SS#2/HB 419 - This act creates, repeals, and modifies provisions relating to education. TUITION FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL (Sections 41.890 and 173.1153) Current law requires certain United States military personnel and their families to be regarded as holding Missouri resident status when enrolling in a Missouri institution of higher education. This act specifies that such individuals shall be regarded as Missouri residents for any undergraduate or graduate degree program. ACTIVE MILITARY MEMBERS (Section 160.701) The act provides that a statewide activities association that includes at least one public school district as a fee-paying member shall not require students who are on active duty in the United States Armed Forces, including members of the National Guard and Reserve on active duty orders, to attend a minimum number of practices as a condition of such student's membership on any group or team facilitated or overseen by such association. This provision is identical to a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 607 (2025). AUTHORITY TO CONFER DEGREES (Sections 172.280 and 174.160) The act authorizes Missouri State University to grant Doctor of Philosophy degrees in disciplines other than engineering and to grant Bachelor of Science degrees in veterinary technology. This provision is identical to provisions in HCS/SS/SB 38 (2025), HCS/SS/SB 150 (2025), and HCS/SS/SB 160 (2025). EMPLOYEES OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY (Section 172.345) This act provides that Veterans Day shall be a public holiday for all employees of the University of Missouri System. This provision is identical to SB 89 (2025). UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI SEMINARY FUND (Sections 172.640, 172.650, 172.61, 172.660, 172.661, 172.680, and 172.720) This act provides that the University of Missouri shall enter into an agreement with the State Treasurer to establish a separate custodial account in which the moneys in the University's Seminary Fund shall be deposited and held. The University shall invest such moneys in government bonds as provided in current law, and may withdraw the earnings on such bonds and use any such withdrawals for the maintenance of the University, as provided in the act. The University shall provide financial reports on the custodial account to the State Treasurer no less often than annually. The act repeals provisions relating to the State Treasurer's current duties as custodian of the Seminary Fund. These provisions are identical to SB 627 (2025). INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE EXAMINATIONS (Section 173.1352) This act requires public institutions of higher education to adopt a policy for undergraduate course credit for any student who receives a score of 4 or higher on an International Baccalaureate exam. This provision is identical to SB 243 (2025), HB 1578 (2024), HB 2051 (2024), HB 2415 (2024), and a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 1569 (2024). PUBLIC SAFETY RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION (Sections 173.2655 and 173.2660) This act establishes the "Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Act" to provide college tuition awards for certain public safety personnel and their legal dependents. The act defines "public safety personnel" as including any police officer, firefighter, paramedic, telecommunicator first responder, emergency medical technician, or advanced emergency medical technician who is trained and authorized by law or rule to render emergency medical assistance or treatment. "Institution of higher education" is defined as including public community colleges and state colleges and universities located in Missouri; an approved private institution, as such term is defined in current law, that chooses to accept tuition award money as provided in the act; and accredited providers of emergency medical services training. Subject to appropriation, public safety personnel with at least six years of service shall be entitled to an award worth up to 100% of the resident tuition charges, including fees, of an institution of higher education located in Missouri if they satisfy the conditions set forth in the act. The maximum award to attend an approved private institution shall be equal to the total cost of tuition and mandatory fees charged to a Missouri resident at the public institution of higher education that has the highest combined tuition and mandatory fee cost in the state, as determined by the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (DHEWD). A private institution that chooses to accept any award money as a tuition payment shall not charge the recipient of the award any tuition that exceeds the maximum combined tuition and mandatory fee cost as determined by DHEWD. To apply for a tuition award, public safety personnel shall present to DHEWD verification of their current, valid license in a profession specified in the act, along with a certificate of verification signed by their employer verifying that they are employed full-time as public safety personnel. Such individuals shall also meet all admission requirements of the institution of higher education and pursue a license or associate or baccalaureate degree in an academic subject specified in the act. Individuals who have already earned a baccalaureate degree are ineligible to use the tuition award to earn another degree. Each year an individual applies for and receives a tuition award, he or she shall file with DHEWD documentation showing proof of employment and proof of residence in Missouri. Additionally, an applicant for a tuition award shall first apply for all other forms of federal and state student financial aid, including filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid and, if applicable, applying for financial assistance under the G.I. Bill. (Section 173.2655) The legal dependent of public safety personnel with at least ten years of service is also eligible for a tuition award if he or she executes an agreement with the institution of higher education outlining the terms and conditions of the tuition award, including the legal dependent's commitment to reside in Missouri for the next five years, as well as a commitment to provide a copy of his or her state income tax return annually to DHEWD in order to prove residency in Missouri. The agreement shall also include a provision that if the tuition award recipient fails to provide proof of residency in Missouri for the five-year period following the use of the tuition award, the tuition award shall be treated as a loan to such recipient, with the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority as the loan servicer, as provided in the act. Finally, the agreement shall provide that any residency, filing, or payment obligation incurred by the tuition award recipient under the act is canceled in the event of the tuition award recipient's total and permanent disability or death. The five-year residency requirement for a legal dependent who receives a tuition award begins once the legal dependent applies for and receives the tuition award and continues until the tuition award recipient (a) completes the five-year tuition award eligibility period, (b) completes a baccalaureate degree, (c) completes an associate degree and notifies DHEWD that he or she does not intend to pursue a baccalauareate degree or additional associate degree using tuition awards, or (d) notifies DHEWD that he or she does not plan to use additional tuition awards. The legal dependent shall satisfy certain other criteria to be eligible for a tuition award. The legal dependent shall not have previously earned a baccalaureate degree, and he or she shall meet all admission requirements of the institution of higher education he or she wishes to attend. The legal dependent shall also file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid and, if applicable, apply for financial assistance under the G.I. Bill, as well as providing verification of the public safety personnel's eligibility for the tuition award to DHEWD, as provided in the act. (Sections 173.2655 and 173.2660) Public safety personnel and their legal dependents may receive a tuition award for up to five consecutive years if they otherwise continue to be eligible. The five years of eligibility starts once the individual applies for and receives the tuition award for the first time. DHEWD shall grant an award worth up to 100% of the individual's tuition remaining due after subtracting awarded federal financial aid grants and state scholarships and grants. An application for a tuition award shall include a verification of the public safety personnel's satisfaction of the requirements of the act, including proof of full-time employment and residency status. Public safety personnel shall include such verification when they or their legal dependents are applying to DHEWD for a tuition award. The death of public safety personnel in the line of duty shall not disqualify an individual's otherwise eligible legal dependent from receiving the tuition award. In such a case, in lieu of submitting verification of the public safety personnel's employment, the legal dependent shall submit a statement attesting that, at the time of death, the public safety personnel satisfied the requirements of the act, and such individual died in the line of duty, as described in the act. DHEWD shall provide a tuition award to an eligible applicant for the award who applies for an "open seat", defined in the act as a vacant position in a class, course, or program that is available for enrollment. DHEWD shall not provide a tuition award if doing so would require an institution of higher education to create additional seats exceeding program capacity. Applications for tuition awards shall be submitted to DHEWD no later than December 15th annually. No later than March 1st annually, DHEWD shall send written notice of the applicant's eligibility or ineligibility for the tuition award and state whether the application has been approved or denied. If the applicant is determined not to be eligible for the tuition award, the notice shall include the reason or reasons for such determination. If the application is denied, the notice shall include the reason or reasons for the denial. The Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Fund is created for purposes of granting tuition awards as provided in the act. In the event that funds are insufficient to provide tuition awards for all eligible applicants, public safety personnel shall be in the first class of applicants to receive the awards, and dependents shall be in the second class, in a priority order specified in the act. The tuition awards provided for in this act are subject to appropriation. If there are no moneys in the Fund, no tuition awards shall be granted. (Section 173.2655) These provisions are similar to SS/SCS/SB 71 (2025) and HB 496 (2025). MISSION OF MISSOURI SOUTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY (Section 174.231) This act adds health and life sciences and immersive learning experiences to the mission of Missouri Southern State University. This provision is identical to SB 279 (2025) and SB 907 (2024). MISSOURI STATE LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM (Sections 191.600, 191.603, 191.605, 191.607, 191.611, 191.614, and 191.615) This act modifies provisions relating to the existing "Health Professional Student Loan Repayment Program" by renaming it to the "Missouri State Loan Repayment Program (MOSLRP)" and adding to the program individuals who have graduated from an accredited graduate training program in a discipline designated by the Department of Health and Senior Services. Current law requires that a person be enrolled as either a full-time medical student, dental student, or chiropractic student, and be in the final year of course study, or that a person be licensed to practice in these fields, in order to be eligible to participate in the program. This provision and the designation for an area in need of chiropractic services are repealed and replaced with the requirements that the person be authorized to practice as any type of health professional and not practice in an area of defined need. The act requires that 35% of the annual appropriated funds that are allocated to this loan repayment program be designated for awards to primary care physicians and general dentists, and unused portions of those designated funds shall be made available in the same fiscal year to the other types of health professions designated by the Department. Current law establishes liability to the state for individuals who have entered into written contracts with the Department and either fail to maintain an acceptable level of academic standing, voluntarily terminate enrollment, or are dismissed from the institution. Such persons are currently liable to the State for the amount that has been paid on their behalf under the contract. This act repeals that provision. BOOTS-TO-BUSINESS PROGRAMS (Section 620.3250) Finally, current law requires any veteran who receives a small business loan through the State Treasurer's linked deposit program to complete a boots-to-business entrepreneurial education and training program approved by the Department of Economic Development. This act makes participation in such program optional. This provision is identical to SB 566 (2025). OLIVIA SHANNON