By Culberson                                           H.B. No. 699
       74R982 JSA-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the eligibility of certain military veterans and other
    1-3  persons with military-related service and survivors of certain
    1-4  military veterans to an exemption from tuition, fees, and charges
    1-5  at a public institution of higher education if the person is in
    1-6  default of an educational loan made under a federal program.
    1-7        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-8        SECTION 1.  Section 54.203(d), Education Code, is amended to
    1-9  read as follows:
   1-10        (d)  The exemption from fees provided for in Subsection (a)
   1-11  of this section does not apply to a person if at the time of his
   1-12  registration he is eligible for educational benefits under federal
   1-13  legislation in effect at the time of his registration.  A person is
   1-14  covered by the exemptions if his right to benefits under federal
   1-15  legislation is extinguished at the time of his registration, except
   1-16  that a person is not eligible for an exemption from fees under this
   1-17  section if the person's right to benefits under federal legislation
   1-18  is extinguished solely because the person is in default of
   1-19  repayment of a loan made to the person under a federal program to
   1-20  provide or guarantee loans for educational purposes.
   1-21        SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies to
   1-22  tuition, fees, and charges beginning with the fall 1995 semester.
   1-23        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-24  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-1  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-2  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-3  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    2-4  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
    2-5  passage, and it is so enacted.