ASSEMBLY, No. 871

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

 

 

By Assemblyman BLEE

 

 

An Act concerning tuition assistance for certain individuals and amending P.L.1979, c.229.

 

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

    1. Section 1 of P.L.1979, c.229 (C.18A:71-77) is amended to read as follows:

    1. Any child or surviving spouse of a member or officer of a New Jersey volunteer fire company, volunteer first aid or rescue squad or municipal fire, police, county police or park police department, State Fire Service, or of the Division of State Police, or of a permanent, active and full-time officer employee of this State or any political subdivision thereof holding the following titles: State investigator, correction officer, recruit, senior correction officer, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, correction officer duty keeper, court attendant and sheriff's officer, court attendant and sheriff's officer lieutenant, court attendant and sheriff's officer captain, court attendant and sheriff's officer deputy chief, prosecutor's detective, prosecutor's investigator, narcotics officer, marine patrolman, senior marine patrolman, principal marine patrolman, chief, bureau of marine law enforcement, or who is an inspector, assistant, technician, supervisor or superintendent with respect to the enforcement and regulation of weights and measures, or civil defense or disaster control worker, which member, officer or worker was killed in the performance of his duties as a member of such company, squad or fire or police department or division, or worker in a civil defense or disaster control unit, upon such child or surviving spouse being accepted to pursue a course of undergraduate study in any public institution of higher education of this State, as enumerated in N.J.S.18A:62-1, shall, while enrolled as an undergraduate student in good standing at such college, have his tuition paid by the State; or upon that child or surviving spouse being accepted to pursue a course of undergraduate study at any independent college or university located in the State, shall, while enrolled as an undergraduate student in good standing at that college or university, have that part of his tuition which is not more than the highest tuition charged at the public institutions of higher education of this State, enumerated in N.J.S.18A:62-1, paid by the State.

    Eligibility for this program shall be limited to a period of [8] 12 years from the date of death of the member, officer or worker, in the case of a surviving spouse, and 8 years following graduation from high school, in the case of a child, pursuant to rules and regulations established by the Student Assistance Board.

(cf: P.L.1983, c.4, s.1)

 

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    This bill extends the time limit, from 8 years to 12 years, in which the surviving spouse of a member or officer killed in the line of duty is eligible to attend any institution of higher education in the State, tuition-free.

 

 

 

Extends the time limit for tuition-free benefits for widows.