HB 1386 — Colorado National Guard Tuition Waiver Funding

NOTE:HOUSE BILL 26-1386 BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Brown and Taggart, Sirota, Bacon, Barron, Boesenecker, Bradfield, Bradley, Caldwell, Camacho, Carter, Clifford, DeGraaf,Duran, English,Espenoza,Feret,Flanell,Froelich, Garcia Sander, Gilchrist, Goldstein, Gonzalez R., Hamrick, Hartsook, Johnson, Joseph, Keltie, Lindsay, Lukens, Mabrey,Marshall,Martinez, Mauro, McC01mick, Nguyen, Paschal, Richardson, Ricks, Rutinel, Rydin, Slaugh, Smith, Stewart K., Stewart R., Story, Suckla, Titone, Valdez, Velasco, Weinberg, Willford, Winter T., Zokaie, McCluskie;

This bill has been prepared for the signatures of the appropriate legislative officers and the Governor.

To determine whether the Governor has signed the bill or taken other action on it, please consult the legislative status sheet, the legislative history, or the Session Laws.

HOUSE BILL 26-1386 BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Brown and Taggart, Sirota, Bacon, Barron, Boesenecker, Bradfield, Bradley, Caldwell, Camacho, Carter, Clifford, DeGraaf,Duran,English,Espenoza,Feret,Flanell,Froelich,GarciaSander, Gilchrist, Goldstein, Gonzalez R., Hamrick, Hartsook, Johnson, Joseph, Keltie,Lindsay,Lukens,Mabrey,Marshall,Martinez,Mauro,McCormick, Nguyen, Paschal, Richardson, Ricks, Rutinel, Rydin, Slaugh, Smith, Stewart K., Stewart R., Story, Suckla, Titone, Valdez, Velasco, Weinberg, Willford, Winter T., Zokaie, McCluskie;

CONCERNING CHANGING THE FUNDING MECHANISM FOR THE COLORADO NATIONAL GUARD TUITION WAIVER PROGRAMPROGRAM. .

Be it enacted by the GeneralGeneralAssembly Assemblyofthe of the State ofofColorado: Colorado:

Tuition waiver for members ofofthe the National Guard - rules - fund - legislative declaration - definitions - repeal.

(3) (a) Subject to annual appropriations, a person who is aa1nembe1 member ________ Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material added to existing law;

dashes through words or numbers indicate deletionsdeletionsfrom from existing law andandsuch such material is notnotpart part of the act.

of the Colorado National Guard, upon being accepted for enrollmentenrnllment at a designated institution ofofhighe1 higher education, may pursuepu1sue studies that lead to a postgraduatepostgrnduate degree, a bachelor'sbachelm's degree,deg1ee, an associate degree, or01 a certificate of completion.

ACHEACH DESIGNATED INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION SHALLSHALL, , FOR A MEMBER WHO IS ACCEPTED FOR ENROLLMENTENROLLMENT, ,WAIVEWAIVE THE REMAINING BALANCE OFOFTUITION TUITION COST IN EXCESS OF THE AMOUNT OF ANY PRIVATEPRIVATE, ,STATESTATE, ,OROR FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE RECEIVED BY THE MEMBERMEMBER. .

For a member, the tuition waiver must not exceed more than sixty-five credit hours at a designated two-year institution ofo f higher education and no more than one hundred thirty credit hours at a designated four-year institution ofo f higher education;

except that the total credit hours for a member who attends both a designated two-year and a designated four-year institution ofo f higher education must not exceed more than one hundred forty-five credit hours.

The department ofo militaryandf military and veterans affairs shall administer the tuition waiver program.

(b) (I) To prevent hardship to a designated institution ofo f higher education, ififthere there is a significant increaseinc1ease in the member enrollmentenrnlhnent in the tuition waiver program,prngrnm, the number of membersmembe1s attending with a tuition waiver must not exceed the greater oTHEofTHE DEPARTMENT OFMILITARYANDOF MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS SHALL REIMBURSE A DESIGNATED INSTITUTION OF HIGHEREDUCATIONFORHIGHEREDUCATION FOR FIFTY PERCENT OFTHE COST OFMEMBERSOF 'TUITIONMEMBERS' TUITION THAT IS WAIVED BY THE INSTITUTION PURSUANT TO THIS SECTIONSECTION. .

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL APPROPRIATE MONEY TO THE COLORADO NNATIONAL ATIONAL GUARD TUITION FUNDFUND, , CREATED IN SUBSECTION (9) OF THIS SECTIONSECTION, ,TOTO COVER FIFTY PERCENT OF THE COST OF TUITION WAIVED AT EACH DESIGNATED INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION PURSUANT TO THIS SECTIONSECTION. .

(A) A twenty-five percentpe1cent increase in membermembe1 enrollmentenrnllment in a designated institution of highe1 education compated to the membe1 calculation desc1ibed in subsection (3)(b)(II) ofthis section, 01 (D) Mme than five additional membe1s enrnlled in a designated institution of higher education compared to the member calculation describeddcsc1ibed in subsection (3)(b)(II) ofofthis thissection. section;

or(11) (B)For Moreeach thandesignated fiveinstitution additionalof membershighe1 enrollededucation, the departmentofmilitary and vete1ans affairs shalldeterminethebasemember PAGE 2-HOUSE BILL 26-1386 enrnllment desctibed in asubsection designated(3)(b)(I)(A) institution01 (3)(b)(l)(B) of higherthis educationsection comparedby tocalculating the memberaverage calculationfall describedsemeste1 inmembe1 subsectionenrnllment (3)(b)(II)at the designated institution of thishighe1 section.education fut the ptevious thtee fall semeste1s.

(II)The Fordepartm:ent eachofmilitary designatedand institutionveterans ofaffairs, higherin education,consultation thewith departmentofmilitaryandveteransaffairsshalldeterminethebasememberdesignated PAGEinstitutions 2-HOUSEof BILLhighe1 26-1386education, enrollmentshall describedadopt inrnles subsectionto (3)(b)(I)(A)dete1mine orhow (3)(b)(I)(B)to ofselect thismembe1s sectionto byparticipate calculatingin the averagetuition fallwaive1 semesterptog1amifasignificant memberinc1ease enrollmentinmembe1 atemollmentinthe thetuition designatedwaivet institutionprngrnm ofoccms higherpu1suant educationto forsubsection the(3)(b)(I) previousofthis threesection. fall semesters.

(III) The departmentdepartmentofmilitary ofand militaryand\Jete1ans veteransaffairs affairs, in consultation with designated institutions of higher education, shall adoptdete1mine rulescommunity tocollege determinemembe1 howenrnllment tocaps selectfut memberseach tocommunity participatecollege. in the tuition waiver programifasignificantincreaseinmemberenrollmentinthetuitionwaiver program occurs pursuant to subsection (3)(b)(I) of this section.

(III)The Thedepartmentofmilitaryandveteransaffairsshalldeterminedepartmet'tt communityofmilitary collegeand membervete1ans enrollmentaffairs capsshall forptovide eachfunds to the state boatd of community college.colleges and occupational education fut tuition waivets.

TheThestateboatdofconnnunity department of military and veterans affairs shall provide funds to the state board of community colleges andandoccupational occupational education for tuition waivers.Thestateboardofcommunitycollegesandoccupationaleducation shall distributedist1ibute the funds to each community college in which a membermembe1 is enrolled.en1olled.

(IV)(A)(IV)tA} ThedepartmentofmilitaryandveteransaffairsmayrequestThedepartmentofmilitaryandveterans affairsmayrequest adjustments to the annual appropriation based on changes to Colorado National Guard member enrollment and changes to the cost ofoftuition. tuition.

(B) IfthedifferencebetweenthecalculatedtuitionforbasememberIfthe enrollment,diffe1encebetweenthe calculatedtuition fot basemembe1 enxollment, as described in subsection (3)(b)(II) of this section, and the annual appropriationapprnptiation is less than twenty-five percent,pe1cent, the department of military and veterans affairs may prorateprnrnte funding and distributedisttibute funds to each designated institution ofofhighe1 higher education proportionately.ptoportionately.

(C) IfthedifferencebetweenthecalculatedtuitionforbasememberIfthe enrollment,diffe1ence betweenthe calculatedtuition fo1 base membe1 enrnllment, as described in subsection (3)(b)(II) of this section, and the annual appropriationapprnpriation is moremote than twenty-five percent,pe1cent, the tuition waiverwaiveI programprngram is suspended and the designated institutions of higher education shall distribute the remaining1emaining tuition waiverwai\JeI funds on a first-come,fast-come, first-servefitst-set ve basis to membersmembe1s until the tuition waiverwaivet funds areate exhausted.

(7) ThedepartmentofThe militaryandveteransaffairsshalladoptrulesdepartment ofmilitary and veterans affairs shall adopt rules to certify member eligibility at the request of a designated institution of higher education, to communicate member eligibility to the designated institutionofhighereducation,andtoadministerthetuitionwaiverprograminstitutionofhighereducation, andtoadministerthetuitionwaiverprogram pursuant to this section, INCLUDING A PROCESS TO REIMBURSE A DESIGNATEDINSTITUTIONOFHIGHEREDUCATIONFORFIFTYPERCENTOFTHEDESIGNATED INSTITUTIONOFHIGHEREDUCATION FORFIFTY PERCENTOFTHE PAGE 3-HOUSE BILL 26-1386 COST OF TUITION WAIVED BY THE INSTITUT.ONINSTITUTION. SECTION 2.

EffectiveSECTION date.2.

ThisEffective dateThis act takes effect July 1, 2026.

Safety clause.clauseThe general assembly finds, determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and stateons for institutions.

TheJ generalu assemblyl finds,~ determines,ames andRashad declaresColeman, thatSr. this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state institutions.

____________________________SPEAKER ____________________________OF JulieTHE McCluskieHOUSE JamesPRESIDENT RashadOF Coleman,OF Sr.REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE vVanessa Reilly Esther van Mourik CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE SECRETARY OF OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE APPROVED OV\ M ono \(\j \JVM- S:J 2..v?,(" * It·.o-.,-.., (Da e and Time) ATE 6F COLORADO

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE PRESIDENT OF OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE ____________________________ ____________________________ Vanessa Reilly Esther van Mourik CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE SECRETARY OF OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE APPROVED________________________________________ (Date and Time) _________________________________________ Jared S.

Polis GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO PAGE 4-HOUSE BILL 26-1386