HOUSE BILL No. 6670

 

 

November 19, 2008, Introduced by Rep. Alma Smith and referred to the Committee on Tax Policy.

 

     A bill to amend 2005 PA 248, entitled

 

"Children of veterans tuition grant act,"

 

by amending sections 4 and 5 (MCL 390.1344 and 390.1345); and to

 

repeal acts and parts of acts.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 4. (1) Subject to subsection (3) the limitations in this

 

section, beginning in the 2005-2006 academic year, the authority

 

shall provide a tuition grant in an amount determined under

 

subsection (2) to any student who meets all of the following

 

requirements:

 

     (a) Is enrolled in that academic year as a full-time or part-

 

time student in undergraduate classes at an eligible institution.

 

     (b) Is a United States citizen or permanent resident of the

 

United States.


 

     (c) Is more than 16 and less than 26 years of age.

 

     (d) Is the natural or adopted child of a Michigan veteran and

 

the Michigan veteran meets or met any of the following:

 

     (i) He or she was killed in action or died from another cause

 

while serving in a war or war condition in which the United States

 

was or is a participant.

 

     (ii) The United States department of veterans affairs has

 

determined that he or she died or is totally and permanently

 

disabled as a result of a service-connected illness or injury.

 

     (iii) The United States department of veterans affairs has

 

determined he or she was permanently and totally disabled as a

 

result of a service-connected illness or injury before death, and

 

he or she died from any cause.

 

     (iv) He or she is officially listed by the United States

 

government as missing in action in a foreign country.

 

     (e) Has resided continuously in this state for the 12 months

 

immediately preceding the date of his or her application and is not

 

a resident of any other state.

 

     (f) Has maintained a cumulative grade point average of at

 

least 2.25 in any undergraduate classes he or she completed at any

 

eligible institution in any previous academic years.

 

     (g) Is in compliance with this act and the rules promulgated

 

under this act.

 

     (h) Has not been convicted of a felony involving an assault,

 

physical injury, or death.

 

     (h) (i) Meets any other standards established in rules

 

promulgated by the authority under section 3.


 

     (2) Subject to subsection (3), the amount of a tuition grant

 

described in subsection (1) in an academic year for a full-time

 

student is $2,800.00, or an amount equal to all of the student's

 

eligible tuition in that academic year, whichever is less. The

 

amount of the tuition grant for a part-time student is 1/2 of the

 

amount of a full-time student as determined by the authority. The

 

authority may reduce the amount of the tuition grants in any

 

academic year on a pro rata basis to reflect the amount then

 

available for the tuition grant program, but only after providing

 

notice to the legislature under section 6(2).

 

     (3) If a student receives tuition waiver assistance in the

 

2005-2006 academic year under the tuition waiver program provided

 

in 1935 PA 245, MCL 35.111 to 35.112, is a person described in

 

section 1(3) of 1935 PA 245, MCL 35.111, and meets the eligibility

 

requirements of this act, the amount of the tuition grant under

 

this act for that student in the 2005-2006 academic year shall be

 

reduced by the amount of tuition waiver assistance that student

 

received under 1935 PA 245.

 

     (4) An individual shall not receive tuition grant assistance

 

under this act or tuition waiver assistance under 1935 PA 245, MCL

 

35.111 to 35.112, or both, in more than 4 academic years.

 

     (5) This section does not apply after the 2006-2007 academic

 

year.

 

     (6) Beginning on the effective date of the amendatory act that

 

added this subsection, the authority shall notify each eligible

 

institution of the pending repeal of this act and the timetable

 

described in subsection (5).


 

     Sec. 5. (1) The department of treasury shall establish and

 

administer a restricted account in the general fund for the

 

children of veterans tuition grant program. The department of

 

treasury shall credit to the account money appropriated or received

 

from any source, including, but not limited to, amounts

 

appropriated under section 437 of the income tax act of 1967, 1967

 

PA 281, MCL 206.437, and earnings on the account. The department of

 

treasury shall use the money in the account only to provide money

 

to the authority for tuition grants under this act.

 

     (2) Money Subject to subsection (3), money in the account

 

described in subsection (1) at the end of a fiscal year shall not

 

revert to the general fund but shall be carried over in the account

 

to the next fiscal year.

 

     (3) On or before September 30, 2007, any money in the account

 

described in subsection (1) shall revert to the general fund.

 

     Enacting section 1. The children of veterans tuition grant

 

act, 2005 PA 248, MCL 390.1341 to 390.1346, is repealed effective

 

October 1, 2007.

 

     Enacting section 2. This amendatory act does not take effect

 

unless Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No. 6680(request no.

 

01102'07) of the 94th Legislature is enacted into law.