Senate Committee Approves Robbins' Bill Preserving
National Guard Education Funding
Harrisburg – Legislation sponsored by State Senator Bob Robbins
(R-50) that would preserve full funding for Pennsylvania's National
Guard Educational Assistance Program was approved by the Senate
Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee today. The
Committee also approved legislation supported by Sen. Robbins that
would clarify the state veterans preference law.
Sen. Robbins wrote the 1996 law which established the National
Guard Educational Assistance Program. In exchange for six years of
service in the National Guard, members may receive free college
tuition for up to five years. Guard members can attend any public or
private university in Pennsylvania; however, tuition assistance cannot
exceed that charged by the State System of Higher Education. The
Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency administers the
program.
"This program has been a fair exchange for National Guard members
and the Commonwealth," said Robbins. "However, several factors are
causing uncertainty in the funding of the program. As a result of the
reduction of the national Army in the 1990s and the aftermath of the
2001 terrorist attacks, the role of the National Guard has increased
substantially. With the number of guard members entering and leaving
the Educational Assistance Program as a result of deployment, it is
difficult to project future participation rates and costs. Senate Bill
981 would provide that any unspent funds remain in the program at the
end of each fiscal year, rather than going back into the General Fund.
This bill will help protect the commitment to provide 100 percent of
tuition for our guard members. We should do everything possible to
make sure that this commitment is kept."
The Committee also approved House Bill 2055, which is identical to
legislation introduced by Sen. Robbins. This legislation would ensure
that the state veterans preference law is extended to military
reservists and members of the National Guard who are federally
activated for war or armed conflict, then released from that active
duty to serve out their remaining service obligation.
"This bill would clear up a gray area in the law that prevents the
State Civil Service Commission from awarding veterans preference to a
deactivated reservist because they were 'released from active duty'
rather than 'honorably discharged' from military service, as is
required in current state law," said Robbins. "The truth is, the
dangers faced by reservists in Iraq are just as real as those faced by
other servicemen and women. The intent of the veterans preference law
is to acknowledge the special contributions of military veterans, and
reservists activated for combat clearly fit into that category."
Senate Bill 981 and House Bill 2055 will next be considered by the
Senate Appropriations Committee before being voted upon by the full
Senate.
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CONTACT: Nate Silcox (717) 787-1322
