20108472D
HOUSE BILL NO. 456
AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE
(Proposed by the Senate Committee on Education and Health
on February 20, 2020)
(Patron Prior to Substitute--Delegate Murphy)
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 23.1-607.1, relating to public institutions of higher education; veterans; withdrawal; tuition refund.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 23.1-607.1 as follows:

§23.1-607.1. Veterans; withdrawal; tuition refund.

A. As used in this section, "veteran" has the same meaning as provided in §23.1-500.

B. Each public institution of higher education shall provide a refund of the tuition and mandatory fees paid by any veteran student for any course from which such veteran student is forced to withdraw, for the first time, due to a service-connected medical condition during a semester, as certified in writing to the institution by a physician licensed to practice medicine pursuant to Chapter 29 (§54.1-2900 et seq.) of Title 54.1 who treated the veteran student for such medical condition. Such refund shall not be issued when three-quarters of a course has been completed at the time that the veteran student withdraws from the course. The time period that constitutes three-quarters of a course shall be determined by the institution.

C. Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect any such student's ability to reenroll at the institution.