Committee refers bill to let children of veterans use veterans�tuition waivers, seeks fiscal analysis

Chair introduced HB 5417 as a proposal to allow children of qualifying veterans to use veterans' tuition waivers and to require state funding to compensate institutions for the waived revenue. The chair explained the substitute removes the administrative burden of tracking "unused" waivers and instead provides a statutory waiver to a child of a qualifying veteran, with funding to the institutions that provide the waiver. Representative Ackert, who identified himself as a veteran, said he supported the concept but pressed for a full fiscal accounting by OFA and asked whether a child could still use a waiver if the veteran already used theirs; the chair answered, "Yes." Members agreed to move the bill to appropriations so the fiscal implications can be evaluated.