Summary — HB 6439
Title: AN ACT CONCERNING A FEE WAIVER AT PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR CERTAIN VETERANS AND MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD
Bill Number: HB 6439
Introduced: January 23, 2025
Status: Tabled for House Calendar (most recent action: 2025-05-06)
Subjects: Veterans, National Guard, tuition/fee waivers, public higher education (Board of Regents, Charter Oak State College, community colleges, UConn, state universities), dependents
Purpose and intent
HB 6439 seeks to create (or expand) a waiver of certain fees at Connecticut public institutions of higher education for specified veterans and members of the National Guard. The stated intent is to reduce out‑of‑pocket costs for eligible military-affiliated students attending state universities, community colleges, Charter Oak State College, and other institutions under the Board of Regents/University of Connecticut system.
Key provisions (based on available information)
The bill’s title and subject tags identify the core provision as a fee waiver for:
- Certain veterans and certain members of the National Guard; and
- Potentially their dependents (the subject list includes “Dependents”), although the specific eligibility rules are not in the provided summary.
Affected institutions named include:
- Board of Regents for Higher Education institutions (community colleges, state universities),
- Charter Oak State College,
- University of Connecticut.
The legislative history shows a Joint Favorable Substitute was approved at one stage, indicating the bill was amended in committee. No full text of the substitute or specific eligibility criteria (service requirements, residency, enrollment status, covered fees, or whether tuition is included) is provided in the materials supplied.
Who would be affected
- Primary beneficiaries: veterans and members of the Connecticut National Guard who meet the bill’s eligibility criteria (exact criteria not provided).
- Secondary beneficiaries: dependents of eligible service members, if the bill includes dependents (subjects suggest this possibility).
- Institutions: public higher education institutions would implement the waiver and may see reduced fee revenue for covered students.
- State budget/treasury: potential fiscal impact due to foregone fee revenue; magnitude depends on number of beneficiaries and which fees are waived.
Procedural history & timeline highlights
- 2025-01-23: Referred to Joint Committee on Veterans' and Military Affairs; public hearing held 01/24/25.
- 2025-03-11: Joint Favorable Substitute reported.
- 2025-03-26: Favorable report; House Calendar Number 180.
- 2025-04-01 to 04-10: Referred to Higher Education & Employment Advancement Committee and then to Finance, Revenue and Bonding; committees returned joint favorable reports at later dates.
- 2025-05-05 to 05-06: Joint Favorable; filed with LCO; referred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis; final entry on record: TABLED FOR HOUSE CALENDAR (05/06/2025).
Note: “NO NEW FILE BY COMM. ON …” entries indicate the committee did not request a new bill file number when reporting out the measure.
Potential impact and outstanding questions
- Impact: Reduces higher education costs for eligible veterans/Guard members and possibly dependents; administrative adjustments required by institutions; possible modest state fiscal cost depending on enrollment.
- Unknowns: The exact eligibility rules (which veterans/Guard members qualify), which fees are waived (mandatory student fees vs. tuition), whether the waiver is full or partial, effective date, and any limits (credit hours, residency, income caps).
- Fiscal analysis: The bill was referred to the Office of Fiscal Analysis; readers should consult the OFA fiscal note for estimated costs once available.
Next steps for readers
- Review the full bill text and the Joint Favorable Substitute to see precise eligibility and fee definitions.
- Check the Office of Fiscal Analysis note for estimated budgetary impact.
- Monitor the House Calendar for scheduling and further floor action since the bill is currently tabled.
If you’d like, I can locate and summarize the bill’s full text and the OFA fiscal note (if posted) to provide definitive details on eligibility, covered fees, and estimated cost.
