H 3254  General Bill, By Hosey, Huggins and Daning
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 59-111-20, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976,
 RELATING TO FREE TUITION AT PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING IN THIS
 STATE FOR CHILDREN OF WARTIME VETERANS, SO AS TO EXTEND THIS BENEFIT TO THE
 MARRIED AND WIDOWED SPOUSES OF WARTIME VETERANS, AND TO PROVIDE THESE BENEFITS
 TERMINATE FOR SUCH MARRIED OR WIDOWED SPOUSES WHO REMARRY.
View full text
   12/18/18  House  Prefiled
   12/18/18  House  Referred to Committee on Ways and Means
   01/08/19  House  Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 145)
   01/08/19  House  Referred to Committee on Ways and Means
                     (House Journal-page 145)
   02/12/19  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Huggins
   03/06/19  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Daning

TO AMEND SECTION 59-111-20, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO FREE TUITION AT PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING IN THIS STATE FOR CHILDREN OF WARTIME VETERANS, SO AS TO EXTEND THIS BENEFIT TO THE MARRIED AND WIDOWED SPOUSES OF WARTIME VETERANS, AND TO PROVIDE THESE BENEFITS TERMINATE FOR SUCH MARRIED OR WIDOWED SPOUSES WHO REMARRY.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Section 59-111-20 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 59-111-20.    (A)    A child, married spouse, or widowed spouse of a wartime veteran, upon application to and approval by the South Carolina Department of Veterans Affairs, may be admitted to any state-supported college, university, or post high school technical education institution free of tuition so long as his work and conduct is satisfactory to the governing body of the institution, if the veteran was a resident of this State at the time of entry into service and during service or has been a resident of this State for at least one year and still resides in this State or, if the veteran is deceased, resided in this State for one year before his death, and provided the veteran served honorably in a branch of the military service of the United States during a war period, as those periods are defined by Section 101 of Title 38 of the United States Code and:

(1)    was killed in action;

(2)    died from other causes while in the service;

(3)    died of disease or disability resulting from service;

(4)    was a prisoner of war as defined by Congress or Presidential proclamation during such war period;

(5)    is permanently and totally disabled, as determined by the Veterans Administration from any cause;

(6)    has been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor;

(7)    is missing in action;

(8)    the applicant is the child or widowed spouse of a deceased veteran who qualified under items (4) and (5); or

(9)    has been awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in combat.

(B)    The provisions of this section apply to a:

(1)    child of a veteran who meets the residency requirements of Chapter 112 of this title, is twenty-six years of age or younger, and is pursuing any type of undergraduate degree; and

(2)    spouse of a veteran who meets the residency requirements of Chapter 112 of this title and is pursuing any type of undergraduate degree.

(C)    Benefits provided in this section terminate for married spouses or widowed spouses who subsequently remarry."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.