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