HB 373: "An Act relating to educational benefits for family members of deceased members of the armed services."
00HOUSE BILL NO. 373 01 "An Act relating to educational benefits for family members of deceased members 02 of the armed services." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 14.43.085 is amended to read: 05 Sec. 14.43.085. FREE TUITION AND FEES FOR A SPOUSE OR 06 DEPENDENT OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED SERVICES. A person enrolled as 07 a student in good standing in a state supported educational institution in this state is 08 entitled to the benefits specified under (b) of this section [A WAIVER OF TUITION 09 AND FEES] if the person was the spouse or dependent child of a bona fide resident 10 of the state who was a member of the armed services and who died in the line of duty 11 or who died as a result of injuries sustained while in the line of duty for the state or 12 federal government or was listed by the United States Department of Defense as a 13 prisoner of war or as missing in action. [IN THIS SECTION 14 (1) "ARMED SERVICES" MEANS THE ALASKA NATIONAL
01 GUARD, ALASKA NAVAL MILITIA, AND THE ARMED SERVICES OF THE 02 UNITED STATES; 03 (2) "DEPENDENT CHILD" MEANS A PERSON WHO WAS A 04 DEPENDENT OF A MEMBER OF THE ARMED SERVICES AT THE TIME OF 05 THE MEMBER'S DEATH, AND WHO IS 06 (A) THE MEMBER'S NATURAL OR ADOPTED CHILD; 07 (B) A CHILD IN RELATION TO WHOM THE DECEASED 08 ARMED SERVICES MEMBER STOOD IN LOCO PARENTIS FOR AT 09 LEAST THREE YEARS BEFORE THE MEMBER'S DEATH; 10 (C) THE MEMBER'S STEPCHILD; OR 11 (D) THE MEMBER'S ACKNOWLEDGED ILLEGITIMATE 12 CHILD; 13 (3) "LINE OF DUTY" HAS THE MEANING GIVEN UNDER 14 FEDERAL LAW; 15 (4) "RESIDENT" MEANS A PERSON WHO RESIDED IN THE 16 STATE FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR BEFORE SERVING IN THE ARMED 17 SERVICES AND WHO LISTS ALASKA AS THE HOME STATE FOR PURPOSES 18 OF MILITARY RECORDS.] 19 * Sec. 2. AS 14.43.085 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 20 (b) A person who qualifies under (a) of this section is entitled to a 21 (1) waiver of tuition charges and other fees imposed by the educational 22 institution; 23 (2) waiver of room charges if the person resides in student housing; and 24 (3) stipend of $200 per month for each month of enrollment. 25 (c) In this section, 26 (1) "armed services" means the Alaska National Guard, Alaska Naval 27 Militia, and the armed services of the United States; 28 (2) "dependent child" means a person who was a dependent of a 29 member of the armed services at the time of the member's death, and who is 30 (A) the member's natural or adopted child; 31 (B) a child in relation to whom the deceased armed services
01 member stood in loco parentis for at least three years before the member's 02 death; 03 (C) the member's stepchild; or 04 (D) the member's acknowledged illegitimate child; 05 (3) "line of duty" has the meaning given under federal law; 06 (4) "resident" means a person who resided in the state for at least one 07 year before serving in the armed services and who lists Alaska as the home state for 08 purposes of military records.