SB169BNLXJ4J-1 INTRODUCED: SB169 JG9TNFN-1 By Senator Kelley RFD:

Finance4/16/2024 and: Taxation Education First Read:

28-Feb-24MAP Page1ST 0FINANCE JG9TNFN-1AND 02/22/2024TAXATION MAPEDUCATION (L)maAMENDMENT 2024-311TO SB169 OFFERED BY SENATOR ROBERTS 2 4 SYNOPSIS:Replace line 12 on page 1 with the following:

Under existing law, educational benefits up to the undergraduate level are available to eligible dependents ofto deceasedinclude or8 disabledReplace veterans,line of26 thoseon veteranspage who1 arewith listed as missing in action, and of those veterans who were prisoners of war while serving as a member of the Unitedfollowing: States Armed Forces.

This bill would expand educational benefits to eligible dependents to include post-bachelor and graduate studies in a medical field.

AReplace BILLlines TO40 BEand ENTITLED41 ANon ACTpage Relating2 towith Militarythe Affairs;following:

toconsecutively amendin Sectionsthe 31-6-4,armed 31-6-5,forces andprior 31-6-6,to Codeand/or ofsubsequent Alabama 1975, to expandthe educationaldate benefitson forwhich eligiblethe dependentsdisability ofoccurred, deceased or disabled veterans and of veterans who arewas listedReplace aslines missing52 inthrough action55 andon veteranspage who2 werewith prisoners of war while serving as a member of the Unitedfollowing: States Armed Forces, to include post-bachelor and graduate studies in a medical field.

BEmaintained ITthat ENACTEDpercentage; BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:

Sectionmay 1.Replace line 59 on page 3 with the following:

Sectionsreimbursement 31-6-4,guidelines 31-6-5,as andprovided 31-6-6,in Codesubsection of(c)(d). Page 1 SB169 INTRODUCED Alabama 1975, are amended to read as follows:

"§31-6-4Replace (a)lines Any69 childthrough whose71 fatheron orpage mother:3 with the Page 1 BNLXJ4J-1 :

(1)4/16/2024 Was: killed or died in line of duty or is listed as missing in action or is or was a prisoner of war or whose death or permanent total disabilities were service-connected while serving as a member of the armed forces;

(2)MAP Died1ST fromFINANCE aAND disabilityTAXATION incurredEDUCATION fromAMENDMENT militaryTO service,SB169 asOFFERED establishedBY bySENATOR theROBERTS Statefollowing: Department of Veterans' Affairs, after having been discharged under conditions other than dishonorable and after having served at least 90 days consecutively in the armed forces prior to and/or subsequent to the date on which the disability occurred, or who was honorably discharged by reason of a qualifying service-connected disability after serving less than 90 days;

(3)and Wasthereafter, killedshall orbe diedlimited whileto onundergraduate statecourses activeof dutystudy statusonly, as defined in Section 31-12-1, or whose death results proximately and withinthe threevalue yearsof fromtuition anpaid injuryReplace receivedline while74 on statepage active3 dutywith status;the following:

or(c) (4)Notwithstanding Hassubsection been(b), assignedeffective 100January percent1, permanent2025, orthe totaleducational disabilitybenefits ratedprovided by thethis Unitedsection Statesshall Departmentinclude ofgraduate Veterans'courses Administrationin Affairs,addition orto was discharged or retired from the armedother forcestypes with a 40 percent or more disability and maintained that percentage, or has been assigned 40 percent or more disability by the United States Department of Veterans'benefits Affairsprovided asin athis resultsection. of a service-connected condition regardless of when the disability rating is assigned;

mayThe attendperiod anyduring qualifyingwhich school for a periodstudent ofmay fiveattend standardis Page 2 SB169 INTRODUCED academic years, not tochanged. exceed 45 months or the equivalent of 45 months if enrolled part-time, pursuant to the tuition reimbursement guidelines as provided in subsection (c).

Training(c)(d) underFor thisthose sectionfirst mustfiling be initiated prior to the child's thirtieth birthday, and must be completed within eight years after its initiation, except for delaysbenefits caused by military service during the training period, and in no case may training be received under this chapterReplace beyondline the83 thirty-eighthon birthdaypage of3 with the child.following:

(b)(d)(e) TheFor educational benefits provided by this section to children making application for benefits for the firstpurpose time beginning with the fall term of the 2014-2015minimum academicdisability year,Replace andline thereafter,105 shallon bepage limited4 toavailablewith for undergraduate courses of study and post-bachelor and graduate courses of study in a medical fieldonly, and the valuefollowing: of tuition paid shall be limited to the in-state tuition rate of the qualifying school attended.

(c)guidelines Foras thoseprovided firstin filingsubsection for(d)(e). benefits under this chapter on or after July 31, 2017, and for those attending a qualifying private school, the educational benefit shall be for tuition reimbursement and books and fees reimbursement.

TheOne valuechange of tuitionReplace paidlines per121 semesterthrough hour,124 (oron equivalent),page shall5 bewith limited to the ratefollowing: of the Department of Defense Tuition Assistance Cap.

The2014-2015 valueacademic ofyear, the books and feesthereafter, paid per semester shall be limitedPage to2 oneBNLXJ4J-1 thousand: dollars ($1,000) per student.

(d)4/16/2024 For: the purpose of the minimum disability requirement provided for in subdivision (a)(4), the dependent Page 3 SB169 INTRODUCED of any veteran whose disability rating as of July 31, 2017, is at least 20 percent but less than 40 percent shall qualify for the benefits of this chapter, provided that the dependent shall file application for the benefits before July 31, 2023 2025, and the dependent is reasonably expected to be eligible to attend a qualifying school in the next academic year." "§31-6-5 (a) Any spouse or widow whose spouse, during their marriage:

(1)MAP Was1ST killedFINANCE orAND diedTAXATION inEDUCATION theAMENDMENT lineTO ofSB169 dutyOFFERED orBY isSENATOR listedROBERTS 95limited asto missingundergraduate incourses actionof orstudy isonly, orand wasthe avalue prisoner of wartuition whilepaid servingshall asbe alimited memberto of the armedReplace forces;line 126 on page 5 with the following:

(2)(d) DiedNotwithstanding fromsubsection a(c), disabilityeffective incurredJanuary from1, military2025, service;the educational benefits provided by this section shall include graduate courses in addition to the other types of benefits provided in this section.

orThe (3)period Isduring 100which percenta permanentlystudent andmay totallyattend disabled,is whosenot permanentchanged. and total disabilities were service-connected;

shall(c)(e) beFor entitledthose tofirst trainingfiling in any qualifying school for abenefits periodunder ofthis fiveReplace standardline academic148 years,on notpage to6 exceedwith 45 months, or to training for the equivalentfollowing: of 45 months if enrolled part-time, pursuant to the tuition reimbursement guidelines as provided in subsection (c)(d).

(d)(e).

AllReplace trainingline received156 underon thispage section6 mustwith bethe completedfollowing: within eight years after its initiation.

(b) This section shall not apply to the spouse of any deceased serviceman or veteran who has remarried prior to applying for and obtaining educational benefits under this section, and should any spouse of the deceased serviceman or Page 4 SB169 INTRODUCED veteran remarry during the time he or she is in attendancesubsection upon(d)(e). any of the qualifying schools mentioned in this section, then he or she shall pay tuition and fees for the course of study or attendance upon the qualifying school from the time of the remarriage.

(b)(c)One Thechange educational benefits provided by this section to spouses and widows making application for benefits for the first time beginning with the fall term of theprogram 2014-2015will academic year, and thereafter, shall be limitedallowed toavailableReplace forline undergraduate158 courseson ofpage study6 onlyandwith post-bachelor and graduate courses of study in a medical field, and the valuefollowing: of tuition paid shall be limited to the in-state tuition rate of the qualifying school attended.

(c)(d)initiated Forprior thoseto first filing for benefits under this chapter on or after July 31, 2017, and for those attending a qualifying private school, the educationalchild's benefittwenty-sixth shallthirtieth bebirthday, for tuition reimbursement and booksmust andPage fees3 reimbursement.BNLXJ4J-1 :

The4/16/2024 value: of tuition paid per semester hour, (or equivalent), shall be limited to the rate of the Department of Defense Tuition Assistance Cap.

TheMAP value1ST ofFINANCE theAND booksTAXATION andEDUCATION feesAMENDMENT paidTO per semester shall be limited to one thousand dollars ($1,000) per student." "§31-6-6 (a) The spouse and children of any veteran who is suffering from 40 to 90 percent service-connected disability brought about from service in the Armed Forces of the United States, or the widow and children of a deceased veteran who was suffering from 40 percent or more of service-connected Page 5 SB169 INTRODUCEDOFFERED disabilityBY atSENATOR theROBERTS timeReplace ofline death,162 ason establishedpage by6 thewith State Department of Veterans' Affairs, shall be entitled to the followingfollowing: educational advantages and opportunities:

(1)section Thebeyond spousethe orthirty-fourth widowthirty-eighth shallbirthday be entitled to up to 27 months of schooling, or the equivalentchild. of 27 months if enrolled part-time, in any qualifying school, pursuant to the tuition reimbursement guidelines as provided in subsection (d).

OneReplace changelines of174 programthrough will177 beon allowedpage without7 counseling.with the following:

Allthe training2014-2015 receivedacademic atyear, qualifyingand schoolsthereafter, undershall thisbe subdivisionlimited mustto beundergraduate completedcourses withinof astudy periodonly, and the value of sixtuition yearspaid aftershall itsbe initiation.limited to the Replace lines 179 on page 7 with the following:

(2)(d) EachNotwithstanding childsubsection of(c), aeffective disabledJanuary veteran1, shall2025, bethe entitlededucational tobenefits fiveprovided standardby academicthis years,section orshall theinclude equivalentgraduate ofcourses 45 months if enrolled part-time, in anyaddition qualifying school pursuant to the tuitionother reimbursementtypes guidelinesof asbenefits provided inby subsectionthis (d).section.

OneThe changeperiod ofduring programwhich willa bestudent allowedmay withoutattend counseling.is not changed.

Training(d)(e) underFor thisthose subdivisionfirst mustfiling be initiated prior to the child's twenty-sixth birthday, and must be completed within eight years after its initiation, except for delaysbenefits caused by military service during the training period, and in no case may training be received under this sectionPage beyond4 the thirty-fourth birthday of the child.

(b) For the purpose of the minimum disability requirement provided for in subsection (a), the dependent of any veteran whose disability rating as of July 31, 2017, is at least 20 percent but less than 40 percent shall qualify for the benefits of this chapter, provided that the dependent shall file application for benefits before July 31, 2023 2025, Page 6 SB169 INTRODUCED and the dependent is reasonably expected to be eligible to attend a qualifying school in the next academic year.