RICHMOND, Va. -- Senate Democrats have released a new proposal to address controversial changes to a program that provides tuition-free education at Virginia public universities to spouses and children of military servicemembers who were killed or severely disabled when they come to Richmond on July 1.
It comes the night before the House of Delegates is set to take up their own proposal related to the Virginia Military Survivors & Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP).
The new Senate proposal calls for a delay in the changes to VMSDEP by a year and an additional $45 million to help post-secondary institutions pay for the growing costs (on top of $20 million already committed).
“Senate Leadership has been working to resolve this issue and the unintended consequences from the language adopted on May 13. We have heard from veterans groups that the state should fund the waiver’s cost while delaying the language and waiting for an independent review of the program by JLARC," said Senate Finance and Appropriations Chair L. Louise Lucas in a statement Thursday night. The House and Governor should accept this proposal, as it is the only solution that funds the cost of the program and provides an independent review of the data to help with additional program recommendations."
Changes to the program were included in the state's two-year budget which limited who could access the program and added steps before they could utilize it. They came after universities and colleges said the expansion of eligibility in 2019 led to ballooning enrollment and costs.
After backlash, Gov. Glenn Youngkin called lawmakers back to Richmond for a special session to repeal the changes.
Lucas had submitted a bill to partially repeal the changes. When the Senate met last week, after over an hour delay, Lucas announced the bill would not be heard and would also not let a bill to fully repeal the changes be heard.
On Thursday night, Youngkin rejected the proposal on X.
There are 98 copatrons on the House bill and a bipartisan majority in the Senate that support full repeal. It’s time to #PassTheBill.
— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) June 28, 2024
A group formed in response to the budget changes, Friends of VMSDEP, also criticized the new proposal.
"After reviewing the language proposed in Senate Bill 6009, VMSDEP Friends does not endorse delaying implementation of the same harmful language by a year and, therefore, does not support Senate Bill 6009. Similar to HB6003, the language gutting VMSDEP must be repealed and removed to create circumstances conducive to transparent study and thoughtful legislation during the 2025 term. We reject any notion of carrying forward language from HB6001, any grandfather or sunset clauses, and/or excluding non-combat veterans without first achieving full repeal and transparent study," the group said in a statement. "House leadership publicly stated that it, along with Governor Youngkin, was in favor of and committed to a full repeal of the language gutting VMSDEP, restore it to its pre-May 13th language, and revert back to doing this the right way, i.e., propose changes through the proper legislative process and only after the completion of a comprehensive, independent study of the program."
Earlier Thursday, Speaker Don Scott's office said the House would take up the only bill to filed in its chamber which would fully repeal the changes.
When asked about the Senate proposal Thursday night, they had no comment.
Whatever bill is passed by the House and Senate, it would have to be approved by the opposite chamber before it goes to Youngkin.
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