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| To enact sections 3333.0412, 5903.05, and 5907.071 of | 1 |
| the Revised Code to enhance support and services | 2 |
| for veterans at state institutions of higher | 3 |
| education and to require each institution to | 4 |
| develop a policy for awarding academic credit to | 5 |
| veterans for training received while in the | 6 |
| military. | 7 |
| Section 1. That sections 3333.0412, 5903.05, and 5907.071 of | 8 |
| the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows: | 9 |
| Sec. 3333.0412. (A) As used in this section, "state | 10 |
| institution of higher education" means a state university or | 11 |
| college as defined in division (A)(1) of section 3345.12 of the | 12 |
| Revised Code, community college established under Chapter 3354. of | 13 |
| the Revised Code, state community college established under | 14 |
| Chapter 3358. of the Revised Code, university branch established | 15 |
| under Chapter 3355. of the Revised Code, or technical college | 16 |
| established under Chapter 3357. of the Revised Code. | 17 |
| (B) The chancellor of the Ohio board of regents shall do all | 18 |
| of the following: | 19 |
| (1) Work with the department of veterans services to develop | 20 |
| a model for training counselors of student veterans at state | 21 |
| institutions of higher education regarding the unique needs of and | 22 |
| challenges faced by student veterans; | 23 |
| (2) Facilitate regular statewide meetings for personnel at | 24 |
| state institutions of higher education who regularly provide | 25 |
| services to student veterans to enable them to discuss and develop | 26 |
| best practices, exchange ideas and experiences, and hear | 27 |
| presentations by individuals with generally accepted expertise in | 28 |
| subjects relevant to the needs of and challenges faced by student | 29 |
| veterans; | 30 |
| (3) Develop and facilitate communications between state | 31 |
| institutions of higher education, military bases in the state, and | 32 |
| veteran organizations in the state to advance causes that benefit | 33 |
| student veterans. | 34 |
| Sec. 5903.05. (A) As used in this section: | 35 |
| "State institution of higher education" means a state | 36 |
| university or college as defined in division (A)(1) of section | 37 |
| 3345.12 of the Revised Code, community college established under | 38 |
| Chapter 3354. of the Revised Code, state community college | 39 |
| established under Chapter 3358. of the Revised Code, university | 40 |
| branch established under Chapter 3355. of the Revised Code, or | 41 |
| technical college established under Chapter 3357. of the Revised | 42 |
| Code. | 43 |
| "Veteran" means a person who served on active duty for more | 44 |
| than one hundred eighty days and was discharged or released from | 45 |
| active duty with other than a dishonorable discharge or a person | 46 |
| who was discharged or released from active duty because of a | 47 |
| service-connected disability. | 48 |
| (B) The board of trustees of a state institution of higher | 49 |
| education shall establish and implement and, as it becomes | 50 |
| necessary or advisable, shall improve and re-implement measures | 51 |
| requiring the institution under the board's supervision and | 52 |
| management to do all of the following: | 53 |
| (1) Award academic credit to a student veteran at the | 54 |
| institution for training or service completed by the student | 55 |
| veteran as a member of the armed forces of the United States or a | 56 |
| reserve component thereof, the Ohio national guard, the Ohio | 57 |
| military reserve, or the Ohio naval militia, and that meets the | 58 |
| standards of the American council on education or equivalent | 59 |
| standards for awarding academic credit; | 60 |
| (2) Establish and sponsor an organization for student | 61 |
| veterans on campus and encourage other veteran-friendly | 62 |
| organizations; | 63 |
| (3) Periodically survey student veterans to identify their | 64 |
| needs and challenges they face; | 65 |
| (4) Appoint and train faculty members within each degree | 66 |
| program or major as liaisons and contacts for student veterans, | 67 |
| and provide these faculty members with sensitivity and awareness | 68 |
| training on military and veterans culture, traumatic brain injury, | 69 |
| post-traumatic stress disorder, physical and mental disabilities, | 70 |
| suicide, and hypervigilance; | 71 |
| (5) Coordinate existing disability services on campus with | 72 |
| veteran disability services available from the United States | 73 |
| department of veterans affairs, the department of veterans | 74 |
| services, veterans service commissions, other federal and state | 75 |
| agencies, and private resources; | 76 |
| (6) Provide counselors who are trained to effectively respond | 77 |
| to the unique needs of and challenges faced by student veterans, | 78 |
| and provide services or provide referrals to services to fulfill | 79 |
| the needs of student veterans and to help student veterans meet | 80 |
| challenges they face; and | 81 |
| (7) Establish a program that creates collaborative | 82 |
| relationships between student veterans and alumni of the | 83 |
| institution, that links student veterans with prospective | 84 |
| employers, and that provides student veterans with social | 85 |
| opportunities. | 86 |
| Sec. 5907.071. As used in this section, "state institution of | 87 |
| higher education" means a state university or college as defined | 88 |
| in division (A)(1) of section 3345.12 of the Revised Code, | 89 |
| community college established under Chapter 3354. of the Revised | 90 |
| Code, state community college established under Chapter 3358. of | 91 |
| the Revised Code, university branch established under Chapter | 92 |
| 3355. of the Revised Code, or technical college established under | 93 |
| Chapter 3357. of the Revised Code. | 94 |
| The veterans service commission of a county in which a state | 95 |
| institution of higher education is located may appoint as needed a | 96 |
| sufficient number of county veteran service officers to serve as | 97 |
| campus veterans service officers at the state institution of | 98 |
| higher education. | 99 |
| A state institution of higher education shall provide | 100 |
| accommodations that may be utilized by veteran service officers to | 101 |
| provide assistance to student veterans. | 102 |
| Section 2. A board of trustees of a state institution of | 103 |
| higher education shall establish and implement the measures | 104 |
| required by section 5903.05 of the Revised Code not later than | 105 |
| July 1, 2013. | 106 |