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Bill would extend in‑state tuition to Oregon National Guard members who live across state lines
Summary
Senate Bill 798 would make out‑of‑state members of the Oregon National Guard eligible for in‑state tuition at public universities while serving in Oregon; the committee heard agency testimony and questions about fiscal impact and scope.
The Senate Committee on Veterans, Emergency Management, Federal and World Affairs took testimony Feb. 6 on Senate Bill 798, which would allow members of the Oregon National Guard who reside in another state to be treated as Oregon residents for the purpose of university admission and tuition rates while attending eligible public institutions.
Russell Gibson, government and legislative affairs director for the Oregon Military Department, told the committee that of roughly 7,800 Oregon National Guard members, about 1,252 live outside Oregon — approximately 820 in Washington, 67 in Idaho and about 100 in California, with the remainder distributed across other states. Gibson said that precise utilization of the proposed benefit is difficult to estimate and that the agency did not identify a meaningful fiscal impact, while noting the change could modestly increase attendance at Oregon institutions.
Retired Master Sergeant Laurie Kimmel testified in support and suggested technical edits: adding "chief warrant officer" to a statutory list and noting that Space Force references may require parallel changes in other bills. Committee members praised the concept as a retention and recruitment tool and asked whether the benefit would apply to remote learning and which status (Title 32, AGR, M‑Day) would qualify; staff said the statute would cover Guard members in Title 32 status and that community colleges already extend in‑state rates to Guard members.
Committee members did not take a final vote on the bill during the Feb. 6 hearing.
