Nevada lawmaker wants to add college benefits for veterans, children of public servants

Revisions to two Nevada laws would expand covering college costs for children of state employees who died in the line of duty and waive out-of-state tuition fees for dependents of activity military members.

The Assembly education committee heard proposed revisions during a meeting Tuesday, but took no action on either bill.

Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton, D-Las Vegas, presented Assembly Bill 1. The bill expands an existing program that provides financial assistance for colleges to children of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty. Carlton’s revisions would expand the benefits to children of any public employee.

In 2015, Carlton’s bill passed the Assembly unanimously but died in the Senate, Carlton said.

“Rather than make it more complex and still eliminate some possible employee we decided to let the bill lie,” she said. “This is just one small thing we can do for the public employees of this state.”

Assembly Bill 24 would expand an existing program in which veterans are not charged out-of-state tuition. The bill was presented by Cesar Melgarejo, the governor’s veteran’s policy analyst.

Changes would expand to include students whose parent, guardian or spouse is on active duty and stationed at a military station in this state. It would also include active duty members or honorably discharged veterans who are or were stationed in the state.

Contact Meghin Delaney at 702-383-0281 or mdelaney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @MeghinDelaney on Twitter.