Providing for a waiver of tuition and mandatory fees at regents institutions and community colleges for peace officers and their legal dependents and making appropriations

This bill requires institutions of higher education governed by the state board of regents and community colleges to waive tuition and mandatory fees for peace officers, as defined in the bill. The bill provides requirements to receive such a waiver, including residency in Iowa, current certification through the Iowa law enforcement academy, meeting admission requirements, and pursuing a degree that relates to a career in law enforcement. The bill provides for a similar waiver of tuition and mandatory fees for the legal dependent of a peace officer. A legal dependent must agree to reside in Iowa for five years after receiving a degree or repay the amount of the waiver. A waiver lasts for five years at a regents institution and three years at a community college. The bill provides procedures for applying for and retaining eligibility for such waivers. The bill creates a peace officer tuition waiver reimbursement fund in the state treasury under the control of the college student aid commission. _____ bill. The bill directs the commission to establish a process whereby a regents institution or community college may apply to the commission for reimbursement of such costs. The bill imposes a surcharge of $10 on citations issued by local authorities using automated or remote systems for traffic law enforcement under Code chapter 321P. The bill requires local authorities to transfer such moneys to the treasurer of state for deposit in the peace officer tuition waiver reimbursement fund.3. The bill provides that funds generated in the bill are intended to cover the costs of any state mandate included in the bill. The inclusion of this specification of state funding is intended to reinstate the requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state mandates included in the bill.