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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the exemption of tuition and laboratory fees at public |
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institutions of higher education for certain paramedics. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 54, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 54.3532 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 54.3532. PARAMEDICS ENROLLED IN CERTAIN COURSES. (a) |
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The governing board of an institution of higher education shall |
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exempt from the payment of tuition and laboratory fees any student |
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enrolled in one or more courses offered as part of an emergency |
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medical services curriculum who is employed as a paramedic by a |
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political subdivision of this state. |
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(b) An exemption provided under this section does not apply |
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to deposits that may be required in the nature of security for the |
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return or proper care of property loaned for the use of students. |
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(c) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a student who for a |
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semester or term at an institution of higher education receives an |
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exemption provided under this section may continue to receive the |
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exemption for a subsequent semester or term at any institution only |
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if the student makes satisfactory academic progress toward a degree |
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or certificate at that institution as determined by the institution |
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for purposes of financial aid. |
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(d) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the exemption provided |
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under this section does not apply to any amount of additional |
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tuition the institution elects to charge a resident undergraduate |
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student under Section 54.014(a) or (f). |
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(e) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the exemption provided |
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under this section does not apply to any amount of tuition the |
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institution charges a graduate student in excess of the amount of |
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tuition charged to similarly situated graduate students because the |
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student has a number of semester credit hours of doctoral work in |
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excess of the applicable number provided by Section 61.059(l)(1) or |
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(2). |
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(f) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the governing board of |
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an institution of higher education is not required to provide an |
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exemption under this section for a course offered exclusively |
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through distance education to a number of students enrolled in the |
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course in excess of 20 percent of the maximum student enrollment |
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designated by the institution for that course. |
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(g) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall |
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adopt: |
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(1) rules governing the granting or denial of an |
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exemption provided under this section, including rules: |
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(A) prescribing the educational attainment or |
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level of certification necessary to qualify for an exemption as a |
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paramedic; |
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(B) relating to the determination of a student's |
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eligibility for an exemption; and |
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(C) relating to the exclusion from the exemption |
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under Subsection (f) of a distance education course, including |
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prescribing the maximum number of distance education courses that |
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may be excluded from the exemption under that subsection; and |
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(2) a uniform listing of degree programs covered by |
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the exemption provided under this section. |
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SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating |
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Board shall adopt the rules required by Section 54.3532, Education |
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Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after the |
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effective date of this Act. |
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(b) Section 54.3532, Education Code, as added by this Act, |
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applies beginning with tuition and laboratory fees charged for the |
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2021 fall semester. Tuition and laboratory fees charged for an |
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academic period before that semester are covered by the law in |
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effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the |
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former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |