For purposes of section 15-10-18.5: 1. "Firefighter" means a person who is a member of a paid or volunteer fire department that is a part of, or administered by, this state, any political subdivision of this state, or a rural fire protection district. 2. "Peace officer" means: a. Any person employed by a state law enforcement agency or a political subdivision of the state who is charged with the prevention and detection of crime and the enforcement of the criminal laws of the state and who has full power of arrest; or b. A correctional officer employed by the state or a political subdivision of the state. 3. "Stepchild" means a child of the decedent's spouse or predeceased spouse, and not of the decedent. 4. "Survivor" means, at the time of the firefighter's or peace officer's death, the firefighter's or peace officer's biological or adopted child under the age of twenty-one, stepchild under the age of twenty-one, and spouse.
15-10-18.5. Free tuition in North Dakota institutions of higher education for survivor of firefighter, emergency medical services personnel, or peace officer. If a firefighter, an emergency medical services personnel as defined under section 23-27-04.3, or a peace officer dies as a direct result of injuries received while engaged in the performance of official duties under circumstances dangerous to human life, the survivor, upon being duly accepted for enrollment into any undergraduate degree or certificate program of a
North Dakota state institution of higher education, must be allowed to obtain a bachelor's degree or certificate of completion, for so long as the dependent is eligible, free of any tuition and fee charges; provided, however, that the bachelor's degree or certificate of completion is earned within a forty-five-month or ten-semester period or its equivalent; and further provided that tuition and fee charges may not include costs for aviation flight charges or expenses.