Bill > S2684

Introduced Session

This bill provides that retired law enforcement officers who retired in good standing due to a disability are eligible to receive tuition assistance to attend a public institution of higher education or a proprietary institution which has been licensed to confer academic degrees for certain programs by the Secretary of Higher Education. In addition to academic degrees, proprietary institutions also offer certificates and other credentials in various professional trades and occupations. Under the bill, eligible retired law enforcement officers are permitted to attend regularly-scheduled courses at public institutions of higher education or proprietary institutions and receive up to 16 credits per semester tuition-free provided that: · the officer retired because of a disability pursuant to section 6 of P.L.1944, c.255 (C.43:16A-6), section 7 of P.L.1944, c.255 (C.43:16A-7), section 1 of P.L.1989, c.103 (C.43:16A-6.1), or any substantially similar statute governing the disability retirement of federal law enforcement officers; · the retired officer is enrolled an as undergraduate or graduate student at the institution in good standing, or in a degree-granting program at a qualified proprietary institution in good standing; and · the retired officer has applied for all available federal and State student grants and scholarships for which the officer is eligible. Under the bill, the State will reimburse a public institution of higher education or proprietary institution for the tuition of each eligible retired law enforcement officer who enrolls in the institution to the extent that the tuition cost is not paid through federal and State student grants and scholarships. Under P.L.1999, c.46, members of the New Jersey National Guard who have been accepted to pursue a course of study at a public institution of higher education and who are in good standing and apply for all available tuition benefits for which they are eligible are permitted to attend regularly-scheduled courses at the institution and receive up to 16 credits per semester tuition-free. This bill models that law and provides the same tuition benefits to former law enforcement officers who retired due to disability.

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Committee Categories

Robert Andrews (D)*,  Sandra Cunningham (D)*,  Jeff Van Drew (R)*,  Chris Brown (R),  Linda Greenstein (D), 

Reported from Senate Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading (on 01/17/2019)