PRINTER'S NO. 3369
No. 2502 Session of 1998
INTRODUCED BY SEYFERT, ARGALL, BAKER, BARD, BARRAR, BELARDI,
BELFANTI, BENNINGHOFF, BOSCOLA, FORCIER, BROWNE, CARN,
CASORIO, CIVERA, COY, DALLY, DeLUCA, FAIRCHILD, FEESE,
FICHTER, HERMAN, HUTCHINSON, KIRKLAND, LAUGHLIN, LEVDANSKY,
McILHATTAN, MELIO, MICOZZIE, MUNDY, OLASZ, ORIE, PETRONE,
PHILLIPS, PLATTS, RAMOS, READSHAW, ROBINSON, RUBLEY, SEMMEL,
SERAFINI, B. SMITH, STAIRS, SURRA, TANGRETTI, E. Z. TAYLOR,
TRAVAGLIO, TRELLO, VAN HORNE, WAUGH, C. WILLIAMS, WILT,
YOUNGBLOOD AND ZUG, APRIL 2, 1998
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, APRIL 2, 1998
AN ACT
1 Providing for a higher education tuition assistance program for
2 volunteer emergency services personnel.
3 The General Assembly finds that, because volunteer emergency
4 services personnel provide an essential public service to the
5 communities across this Commonwealth, this act shall provide a
6 means of assisting them in attaining a higher education.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Short title.
10 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Volunteer
11 Emergency Services Personnel Tuition Assistance Program Act.
12 Section 2. Definitions.
13 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
14 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
1 context clearly indicates otherwise:
2 "Agency." The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
3 Agency.
4 "Enrollment limit." The number of students permitted to
5 participate in a class for academic credit as determined by a
6 community college, State-owned university or State-related
7 university.
8 "Community colleges." Institutions now and hereafter created
9 pursuant to Article XIX-A of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30,
10 No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, or the act of
11 August 24, 1963 (P.L.1132, No.484), known as the Community
12 College Act of 1963.
13 "Program." The Volunteer Emergency Personnel Tuition
14 Assistance Program established in section 3.
15 "State-owned university." A university which is part of the
16 State System of Higher Education as established under Article
17 XX-A of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the
18 Public School Code of 1949, and all branches and campuses of a
19 State-owned university.
20 "State-related university." The Pennsylvania State
21 University, the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University and
22 Lincoln University and their branch campuses.
23 Section 3. Tuition assistance program.
24 (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established a Volunteer
25 Emergency Services Personnel Tuition Assistance Program.
26 (b) Tuition assistance.--The program shall consist of
27 tuition assistance by a community college, State-owned
28 university or State-related university of 50% of a qualified
29 student's share of tuition for each course credit if the
30 enrollment limit for the class has not been met seven days prior
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1 to the first official day of class.
2 (c) Applications.--Students shall notify the community
3 college, State-owned university or State-related university in
4 which they intend to enroll that they qualify for the program.
5 The community college, State-owned university, or State-related
6 university shall make application forms available upon
7 notification of enrollment in the program.
8 (d) Qualification.--Any applicant who meets the following
9 criteria shall be eligible for tuition assistance under this
10 act:
11 (1) The applicant must be a resident of this
12 Commonwealth.
13 (2) The applicant must be a bona fide student accepted
14 and enrolled in a community college, State-owned university
15 or State-related university.
16 (3) The applicant has successfully completed the
17 requirements for and has received certification as a
18 firefighter I, II or III, fire officer I or II or fire
19 instructor I or II from the Pennsylvania Fire Academy or one
20 of its delegated authorities consistent with the National
21 Board of Professional Qualifications or the applicant is
22 certified as an emergency medical technician by the
23 Department of Health as provided for in the act of July 3,
24 1985 (P.L.164, No.45), known as the Emergency Medical
25 Services Act.
26 (4) The applicant must provide the community college,
27 State-owned university or State-related university with a
28 sworn statement of fact by the fire chief, president or
29 commissioner of a volunteer fire department, nonprofit
30 ambulance service, nonprofit rescue squad or nonprofit
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1 hazardous material response team, of which the applicant is a
2 volunteer, attesting that the applicant has participated in
3 at least 30% of the volunteer organization's emergency
4 responses within the last 18 months. A junior volunteer 16
5 through 18 years of age must have participated in at least
6 20% of the emergency responses and have attended at least 20
7 hours of training or classroom instruction on an annual
8 basis, as certified by the fire chief, president or
9 commissioner of the volunteer organization.
10 (5) The applicant must make an application to the agency
11 for any other financial assistance.
12 Section 4. Effective date.
13 This act shall take effect in 90 days.
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