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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| SENATE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY GREENLEAF, KASUNIC, BROWNE, ORIE, ARGALL, RAFFERTY, KITCHEN, TOMLINSON, PIPPY, ALLOWAY, FARNESE, SOLOBAY, WAUGH, BREWSTER, COSTA AND BOSCOLA, JANUARY 12, 2011 |
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| REFERRED TO EDUCATION, JANUARY 12, 2011 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Establishing a tuition credit program for certain members of |
2 | volunteer fire companies, volunteer ambulance services and |
3 | volunteer rescue squads and their dependent children and |
4 | spouses. |
5 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
6 | hereby enacts as follows: |
7 | Section 1. Short title. |
8 | This act shall be known and may be cited as the Volunteer |
9 | Emergency Service Tuition Credit Program Act. |
10 | Section 2. Definitions. |
11 | The following words and phrases when used in this act shall |
12 | have the meanings given to them in this section unless the |
13 | context clearly indicates otherwise: |
14 | "Community college." A public college or technical institute |
15 | which is established and operated under Article XIX-A of the act |
16 | of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School |
17 | Code of 1949, and all branches or campuses of a community |
18 | college. |
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1 | "Firefighter." A member of a volunteer fire company. |
2 | "State Fire Commissioner" or "commissioner." The |
3 | Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner appointed under section 3 |
4 | of the act of November 13, 1995 (P.L.604, No.61), known as the |
5 | State Fire Commissioner Act. |
6 | "Volunteer." A firefighter or member of a volunteer |
7 | ambulance service or volunteer rescue squad. |
8 | "Volunteer ambulance service." Any nonprofit chartered |
9 | corporation, association or organization located in this |
10 | Commonwealth and regularly engaged in the service of providing |
11 | emergency medical care and transportation of patients. |
12 | "Volunteer fire company." A nonprofit chartered corporation, |
13 | association or organization located in this Commonwealth that |
14 | provides fire protection services and may offer other voluntary |
15 | emergency services within this Commonwealth. Voluntary emergency |
16 | services may include voluntary ambulance and voluntary rescue |
17 | services. |
18 | "Volunteer rescue squad." Any nonprofit chartered |
19 | corporation, association or organization located in this |
20 | Commonwealth which provides rescue services in this |
21 | Commonwealth. |
22 | Section 3. Tuition credit program. |
23 | (a) General.--A person who is an active member of a |
24 | volunteer fire company, volunteer ambulance service or volunteer |
25 | rescue squad in good standing and the dependent children and |
26 | spouse of such volunteer shall be eligible to enroll in |
27 | postsecondary courses on a tuition-credit basis in a community |
28 | college. |
29 | (b) Amount.--A volunteer and the volunteer's dependent |
30 | children and spouse shall be eligible to receive tuition credit |
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1 | in the aggregate amount of $600 per year, not to exceed an |
2 | aggregate maximum of $2,400 over a four-year service period. |
3 | (c) Availability.--The tuition credit may be utilized for a |
4 | course offered by the community college provided that available |
5 | classroom space permits and that tuition-paying students |
6 | constitute the minimum number required for the course. |
7 | (d) Fees.--Nothing in this act shall be construed to |
8 | prohibit a community college from requiring registration and lab |
9 | fees for individuals attending courses under this act. |
10 | Section 4. Eligibility. |
11 | In order for a volunteer or a volunteer's dependent child or |
12 | spouse to be eligible to receive tuition credit, the volunteer |
13 | shall agree to serve as a member of a volunteer fire company, |
14 | volunteer ambulance service or volunteer rescue squad for a |
15 | minimum of four years and sign an agreement with the volunteer |
16 | organization pledging four years of service in exchange for the |
17 | tuition credit. Following each year of active volunteer |
18 | services, the volunteer organization shall provide the State |
19 | Fire Commissioner with a letter verifying that the volunteer has |
20 | been a member in good standing for the past 12 months. |
21 | Section 5. Verification of service. |
22 | Upon being accepted and enrolled in a community college, the |
23 | volunteer, dependent child or spouse shall provide the community |
24 | college with a sworn or official statement of fact by the |
25 | commissioner attesting that the volunteer has performed the |
26 | service required for the tuition credit. Upon completion of each |
27 | semester, the volunteer shall submit a transcript to the |
28 | commissioner to be maintained in a permanent record. The |
29 | volunteer, dependent child or spouse shall maintain a "C" grade |
30 | average in order to continue eligibility for the tuition credit |
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1 | program. |
2 | Section 6. Issuance of certificate of authorization. |
3 | The commissioner shall issue a certificate of authorization |
4 | to the volunteer, dependent child or spouse to be presented to |
5 | the community college, stating that the volunteer, parent or |
6 | spouse is a member in good standing of a volunteer fire company, |
7 | volunteer ambulance service or volunteer rescue squad. |
8 | Section 7. State Fire Commissioner duties. |
9 | The Office of the State Fire Commissioner shall develop such |
10 | procedures and forms as it deems necessary to carry out the |
11 | provisions of this act. |
12 | Section 8. Effective date. |
13 | This act shall take effect in 30 days. |
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