1     
LAW ENFORCEMENT TUITION REIMBURSEMENT

2     
2020 SIXTH SPECIAL SESSION

3     
STATE OF UTAH

4     
Chief Sponsor: Karen Mayne

5     
House Sponsor: Lee B. Perry

6     

7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill reopens the Public Safety Officer Career Advancement Reimbursement
10     Program for new applicants.
11     Highlighted Provisions:
12          This bill:
13          ▸     removes a prohibition on new applicants to the Public Safety Officer Career
14     Advancement Reimbursement Program;
15          ▸     provides for pro rata reimbursement distributions for eligible applicants in certain
16     circumstances;
17          ▸     repeals a repeal date; and
18          ▸     makes technical and conforming changes.
19     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
20          None
21     Other Special Clauses:
22          This bill provides a special effective date.
23     Utah Code Sections Affected:
24     AMENDS:
25          53B-8-112, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 444
26          53B-8-114, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 444
27          63I-2-253, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Fifth Special Session, Chapter 7
28     

29     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
30          Section 1. Section 53B-8-112 is amended to read:
31          53B-8-112. Public Safety Officer Career Advancement Reimbursement Program.
32          (1) The Public Safety Officer Career Advancement Reimbursement Program is created.
33          [(2) (a) Notwithstanding the provisions in this section, the board may not accept a new
34     application for a reimbursement described in this section for an academic year that begins on or
35     after July 1, 2019.]
36          [(b)] (2) Subject to legislative appropriations and Subsection (7) the board shall
37     reimburse an applicant who:
38          [(i)] (a) is a certified peace officer, currently employed by a law enforcement agency
39     within the state;
40          [(ii)] (b) has been employed as a certified peace officer for three or more consecutive
41     years;
42          [(iii)] (c) is seeking a post-secondary degree in the area of criminal justice from a
43     credit-granting higher education institution within the state system of higher education,
44     described in Section 53B-1-102; and
45          [(iv)] (d) is employed as a peace officer for one year following completion of the
46     academic year for which the individual is seeking reimbursement.
47          (3) Individuals who qualify for reimbursement from the Public Safety Officer Career
48     Advancement Reimbursement Program may apply for reimbursement by July 1 one year after
49     each academic year for which they are requesting reimbursement.
50          (4) Subject to Legislative appropriations, of the funds appropriated for the Public
51     Safety Officer Career Advancement Reimbursement Program:
52          (a) 25% of the annual appropriation shall be designated for applicants who are
53     currently employed by a law enforcement agency with jurisdiction in a county of the third or
54     fourth class; and
55          (b) 12% of the annual appropriation shall be designated for applicants who are
56     currently employed by a law enforcement agency with jurisdiction in a county of the fifth or
57     sixth class.
58          (5) (a) A qualified applicant may be reimbursed up to half of the cost of tuition and
59     fees.
60          (b) A reimbursement under Subsection (5)(a) is limited to:
61          (i) a maximum of $5,000 each academic year; and
62          (ii) a maximum of eight academic years.
63          (6) (a) The board shall make rules in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah
64     Administrative Rulemaking Act, to:
65          (i) set deadlines for receiving reimbursement applications and supporting
66     documentation; and
67          (ii) establish the application process and an appeal process for a reimbursement from
68     the Public Safety Officer Career Advancement Reimbursement Program, including procedures
69     to allow for online application submittals.
70          (b) The board shall include a disclosure on all applications and related materials that
71     the amount of the awarded reimbursements may be subject to funding or be reduced, in
72     accordance with Subsection (7).
73          (7) (a) Subject to future budget constraints, the Legislature shall make an annual
74     appropriation from the Education Fund to the board for the costs associated with the Public
75     Safety Officer Career Advancement Reimbursement Program authorized under this section.
76          (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, if the appropriation under this
77     section is insufficient to cover the costs associated with the Public Safety Officer Career
78     Advancement Reimbursement Program, the board:
79          (i) may reduce the amount of a reimbursement[.]; and
80          (ii) shall distribute reimbursements on a pro rata basis to all eligible applicants who
81     submitted a complete application before the application deadline.
82          (c) Any individual who is denied reimbursement because of insufficient funds
83     appropriated may re-apply for reimbursement up to two years after the first year of eligibility.
84          Section 2. Section 53B-8-114 is amended to read:
85          53B-8-114. Continuation of previously authorized scholarships.
86          (1) As used in this section:
87          (a) "Institution of higher education" means an institution that awards money through a
88     program described in Subsection (2)(a).
89          (b) "Scholarship term" means the length of time during which an individual is eligible
90     to receive award money through a program described in Subsection (2)(a).
91          (2) The board or an institution of higher education:
92          (a) beginning on July 1, 2019, may not accept a new application for an award described
93     in[: (i)] Section 53B-6-105.7, which describes engineering and computer technology
94     scholarships; [or] and
95          [(ii) Section 53B-8-112, which describes a reimbursement for public safety officers;
96     and]
97          (b) may pay, through the end of the scholarship term, an award through a program
98     described in Subsection (2)(a) to an individual whose application for the program was accepted
99     before the applicable date described in Subsection (2)(a).
100          Section 3. Section 63I-2-253 is amended to read:
101          63I-2-253. Repeal dates -- Titles 53 through 53G.
102          (1) (a) Section 53-2a-217, regarding procurement during an epidemic or pandemic
103     emergency, is repealed on December 31, 2021.
104          (b) When repealing Section 53-2a-217, the Office of Legislative Research and General
105     Counsel shall, in addition to the office's authority under Subsection 36-12-12(3), make
106     necessary changes to subsection numbering and cross references.
107          (2) Section 53B-2a-103 is repealed July 1, 2021.
108          (3) Section 53B-2a-104 is repealed July 1, 2021.
109          (4) (a) Subsection 53B-2a-108(5), regarding exceptions to the composition of a
110     technical college board of trustees, is repealed July 1, 2022.
111          (b) When repealing Subsection 53B-2a-108(5), the Office of Legislative Research and
112     General Counsel shall, in addition to its authority under Subsection 36-12-12(3), make
113     necessary changes to subsection numbering and cross references.
114          (5) Section 53B-6-105.7 is repealed July 1, 2024.
115          (6) (a) Subsection 53B-7-705(6)(b)(ii)(A), the language that states "Except as provided
116     in Subsection (6)(b)(ii)(B)," is repealed July 1, 2021.
117          (b) Subsection 53B-7-705(6)(b)(ii)(B), regarding comparing a technical college's
118     change in performance with the technical college's average performance, is repealed July 1,
119     2021.
120          (7) (a) Subsection 53B-7-707(3)(a)(ii), the language that states "Except as provided in
121     Subsection (3)(b)," is repealed July 1, 2021.
122          (b) Subsection 53B-7-707(3)(b), regarding performance data of a technical college
123     during a fiscal year before fiscal year 2020, is repealed July 1, 2021.
124          [(8) Section 53B-8-112 is repealed July 1, 2024.]
125          [(9)] (8) Section 53B-8-114 is repealed July 1, 2024.
126          [(10)] (9) (a) The following sections, regarding the Regents' scholarship program, are
127     repealed on July 1, 2023:
128          (i) Section 53B-8-202;
129          (ii) Section 53B-8-203;
130          (iii) Section 53B-8-204; and
131          (iv) Section 53B-8-205.
132          (b) (i) Subsection 53B-8-201(2), regarding the Regents' scholarship program for
133     students who graduate from high school before fiscal year 2019, is repealed on July 1, 2023.
134          (ii) When repealing Subsection 53B-8-201(2), the Office of Legislative Research and
135     General Counsel shall, in addition to its authority under Subsection 36-12-12(3), make
136     necessary changes to subsection numbering and cross references.
137          [(11)] (10) Section 53B-10-101 is repealed on July 1, 2027.
138          [(12)] (11) Title 53B, Chapter 18, Part 14, Uintah Basin Air Quality Research Project,
139     is repealed July 1, 2023.
140          [(13)] (12) Section 53E-3-519 regarding school counselor services is repealed July 1,
141     2020.
142          [(14)] (13) Section 53E-3-520 is repealed July 1, 2021.
143          [(15)] (14) Subsection 53E-5-306(3)(b)(ii)(B), related to improving school
144     performance and continued funding relating to the School Recognition and Reward Program, is
145     repealed July 1, 2020.
146          [(16)] (15) Section 53E-5-307 is repealed July 1, 2020.
147          [(17)] (16) Subsection 53E-10-309(7), related to the PRIME pilot program, is repealed
148     July 1, 2024.
149          [(18)] (17) In Subsections 53F-2-205(4) and (5), regarding the State Board of
150     Education's duties if contributions from the minimum basic tax rate are overestimated or
151     underestimated, the language that states "or 53F-2-301.5, as applicable" is repealed July 1,
152     2023.
153          [(19)] (18) Subsection 53F-2-301(1), relating to the years the section is not in effect, is
154     repealed July 1, 2023.
155          [(20)] (19) In Subsection 53F-2-515(1), the language that states "or 53F-2-301.5, as
156     applicable" is repealed July 1, 2023.
157          [(21)] (20) Section 53F-4-207 is repealed July 1, 2022.
158          [(22)] (21) In Subsection 53F-9-302(3), the language that states "or 53F-2-301.5, as
159     applicable" is repealed July 1, 2023.
160          [(23)] (22) In Subsection 53F-9-305(3)(a), the language that states "or 53F-2-301.5, as
161     applicable" is repealed July 1, 2023.
162          [(24)] (23) In Subsection 53F-9-306(3)(a), the language that states "or 53F-2-301.5, as
163     applicable" is repealed July 1, 2023.
164          [(25)] (24) In Subsection 53G-3-304(1)(c)(i), the language that states "or 53F-2-301.5,
165     as applicable" is repealed July 1, 2023.
166          [(26)] (25) Subsections 53G-10-204(1)(c) through (e), and Subsection 53G-10-204(7),
167     related to the civics engagement pilot program, are repealed on July 1, 2023.
168          [(27)] (26) On July 1, 2023, when making changes in this section, the Office of
169     Legislative Research and General Counsel shall, in addition to the office's authority under
170     Subsection 36-12-12(3), make corrections necessary to ensure that sections and subsections
171     identified in this section are complete sentences and accurately reflect the office's perception of
172     the Legislature's intent.
173          Section 4. Effective date.
174          If approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, this bill takes effect
175     upon approval by the governor, or the day following the constitutional time limit of Utah
176     Constitution, Article VII, Section 8, without the governor's signature, or in the case of a veto,
177     the date of veto override.