Scholarships and Financial Aid - As enacted, makes various changes to the Tennessee Support, Training, and Renewing Opportunity for National Guardsmen (STRONG) Act. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 4, Part 10. HB0114 has b, the official text

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                     ~tate of \!tennessee

                         PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 334

                                                 HOUSE BILL NO. 114

By Representatives Lamberth, Cochran, Moon, Renea Jones, Haston, Stevens, Stinnett,
Glynn, Fritts, Raper, White, Russell, Vital, Bricken, Vaughan, Powers, Warner, Burkhart,
Reedy, Garrett, Terry, Moody, Sherrell, Atchley, McCalmon, Greg Martin, Hurt, Sparks,
Scarbrough, Zachary, Littleton, Leatherwood, Rudder, Tim Hicks, Darby, Gant, Davis,
Bulso, Farmer, Todd, Lafferty, Slater, Hawk, Grills, Reeves, Eldridge, Helton-Haynes,
Wright, Williams, Gary Hicks, Baum, Marsh, Boyd, Cepicky, Garringer, Maberry, Camper,
Doggett, Hardaway

                                       Substituted for: Senate Bill No. 1291

 By Senators Johnson, Powers, Crowe, Stevens, Bailey, Bowling, Hatcher, Pody, Reeves,
                                                 Rose, Walley, Watson

          AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 4, Part 10, relative to
tuition assistance for members of the Tennessee national guard.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

          SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-4-1003, is amended by adding the
following as new subdivisions:

                     ( ) "Mandatory fees" means fees incurred by all students attending an
          educational institution; including, but not limited to:

                               (A) Parking fees;

                               (B) Technology fees; and

                               (C) Library fees;

                     ( ) "Master's degree program fees":

                               (A) Means fees charged by an educational program or educational
                     institution for a student to attend a master's degree program; and

                               (B) Does not include tuition;

                     ( ) "Undergraduate course fees":

                               (A) Means fees charged by an educational program or educational
                     institution for a student to attend an undergraduate course; and

                               (8) Does not include tuition;

           SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-4-1004(b), is amended by
 deleting the subsection and substituting instead the following:

                     (b) Upon successful application by the eligible member attending a public
           educational institution, the department of military shall pay the educational institution an
           amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the maximum resident in-state tuition
           and, in an amount determined annually by the department of military's policy,
            undergraduate course fees or master's degree program fees charged by the educational
            institution attended for the educational program to which the member successfully
            applied, less all other state or federal financial assistance as described in § 49-4-1005.
            Such financial assistance must be credited first to the member's tuition, subject to § 49-
            4-1005. The department of military shall publish the policy establishing the payment
            amounts for undergraduate course fees and master's degree program fees pursuant to
HB114

         this subsection (b) on the department of military's website by August 1 each year for the
          upcoming academic year.
          SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-4-1005, is amended by adding the
following as a new subdivision (9) and redesignating the current subdivision (9) and subsequent
subdivisions accordingly:

                    (9) A member is ineligible for tuition reimbursement pursuant to this part if the
          member is suspended from receiving federal tuition assistance due to academic
          performance or recoupment;
          SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-4-1005(3), is amended by deleting
"one hundred twenty (120) semester hours" wherever it appears and substituting "one hundred
thirty (130) semester hours".
          SECTION 5. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-4-1005(3), is amended by deleting
"or eight (8) full-time equivalent semesters".
          SECTION 6. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-4-1005(3), is amended by deleting
subdivision (8), adding "or" at the end of subdivision (A), and redesignating subdivision (C) as
subdivision (8).
          SECTION 7. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-4-1005(11), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:

                    (11) Members must submit an application for tuition reimbursement under this
          part within forty-five (45) days of course completion.
          SECTION 8. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-4-1008, is amended by deleting
the section.
          SECTION 9. If a provision of this act or its application to a person or circumstance is
held invalid, then the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of the act that can
 be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to that end, the provisions of this
act are severable.
          SECTION 10. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.

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                    HOUSE BILL NO. 114

PASSED:  April 15. 2025

                            CAMERt,tf"SEXTON,SPEAKER
                            HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

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                         \              RAND} MCNALLY

                            SPEAKER OFT E SENATE

d:.~ APPROVED this  day of rv'\7,       2025

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                    -~

BILL LEE, GOVERNOR