SB 143: "An Act relating to education benefits for members of the Alaska National Guard, Alaska Naval Militia, or Alaska Territorial Guard."
00SENATE BILL NO. 143 01 "An Act relating to education benefits for members of the Alaska National Guard, 02 Alaska Naval Militia, or Alaska Territorial Guard." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 26.05.295(a) is amended to read: 05 (a) Each active enlisted member of the Alaska National Guard or the Alaska 06 Naval Militia who has completed the initial voluntary enlistment period of service that 07 fulfills the mandatory requirement for military service under 50 U.S.C. App. 451 - 456, 08 458 - 471 (Military Selective Service Act of 1967) is [AND A PERSON WHO 09 SERVED IN THE ALASKA TERRITORIAL GUARD FOR 90 DAYS OR MORE OR 10 WHOSE SERVICE WAS FOR LESS THAN 90 DAYS BECAUSE OF INJURY OR 11 DISABILITY INCURRED IN THE LINE OF DUTY ARE] eligible for educational 12 assistance benefits in Alaska educational facilities. Notwithstanding the reference to 13 mandatory military service requirements, each active enlisted female member is fully 14 eligible for educational assistance benefits under this section after completing six years
01 of enlisted service. 02 * Sec. 2. AS 26.05.295(b) is amended to read: 03 (b) Except as provided in this subsection, educational [EDUCATIONAL] 04 programs and monetary benefits available to persons under (a) of this section are based 05 on and equivalent to those of the federal Veterans Administration education program. 06 Educational assistance may only be provided for a program or class in which the 07 person is a student in good standing. 08 * Sec. 3. AS 26.05.296(a) is amended to read: 09 (a) To the extent funds are available, the adjutant general may [SHALL] 10 authorize the payment of up to 100 [NOT MORE THAN 50] percent of the cost of 11 tuition and required fees for each active [OR RETIRED] member of the Alaska 12 National Guard or the Alaska Naval Militia [AND EACH PERSON WHO SERVED 13 IN THE ALASKA TERRITORIAL GUARD FOR 90 DAYS OR MORE OR WHOSE 14 ALASKA TERRITORIAL GUARD SERVICE WAS FOR LESS THAN 90 DAYS 15 BECAUSE OF INJURY OR DISABILITY INCURRED IN THE LINE OF DUTY,] 16 if the member [OR PERSON] attends an educational, vocational, or technical training 17 school in this state. The adjutant general may prioritize categories of education 18 benefits to encourage recruitment and retention of Alaska National Guard 19 members. Payments authorized under this section for active [OR RETIRED] members 20 of the Alaska National Guard or the Alaska Naval Militia continue so long as the 21 active member is a student in good standing in the educational program or class 22 and participates satisfactorily in unit training activities [OR A RETIRED MEMBER 23 IS ON THE RETIRED LIST AND PURSUES THE COURSE OF STUDY IN A 24 MANNER ACCEPTABLE TO THE SCHOOL. PAYMENTS AUTHORIZED 25 UNDER THIS SECTION FOR PERSONS WHO SERVED IN THE ALASKA 26 TERRITORIAL GUARD CONTINUE AS LONG AS THE PERSON PURSUES THE 27 COURSE OF STUDY IN A MANNER ACCEPTABLE TO THE SCHOOL]. 28 * Sec. 4. AS 26.05 is amended by adding a new section to read: 29 Sec. 26.05.298. Definition for AS 26.05.295 and 26.05.296. In AS 26.05.295 30 and 26.05.296, "good standing" means the student is enrolled, attending, and meeting 31 the minimum requirements for successful completion of the program or class.
01 * Sec. 5. AS 26.05.295(c), 26.05.295(d), and 26.05.296(b) are repealed.