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Senate passes bill creating $250,000 safety net for veterans who exhaust Post-9/11 GI Bill
Summary
The Utah Senate amended and passed first substitute SB 44 to create a $250,000 state grant pool to help Post-9/11 GI Bill recipients complete bachelor's degrees if federal benefits have been exhausted; the bill passed on a 26-1 roll call and moves to third reading.
Senator Robles presented first substitute SB 44 and an Amendment 1 that clarified the bill—s degree language, saying the program is meant to help veterans finish a bachelor—s degree when federal Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits have been maximized. "SB44 creates a program which provides recipients of the federal post nineeleven GI Bill with additional resources to complete a bachelor's degree in higher education institutions in our state when federal benefits have been maximized," Senator Robles said.
The amendment removed wording that suggested the program applied to associate degrees; Robles said the change was "clarification on wording" and did not alter the bill—s fiscal note. The sponsor and other senators described the program as a limited, one-time $250,000 appropriation from the General Fund that would be administered through the state's higher education system and distributed among state institutions.
Senator Reid, speaking as a veteran, said he supported veteran-focused measures but urged the body to coordinate and prioritize the growing number of veterans— bills with the Veterans Affairs office. "I'm going to notify the body that, in the future ... I want the Veterans Affairs to weigh in on this and help prioritize," Reid said. The sponsor said Veterans Affairs and higher-education stakeholders participated in drafting, though she did not claim written endorsement.
Senator Dayton explained her no vote in detail, saying she feared the program could create a disincentive for timely degree completion and that the $250,000 pot would not cover all needs if demand exceeded funding. "If the $250,000 runs out ... then there's no more money," the sponsor acknowledged.
The Senate amended the bill with Amendment 1 and then called the question. A roll call beginning with SEG 607 produced a final tally of 26 yeas, 1 nay and 2 absent; the chamber recorded that the bill "passes" and will be placed at the bottom of the third reading calendar.
The bill creates a small, targeted appropriation intended as a safety net for veterans who have exhausted federal Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and are a semester or a few classes short of earning a bachelor—s degree. If the pool of $250,000 is exhausted, no additional state funds are authorized in this bill.
