Arizona HB 2616: technical correction; DUI; blood test

Bill Text

HB2616 - 572R - I Ver 

 REFERENCE TITLE: tuition waivers; ABOR; community colleges

 State of Arizona

 House of Representatives

 Fifty-seventh Legislature

 Second Regular Session

 2026

 HB 2616

 Introduced by 

 Representative 
 Blackman

AN 
ACT

amending title 15, chapter 14, article 1, 
Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-1809.03; relating to 
Classification of Students for Tuition Purposes.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Title 15, chapter 14, article 1, 
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-1809.03, to read:

START_STATUTE15-1809.03. Ernest McFarland Act tuition waiver scholarship; tuition 
scholarships; eligibility; policies; rules; definitions

A. The Ernest McFarland act tuition 
waiver scholarship program is established in the Arizona board of 
regents. The Arizona board of regents shall administer the program 
and award tuition waiver scholarships to any person who meets all of the 
following:

1. Enrolls in a university or 
community college.

2. Is one of the following:

(a) A veteran 
who meets both of the following:

(i) resides in 
this state or resides outside of this state solely due to the current military 
orders of the veteran or of the veteran's spouse.

(ii) Was 
discharged under honorable conditions after serving on active military duty, 
excluding initial entry training, for more than one hundred eighty days.

(b) an 
individual who is the spouse or child of a member of the Armed Forces of the 
United States who was killed in action, died while in service or is missing in 
action or whose death, according to documentation, was directly caused by an 
illness or injury related to service in the armed forces of the United States.

(c) an 
individual who is the spouse or child of a member of the Arizona National Guard 
or the Arizona Air National Guard who was killed after January 1, 1946 while on 
active duty in the service of this state or the United States.

(d) an 
individual who is the spouse or child of a member of the Armed Forces of the 
United States, the Arizona National Guard or the Arizona Air National Guard who 
has a total and permanent disability or meets the eligibility requirements for 
individual unemployability according to the disability ratings for the United 
States department of veterans affairs.

3. Is entitled to classification as 
an in-state student under section 15-1802.

4. Complies with the standards of 
satisfactory academic progress as established by the university or community 
college in which the individual enrolls, except that the individual is not 
required to enroll in a minimum course load.

5. Has attempted fewer than one 
hundred fifty credit hours using tuition waiver scholarships pursuant to this 
section.

B. The Arizona board of regents 
shall:

1. Develop an application process and 
policies to administer the program and to verify eligibility for a tuition 
waiver scholarship pursuant to this section. Policies developed 
pursuant to this paragraph must do all of the following:

(a) allow an 
individual who is eligible pursuant to subsection A of this section to submit 
to the Arizona board of regents a completed application and supporting 
documentation for a tuition waiver scholarship pursuant to this section on or 
before the last day instruction is provided for each semester for which the 
individual seeks a tuition waiver scholarship.

(b) prescribe 
guidelines for determining the maximum number of credit hours for which an 
individual may be awarded a tuition waiver scholarship pursuant to this section 
based on the degree or certificate program in which the individual is enrolled. Determinations 
pursuant to this subdivision shall be consistent with the length of the degree 
or certificate program according to the university's or community college's 
catalog or the regional accreditation commission, except that an individual may 
not receive a tuition waiver scholarship pursuant to this section for more than 
one hundred fifty attempted credit hours.

(c) Prohibit an 
individual who is described in subsection A, paragraph 2, subdivision (d) of this section from receiving a tuition waiver scholarship pursuant 
to this section for an undergraduate degree program if, at the beginning of the 
semester, the individual has completed an excessive number of credit hours, 
unless the individual shows good cause. When determining whether the 
individual has completed an excessive number of credit hours, the Arizona Board 
of Regents shall:

(i) consider 
the number of credit hours completed by the individual and the number of credit 
hours required for the individual's degree or certificate program.

(ii) not 
consider credit hours earned by examination or credit hours that the individual 
earned while enrolled in high school.

(d) require 
each university and community college to report to the Arizona board of regents 
the number of