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Senate Bill 1158 |
Senate Author: Van de Putte et al. |
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Effective: See below |
House Sponsor: Menendez |
Senate Bill 1158 amends the Education Code to transfer administration of tuition and fee exemptions for veterans and their families from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to the Texas Veterans Commission and sets out the duties of the commission regarding the exemptions. The bill clarifies the exemptions for the spouse or child of an eligible veteran and revises the deadline for submitting evidence of qualifying for an exemption to an institution of higher education. The bill provides for the commission's use of an electronic system developed by the coordinating board to monitor tuition exemptions for veterans and their family members.
Senate Bill 1158 provides for a permanent fund to offset the cost to institutions of higher education when an eligible veteran waives an exemption and designates a child to receive the exemption. The bill provides for a veteran education excellence recognition award network to recognize institutions of higher education for excellence in providing education and related services to veterans, and it requires the commission to hire veterans education counselors to provide certain specified assistance to enhance the educational opportunities of veterans and their families. Provisions relating to the award network take effect September 1, 2014; all other provisions take effect June 14, 2013.