By Hilderbran, Coleman H.B. No. 1479 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to tuition and fee exemptions at public institutions of 1-3 higher education for certain students. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 54, Education Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Sections 54.212, 54.213, and 54.214 to read as 1-7 follows: 1-8 Sec. 54.212. ONE-YEAR EXEMPTION FOR CERTAIN AFDC STUDENTS. 1-9 A student is exempt from the payment of tuition and fees authorized 1-10 by this chapter for the first academic year in which the student 1-11 enrolls at an institution of higher education if the student: 1-12 (1) graduated from a public high school in this state; 1-13 (2) successfully completed the attendance requirements 1-14 under Section 21.032; 1-15 (3) during the student's last year of public high 1-16 school in this state, was a dependent child receiving financial 1-17 assistance under Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, for not less 1-18 than six months; 1-19 (4) is younger than 22 years of age on the date of 1-20 enrollment; 1-21 (5) enrolls at the institution as an undergraduate 1-22 student not later than the first anniversary of the date of 1-23 graduation from a public high school in this state; 1-24 (6) has met the entrance examination requirements of 2-1 the institution before the date of enrollment; and 2-2 (7) is classified as a resident under Subchapter B. 2-3 Sec. 54.213. ONE-YEAR EXEMPTION FOR CERTAIN EARLY HIGH 2-4 SCHOOL GRADUATES. A student is exempt from the payment of tuition 2-5 and fees authorized by this chapter for the first academic year in 2-6 which the student enrolls at an institution of higher education if 2-7 the student: 2-8 (1) successfully completed the requirements for 2-9 graduation from a public high school in this state in less than 2-10 four academic years; 2-11 (2) successfully completed the attendance requirements 2-12 under Section 21.032; 2-13 (3) has the written approval of a parent, legal 2-14 guardian, or conservator of the student; 2-15 (4) is younger than 22 years of age on the date of 2-16 enrollment; 2-17 (5) enrolls at the institution as an undergraduate 2-18 student not later than the second anniversary of the date of 2-19 successful completion of the requirements for graduation from a 2-20 public high school in this state; 2-21 (6) has met the entrance examination requirements of 2-22 the institution before the date of enrollment; and 2-23 (7) is classified as a resident under Subchapter B. 2-24 Sec. 54.214. FUNDING EXEMPTIONS. An institution of higher 2-25 education may fund tuition exemptions under Section 54.212 or 2-26 54.213 from local funds or from funds appropriated to the 2-27 institution. An institution of higher education is not required to 3-1 provide tuition exemptions beyond those funded through 3-2 appropriations specifically designated for this purpose. 3-3 SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with tuition and fees 3-4 collected for the fall semester of 1995. 3-5 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 3-6 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-7 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-8 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-9 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 3-10 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 3-11 passage, and it is so enacted.