1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to veterans; changing certain educational 
  1.3             assistance provisions; amending Minnesota Statutes 
  1.4             2000, section 197.75, subdivisions 1 and 2. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 197.75, 
  1.7   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [BENEFITS; ELIGIBILITY.] The commissioner 
  1.9   of veterans affairs shall spend a biennial appropriation for 
  1.10  tuition of veterans, and for tuition, fees, board, room, books 
  1.11  and supplies of the children of veterans who have died as a 
  1.12  result of their service in the armed forces of the United States 
  1.13  as determined by the United States Veterans Administration or 
  1.14  other instrumentality of the United States, in the University of 
  1.15  Minnesota, a state university, a community college, a technical 
  1.16  college, or any other university of higher learning within the 
  1.17  state accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges 
  1.18  and Secondary Schools, a law college approved by the supreme 
  1.19  court, a nursing school approved by the state board of nursing, 
  1.20  or in a trade, business, or vocational school in the state 
  1.21  approved by the state department of children, families, and 
  1.22  learning, or in a theological seminary, for any course which 
  1.23  such veteran or child may elect.  Not more than ~~$350~~ $750 shall 
  1.24  be expended for the benefit of any individual veteran, and not 
  1.25  more than ~~$350~~ $750 in any fiscal year shall be expended for the 
  2.1   benefit of any child under this section, and the need for the 
  2.2   benefit shall be established and determined by the commissioner 
  2.3   of veterans affairs.  No child of any veteran shall make 
  2.4   application for the benefits provided in this section unless the 
  2.5   child resided in Minnesota for at least two years immediately 
  2.6   prior to the date of the application.  Children of veterans 
  2.7   eligible for benefits according to this section shall be 
  2.8   admitted to state institutions of university grade free of 
  2.9   tuition until they receive a bachelors or equivalent degree.  
  2.10  Payments of benefits shall be made directly to the institution 
  2.11  in which the course of instruction is given or to the individual 
  2.12  on forms prescribed by the commissioner. 
  2.13     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 197.75, 
  2.14  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  2.15     Subd. 2.  [LIMITATIONS.] The benefits in subdivision 1 are 
  2.16  not available to a veteran who is entitled to the same or 
  2.17  similar benefits under a law or regulation of the United States, 
  2.18  ~~with the exceptions in paragraphs (a) and (b).~~ 
  2.19     ~~(a)~~ except that a veteran who has been eligible for and has 
  2.20  used up the benefits the veteran is entitled to under the laws 
  2.21  of the United States is entitled to the benefits provided for by 
  2.22  subdivision 1. 
  2.23     ~~(b) A veteran who has had less than ten years of~~ 
  2.24  ~~eligibility for educational assistance under federal law because~~ 
  2.25  ~~of the December 31, 1989, delimiting date and who has lost more~~ 
  2.26  ~~than four months of that eligibility is entitled to the benefits~~ 
  2.27  ~~provided for by subdivision 1.~~