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<leg xml:space="preserve" billnum="SB0220" sponsor="Ann Millner" designation="SB" otherSponsor="Val L. Peterson" otherHouse="House" sess="2026GS" fileno="2026FL1217" date="1/29/2026 09:01:493" printDate="02-11 09:22" subVer="0" minVer="0" office="LEGISLATIVE GENERAL COUNSEL" actionDate="" impact="code"><info><nextbuid>3</nextbuid><aminfo anum="0" effdate="05/06/2026"><seclist><sect action="A" src="code" buid="1" uid="C53H-11-S303_2026050620260506" fromuid="C53H-11-S303_2025101420251206" sort="53H11 03030020260506" mtype="section" effdate="05/06/2026">53H-11-303</sect><sect src="uncod" untype="effdate" buid="2" uid="EF0000" sort="UZEFF" mtype="uncod" effdate="05/06/2026"/></seclist></aminfo></info><tbox><sinfo><nextpairid>0</nextpairid></sinfo><st numlevel="1" lineno="1" slineno="0-1">Veteran Scholarship Amendments</st><sessionhead>2026 GENERAL SESSION</sessionhead><statehead>STATE OF UTAH</statehead><sponsorhead>Chief Sponsor: Ann Millner</sponsorhead><otherSponsorhead>House Sponsor: Val L. Peterson</otherSponsorhead></tbox><lt numlevel="1" lineno="2" slineno="0-2"><lthead lineno="3">LONG TITLE</lthead><gdhead lineno="4">General Description:</gdhead><gd numlevel="1" lineno="5" slineno="0-5">This bill removes a provision related to higher education tuition waivers for a Purple Heart <ln numlevel="1" lineno="6" slineno="0-6"/>recipient.</gd><hphead lineno="7">Highlighted Provisions:</hphead><hp numlevel="1" lineno="8" slineno="0-8">This bill:<hl numlevel="1" lineno="9" slineno="0-9" level="1">removes a provision related to a Purple Heart recipient applying for a graduate program <ln numlevel="1" lineno="10" slineno="0-10"/>waiver;</hl><hl numlevel="1" lineno="11" slineno="0-11" level="1">increases the limit for a tuition waiver; and</hl><hl numlevel="1" lineno="12" slineno="0-12" level="1">makes technical and conforming changes.</hl></hp><moni numlevel="1" lineno="13" slineno="0-13" display="none">Money Appropriated in this Bill:</moni><moniNone lineno="14">None</moniNone><oc numlevel="1" lineno="15" slineno="0-15">Other Special Clauses:</oc><ocNone lineno="16">None</ocNone><sa numlevel="1" lineno="17" slineno="0-17">Utah Code Sections Affected:<saamd numlevel="1" lineno="18" slineno="0-18"><snhead>AMENDS:</snhead><sn num="53H-11-303" src="code" uid="C53H-11-S303_2026050620260506" buid="1" sort="53H11 03030020260506" numlevel="1" lineno="19" slineno="0-19"><bold>53H-11-303</bold>, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2025, First Special Session, <ln numlevel="1" lineno="20" slineno="0-20"/>Chapter 8</sn></saamd></sa></lt><enacthead lineno="21"/><enact numlevel="1" lineno="22" slineno="0-22">Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:</enact><bdy><bsec buid="1" num="53H-11-303" type="amend" src="code" uid="C53H-11-S303_2026050620260506" sort="53H11 03030020260506" numlevel="1" lineno="23" slineno="1-1" sn="1"><section number="53H-11-303" numlevel="1" lineno="24" slineno="1-2" type="amend"><secline lineno="23">Section 1. Section <bold>53H-11-303</bold> is amended to read:</secline><catline lineno="24"><bold>53H-11-303<parens/>. Tuition waivers for Purple Heart recipients.</bold></catline><subsection ssid="1-null-1" dnum="1-o" numlevel="1" lineno="25" slineno="1-3" level="1" placement="noreturn"><display>(1)</display>As used in this section:<subsection ssid="1-null-2" dnum="a-o" numlevel="1" lineno="26" slineno="1-4" level="2"><display>(a)</display>"Purple Heart recipient" means any Utah resident who is a military veteran and who <ln numlevel="1" lineno="27" slineno="1-5"/>has earned a Purple Heart award as a result of military service.</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-3" dnum="b-o" numlevel="1" lineno="28" slineno="1-6" level="2" space="false"><display>(b)</display><subsection ssid="1-null-4" dnum="i-o" level="3" placement="sameline"><display>(i)</display>"Tuition" means tuition at the rate for residents of the state.</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-5" dnum="ii-o" numlevel="1" lineno="29" slineno="1-7" level="3"><display>(ii)</display>"Tuition" excludes fees.</subsection></subsection></subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-6" dnum="2-o" numlevel="1" lineno="30" slineno="1-8" level="1"><display>(2)</display>An institution of higher education shall waive undergraduate tuition for each Purple <ln numlevel="1" lineno="31" slineno="1-9"/>Heart recipient who:<subsection ssid="1-null-7" dnum="a-o" numlevel="1" lineno="32" slineno="1-10" level="2"><display>(a)</display>is admitted as a full-time, part-time, or summer school student in an undergraduate <ln numlevel="1" lineno="33" slineno="1-11"/>program of study leading to a degree or certificate;</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-8" dnum="b-o" numlevel="1" lineno="34" slineno="1-12" level="2"><display>(b)</display>is a resident student of the state as determined under Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="53H-11-202">53H-11-202</xref>; and</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-9" dnum="c-o" numlevel="1" lineno="35" slineno="1-13" level="2"><display>(c)</display>submits verification as provided in Subsection <amendoutstart style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="erase" pairid="17" groupid="8" style="2" owner="jchristopherson" level="1" deltag="both"><xref depth="4" refnumber="53B-8e-102(3)">(3)</xref></amend><amendoutend style="2"/> <amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="16" groupid="7" style="1" owner="jchristopherson" level="1" amendtag="both">(4) </amend>that the student is a Purple <ln numlevel="1" lineno="36" slineno="1-14"/>Heart recipient.</subsection></subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-10" dnum="3-o" numlevel="1" lineno="37" slineno="1-15" level="1" space="false"><display>(3)</display><subsection ssid="1-null-11" dnum="a-o" level="2" placement="sameline"><display>(a)</display>An institution of higher education shall waive graduate tuition as provided in this <ln numlevel="1" lineno="38" slineno="1-16"/>Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="53B-8e-102(3)">(3)</xref> for each Purple Heart recipient who:<subsection ssid="1-null-12" dnum="i-o" numlevel="1" lineno="39" slineno="1-17" level="3" tab="1"><display>(i)</display>is admitted as a full-time, part-time, or summer school student in a graduate <ln numlevel="1" lineno="40" slineno="1-18"/>program of study leading to a degree;</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-13" dnum="ii-o" numlevel="1" lineno="41" slineno="1-19" level="3" tab="1"><display>(ii)</display>is a resident student of the state as determined under Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="53H-11-202">53H-11-202</xref>; and</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-14" dnum="iii-o" numlevel="1" lineno="42" slineno="1-20" level="3" tab="1"><display>(iii)</display>submits verification as provided in Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="53B-8e-102(4)">(4)</xref> that the student is a Purple <ln numlevel="1" lineno="43" slineno="1-21"/>Heart recipient.</subsection></subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-15" dnum="b-o:_-i" numlevel="1" lineno="44" slineno="1-22" ea="erase" anum="0" owner="jchristopherson" style="2" level="2"><display><amendoutstart style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="erase" pairid="1014" style="2" owner="o" level="1" deltag="start">(b)</amend></display><amend anum="0" ea="erase" pairid="3" groupid="2" style="2" owner="jchristopherson" level="1" deltag="end">To qualify for a graduate tuition waiver, a Purple Heart recipient shall apply for a <ln numlevel="1" lineno="45" slineno="1-23"/>graduate program no later than 10 years from the day on which the Purple Heart <ln numlevel="1" lineno="46" slineno="1-24"/>recipient completes an undergraduate degree.</amend><amendoutend style="2"/></subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-16" dnum="c-o:b-i" numlevel="1" lineno="47" slineno="1-25" level="2"><display><amendoutstart style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="erase" pairid="1015" style="2" owner="o" level="1" deltag="both">(c)</amend><amendoutend style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1016" style="1" owner="i" level="1" amendtag="both" space="true">(b)</amend></display>The total amount of all graduate tuition waived for a Purple Heart recipient may <ln numlevel="1" lineno="48" slineno="1-26"/>not exceed <amendoutstart style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="erase" pairid="6" groupid="5" style="2" owner="jchristopherson" level="1" deltag="both">$10,000</amend><amendoutend style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="5" groupid="4" style="1" owner="jchristopherson" level="1" amendtag="both" space="true">$15,000</amend>.</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-17" dnum="d-o:c-i" numlevel="1" lineno="49" slineno="1-27" level="2"><display><amendoutstart style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="erase" pairid="1016" style="2" owner="o" level="1" deltag="both">(d)</amend><amendoutend style="2"/><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1017" style="1" owner="i" level="1" amendtag="both" space="true">(c)</amend></display>A Purple Heart recipient may receive a graduate tuition waiver for a period of <ln numlevel="1" lineno="50" slineno="1-28"/>time that does not exceed the lesser of:<subsection ssid="1-null-18" dnum="i-o" numlevel="1" lineno="51" slineno="1-29" level="3"><display>(i)</display>the time it takes for the Purple Heart recipient to complete a graduate degree; or</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-19" dnum="ii-o" numlevel="1" lineno="52" slineno="1-30" level="3"><display>(ii)</display>five years after the day on which the Purple Heart recipient is accepted to a <ln numlevel="1" lineno="53" slineno="1-31"/>graduate program.</subsection></subsection></subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-20" dnum="4-o" numlevel="1" lineno="54" slineno="1-32" level="1" space="false"><display>(4)</display><subsection ssid="1-null-21" dnum="a-o" level="2" placement="sameline"><display>(a)</display>A Purple Heart recipient seeking a tuition waiver shall request the Department of <ln numlevel="1" lineno="55" slineno="1-33"/>Veterans and Military Affairs to provide the verification required by Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="53B-8e-102(2)(c)">(2)(c)</xref>. </subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-22" dnum="b-o" numlevel="1" lineno="56" slineno="1-34" level="2"><display>(b)</display>The Department of Veterans and Military Affairs shall provide the verification upon <ln numlevel="1" lineno="57" slineno="1-35"/>obtaining evidence satisfactory to the division that the student is a Purple Heart <ln numlevel="1" lineno="58" slineno="1-36"/>recipient.</subsection></subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-23" dnum="5-o" numlevel="1" lineno="59" slineno="1-37" level="1"><display>(5)</display>The waiver in this section does not apply to fees.</subsection><subsection ssid="1-null-24" dnum="6-o" numlevel="1" lineno="60" slineno="1-38" level="1"><display>(6)</display>The board may request reimbursement from the Legislature for costs incurred in <ln numlevel="1" lineno="61" slineno="1-39"/>providing the tuition waiver under this section.</subsection></section></bsec><bsec buid="2" type="uncod" untype="effdate" src="uncod" uid="EF0000" sort="UZEFF" langlock="true" numlevel="1" lineno="62" slineno="2-1" sn="2"><section type="uncod" untype="effdate" display="false" src="uncod"><secline lineno="62">Section 2.  <bold>Effective Date.</bold></secline><sectionText lineno="63"><amend anum="0" ea="amend" pairid="1" groupid="1" style="1" owner="jchristopherson" level="1" amendtag="both">This bill takes effect on <effdate uid="code" date="5/6/2026">May 6, 2026</effdate>.</amend></sectionText></section></bsec></bdy><foot><rev><tm>1-29-26 9:11 AM</tm></rev></foot></leg>