Illegal-immigrant bill changes
Senate education measure substituted for tough House bill
Saturday, Feb 23, 2008 - 12:09 AM
By JIM NOLAN
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

A House bill designed to prohibit illegal immigrants from attending Virginia's public colleges and universities survived a Senate subcommittee hearing yesterday but with significant changes.

The subcommittee recommended conforming the bill, introduced by Del. Christopher K. Peace, R-Hanover, with a Senate bill to let undocumented immigrants receive in-state tuition if they meet certain conditions.

Peace's House Bill 14 was substituted yesterday with Senate Bill 650 in the Health and Education subcommittee on Higher Education.

Senate Bill 652, sponsored by Sen. Emmett W. Hanger, Jr., R-Augusta, would allow certain undocumented immigrants to receive in-state tuition benefits if they reside in the state, are in good legal standing, and are working toward citizenship, among other restrictions.

Peace said he agreed to the substitute to keep the slim prospect of his original bill alive, when it is debated by the Senate's full committee on Health and Education.

Hanger's bill is expected to meet with strong resistance in the House, which generally is opposed to tuition benefits for illegal immigrants.

Hanger's bill easily cleared the Senate earlier in the legislative session.

Peace's bill, which easily cleared the House, aims to block all undocumented students from state colleges and universities.

State officials estimate that as many as 1,000 illegal immigrants attend those schools. Several of Virginia's public universities do not check legal residence in the U.S. before allowing enrollment, according to a survey by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

Each school sets its own policy on admitting undocumented immigrants, as do the state's 23 public community colleges, which are roughly split -- 12 indicating they permit enrollment and 11 that prohibit it.
Contact Jim Nolan at (804) 649-6061 or jnolan@timesdispatch.com.
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