For more information, visit Sen. Wagoner’s website: www.SenatorKeithWagoner.com.
OLYMPIA… On Thursday Sen. Keith Wagoner testified before the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee in support of Senate Bill 5954, his measure designed to ensure that the children of disabled veterans can access the state-tuition waivers they have earned without being penalized by administrative delays or restrictive state timelines.
“This bill would guarantee veterans with 100% disability can use their educational benefits and pass them to their children without restrictions that are under Washington state law right now,” said Wagoner, R-Sedro-Woolley. “It’ll align our state law to federal law and make it easier for veterans to use the benefits that they have earned for their own children.”
Under Wagoner’s measure, the state eligibility window for survivors’ and dependents’ educational assistance would be adjusted to match the window under federal law. Currently, many dependents find themselves “timed out” of benefits because the window of eligibility expires before they can utilize it—often due to the lengthy time it takes for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to certify a veteran’s disability status.
SB 5954 was inspired by one of Wagoner’s 39th Legislative District constituents whose certification for disability took years to process. By the time the federal government approved her status, the eligibility period under Washington state law had already lapsed, preventing her from transferring her earned education benefits to her children.
“If you’ve ever dealt with the VA, sometimes things don’t go as quickly as we hope they do,” Wagoner told the committee. “By the time her certification was approved, the time had already lapsed. This will just align us with federal law and allow members who have earned this benefit to capitalize on it.”
Under SB 5954, state eligibility would be synchronized with the federal Chapter 35 (Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance) standards, which generally allow for a longer period of eligibility. The bill would also expand eligibility by modifying the age and time restrictions for children and surviving spouses to receive tuition waivers at Washington’s public colleges and universities. It also removes the “administrative trap” where veterans lose benefits simply because the federal disability-rating process took too long.
Alan Acosta, representing the Veterans Legislative Coalition and the Military Order of the Purple Heart, testified in support of the bill, noting that it would make Washington more competitive. “We would love to see Washington State join the ranks of [other] states honoring the veterans’ service and sacrifice… expanding the eligibility of family members… is a win-win, not only for our military families but for the state of Washington.”
Wagoner, a retired U.S. Navy officer and the Legislature’s leading advocate for veterans, concluded his testimony by urging the committee to move the bill forward to honor the promises made to those who served.