | 30 | | (E) Is enrolled in or applying for admission to an institution of the University System19 |
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| 31 | 31 | | of Georgia which, for the two most recent academic years, admitted all academically20 |
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| 32 | 32 | | qualified applicants.21 |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) Lawful permanent residents, refugees, asylees, or other eligible noncitizens as22 |
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| 34 | 34 | | defined by federal Title IV regulations may be extended the same consideration as23 |
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| 35 | 35 | | citizens of the United States in determining whether they qualify for in-state24 |
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| 36 | 36 | | classification.25 |
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| 37 | 37 | | (3) International students who reside in the United States under nonimmigrant status26 |
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| 38 | 38 | | conditioned at least in part upon intent not to abandon a foreign domicile shall not be27 |
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| 39 | 39 | | eligible for in-state classification."28 |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 2.29 |
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| 41 | 41 | | Said title is further amended in Code Section 20-4-21, relating to tuition fees in the Technical30 |
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| 42 | 42 | | College System of Georgia, by adding a new subsection to read as follows:31 |
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| 43 | 43 | | "(e) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the State Board of the Technical32 |
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| 44 | 44 | | College System of Georgia shall classify a noncitizen student as in-state for tuition33 |
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| 45 | 45 | | purposes if the student:34 |
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| 46 | 46 | | (1) Obtained a high school diploma or state approved high school equivalency (HSE)35 |
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| 47 | 47 | | diploma in this state;36 |
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| 48 | 48 | | (2) Is legally authorized to work in this state;37 |
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| 49 | 49 | | (3) Has independently established and maintained domicile in this state since January 1,38 |
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| 50 | 50 | | 2020, or is the dependent child of a parent who has established and maintained domicile39 |
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| 51 | 51 | | in this state since January 1, 2020;40 |
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| 52 | 52 | | H. B. 888 |
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| 53 | 53 | | - 2 - 25 LC 61 0262 |
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| 54 | 54 | | (4) Has not been convicted of a felony or a high and aggravated misdemeanor; and41 |
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| 55 | 55 | | (5) Is enrolled in or applying for admission to a unit of the Technical College System of42 |
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| 56 | 56 | | Georgia which, for the two most recent academic years, admitted all academically43 |
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| 57 | 57 | | qualified applicants."44 |
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| 58 | 58 | | SECTION 3.45 |
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| 59 | 59 | | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.46 |
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| 60 | 60 | | H. B. 888 |
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| 61 | 61 | | - 3 - |
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