Senate Study Bill 3032 SENATE/HOUSE FILE BY (PROPOSED DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS BILL) Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act concerning state educational assistance to children of 2 deceased veterans and providing an appropriation. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5384XD 82 5 ec/rj/5 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 35.9, subsection 2, Code 2007, is 1 2 amended to read as follows: 1 3 2. a. Upon application by a childwho has lived in the 1 4 state of Iowa for two years preceding application for state 1 5 educational assistance, and who is the childof a person who 1 6 died on or after September 11, 2001, during active federal 1 7 military service while serving in the armed forces or during 1 8 active federal military service in the Iowa national guard or 1 9 other military component of the United States, and who at the 1 10 time of entering into active military service had maintained 1 11 the person's residence in the state for a period of at least 1 12 six months immediately before entering into active military 1 13 service, the department shall provide state educational 1 14 assistance in the amount of five thousand five hundred dollars 1 15 per year or the amount of the child's established financial 1 16 need, whichever is less, to defray the expenses of tuition, 1 17 matriculation, laboratory and similar fees, books and 1 18 supplies, board, lodging, and any other reasonably necessary 1 19 expense for the child or children incident to attendance in 1 20 this state ata community college established under chapter 1 21 260C or at an institution of higher education governed by the 1 22 state board of regentsany postsecondary educational 1 23 institution. 1 24 b. A child eligible to receive state educational 1 25 assistance under this subsection shall begin postsecondary 1 26 education prior to reaching age twenty=six and shall not 1 27 receive more than twenty=seven thousand five hundred dollars 1 28 under this subsection during the child's lifetime. Payments 1 29 for state educational assistance for a child under this 1 30 subsection shall be made to the applicable postsecondary 1 31 educational institution. The college student aid commission 1 32 may, if requested, assist the department in administering this 1 33 subsection. 1 34 c. There is appropriated from the general fund of the 1 35 state for each fiscal year the sum of twenty=seven thousand 2 1 five hundred dollars to the war orphans educational assistance 2 2 fund created in section 35.8 for the purpose of providing 2 3 educational assistance under this subsection. 2 4 EXPLANATION 2 5 This bill concerns state educational assistance provided to 2 6 children of persons who died in active military service on or 2 7 after September 11, 2001. 2 8 The bill eliminates the requirement that the child seeking 2 9 assistance lived in this state for two years preceding the 2 10 application for assistance but adds a requirement that the 2 11 deceased veteran resided in the state for a period of at least 2 12 six months immediately before entering into active military 2 13 service. 2 14 The bill also provides that the state educational 2 15 assistance can be used at any postsecondary institutions in 2 16 the state and not just community colleges and board of regents 2 17 institutions. In addition, the child seeking assistance must 2 18 begin postsecondary education prior to reaching age 26 and 2 19 payments of educational assistance shall be made to the 2 20 institution, not the child. 2 21 The bill also appropriates $27,500 to the war orphans 2 22 educational assistance fund each fiscal year for the purpose 2 23 of providing educational assistance for children of persons 2 24 who died in active military service on or after September 11, 2 25 2001. 2 26 LSB 5384XD 82 2 27 ec/rj/5