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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to firefighters enrolled in fire science courses. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 54.353, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 54.353. FIREFIGHTERS ENROLLED IN FIRE SCIENCE |
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COURSES. (a) The governing board of an institution of higher |
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education shall exempt from the payment of tuition and laboratory |
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fees any student enrolled in one or more courses offered as part of |
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a fire science curriculum who: |
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(1) is employed as a firefighter by a political |
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subdivision of this state; or |
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(2) is a member in good standing in a volunteer |
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firefighter department, registered with Texas Forest Service and |
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providing 911 service to a designated area [is currently, and has |
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been for at least one year, an active member of an organized |
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volunteer fire department participating in the Texas Emergency |
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Services Retirement System or a retirement system established under |
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the Texas Local Fire Fighters Retirement Act (Article 6243e, |
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Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes)] and who: [holds:] |
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(A) attends at least 20 hours of annual training; |
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(B) attends or provides support services for at |
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least 25 percent of the department's emergencies in a calendar |
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year; and |
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(C) holds: |
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(i) [(A)] an Accredited Advanced level of |
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certification, or an equivalent successor certification, under the |
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State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas volunteer |
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certification program; or |
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(ii) [(B)] Phase V (Firefighter II) |
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certification, or an equivalent successor certification, under the |
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Texas Commission on Fire Protection's voluntary certification |
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program under Section 419.071, Government Code. |
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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 under this section may continue to receive the exemption |
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for a subsequent semester or term at any institution only if the |
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student makes satisfactory academic progress toward a degree or |
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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) 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 under this section, including rules relating to the |
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determination of a student's eligibility for an exemption; and |
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(2) a uniform listing of degree programs covered by |
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the exemption under this section. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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