BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 766

By: Huberty

Higher Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There have been calls to reduce the financial strain on individuals who are permanently disabled as a result of an injury suffered during the performance of a duty as a peace officer or firefighter who are seeking to be retrained for employment. H.B. 766 seeks to answer those calls by waiving the tuition and fees of public institutions of higher education for those individuals.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 766 amends the Education Code to replace the authorization for the governing board of a public institution of higher education to exempt a student who is permanently disabled as a result of an injury suffered during the performance of a duty as a peace officer of the state or a political subdivision of the state and meets certain residency and disability criteria from the payment of tuition and fees for a course for which space is available with a requirement for the governing board to do so.

H.B. 766 extends the applicability of the exemption to a student who is permanently disabled as a result of an injury suffered during the performance of a duty as a fire fighter employed by the state or a political subdivision of the state and who meets the other applicable criteria. The bill applies to an exemption from tuition and fees beginning with the 2019 fall semester.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.