| 4 | 3 | | |
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| 5 | 4 | | HOUSE BILL 299 |
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| 6 | 5 | | By Reedy |
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| 7 | 6 | | |
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| 8 | 7 | | |
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| 9 | 8 | | HB0299 |
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| 10 | 9 | | 000644 |
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| 11 | 10 | | - 1 - |
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| 12 | 11 | | |
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| 13 | 12 | | AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, |
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| 14 | 13 | | relative to higher education. |
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| 15 | 14 | | |
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| 16 | 15 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: |
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| 17 | 16 | | SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-7-102(a), is amended by |
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| 18 | 17 | | designating the existing language as subdivision (1) and adding the following as subdivision (2): |
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| 19 | 18 | | (2) Except as provided in subsection (e), every dependent child in this state |
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| 20 | 19 | | under twenty-three (23) years of age, whose parent sustained, while serving honorably |
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| 21 | 20 | | as a member of the United States armed forces during a qualifying period of armed |
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| 22 | 21 | | conflict, a service-connected disability determined by the veteran's administration to |
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| 23 | 22 | | constitute a one hundred percent (100%) permanent total disability, or the spouse of |
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| 24 | 23 | | such veteran, is entitled to a waiver of tuition, maintenance fees, student activity fees, |
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| 25 | 24 | | and required registration or matriculation fees and must be admitted without cost to any |
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| 26 | 25 | | of the institutions of higher education owned, operated, and maintained by the state. |
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| 27 | 26 | | SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-7-102(b)(1), is amended by |
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| 28 | 27 | | adding the following as a new subdivision: |
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| 29 | 28 | | (D) Present official certification from the United States government that the |
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| 30 | 29 | | parent (father or mother) or spouse veteran sustained, while serving honorably as a |
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| 31 | 30 | | member of the United States armed forces during a qualifying period of armed conflict, a |
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| 32 | 31 | | service-connected disability determined by the veteran's administration to constitute a |
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| 33 | 32 | | one hundred percent (100%) permanent total disability. |
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| 34 | 33 | | SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-7-102(b)(2), is amended by |
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| 35 | 34 | | designating the existing language as subdivision (A) and adding the following as subdivision (B): |
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| 36 | 35 | | |
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| 37 | 36 | | |
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| 38 | 37 | | - 2 - 000644 |
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| 39 | 38 | | |
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| 40 | 39 | | (B) The veteran who sustained, while serving honorably as a member of the |
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| 41 | 40 | | United States armed forces during a qualifying period of armed conflict, a service- |
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| 42 | 41 | | connected disability determined by the veteran's administration to constitute a one |
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| 43 | 42 | | hundred percent (100%) permanent total disability must be a citizen of this state at the |
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| 44 | 43 | | time the person's dependent child or spouse applies for the educational assistance |
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| 45 | 44 | | benefits established in subdivision (a)(2). |
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| 46 | 45 | | SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-7-102(b)(4), is amended by |
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| 47 | 46 | | designating the existing language as subdivision (A) and adding the following as subdivision (B): |
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| 48 | 47 | | (B) A veteran's spouse's eligibility for the educational assistance benefits |
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| 49 | 48 | | established in subdivision (a)(2) terminates ten (10) years from the date on which the |
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| 50 | 49 | | veteran's administration determined that the service-connected disability the veteran |
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| 51 | 50 | | sustained, while serving honorably as a member of the United States armed forces |
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| 52 | 51 | | during a qualifying period of armed conflict, constitutes a one hundred percent (100%) |
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| 53 | 52 | | permanent total disability, or upon dissolution of the qualifying marriage. |
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| 54 | 53 | | SECTION 5. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-7-102(d), is amended by |
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| 55 | 54 | | designating the existing language as subdivision (1) and adding the following as subdivision (2): |
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| 56 | 55 | | (2) Notwithstanding subdivision (d)(1), the educational assistance benefits |
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| 57 | 56 | | established in subdivision (a)(2) apply to all state institutions of higher education |
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| 58 | 57 | | beginning with the next registration or enrollment period for the next complete term after |
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| 59 | 58 | | July 1, 2025. |
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| 60 | 59 | | SECTION 6. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-7-102(f), is amended by deleting |
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| 61 | 60 | | the language "in which the ten-year period expires" and substituting instead the language "in |
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| 62 | 61 | | which the ten-year period expires, or at the end of the term in which an order of dissolution of |
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| 63 | 62 | | the qualifying marriage is entered, as applicable". |
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| 64 | 63 | | SECTION 7. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it. |
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