1-1  By:  Rosson, Montford                                  S.B. No. 114
    1-2        (In the Senate - Filed December 2, 1994; January 16, 1995,
    1-3  read first time and referred to Committee on Finance;
    1-4  January 26, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas
    1-5  9, Nays 0; January 26, 1995, sent to printer.)
    1-6                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-7                                AN ACT
    1-8  relating to exempting certain veterans of the armed forces, the
    1-9  surviving children of certain members of the armed forces, and
   1-10  other persons with military-related service from tuition, fees, and
   1-11  charges at public institutions of higher education.
   1-12        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
   1-13        SECTION 1.  Subsections (a) and (b), Section 54.203,
   1-14  Education Code, are amended to read as follows:
   1-15        (a)  The governing board of each institution of higher
   1-16  education shall exempt the following persons from the payment of
   1-17  all dues, fees, and charges, including fees for correspondence
   1-18  courses but excluding property deposit fees, student services fees,
   1-19  and any fees or charges for lodging, board, or clothing, provided
   1-20  the persons seeking the exemptions <demonstrate financial need as
   1-21  defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board,> were
   1-22  citizens of Texas at the time they entered the services
   1-23  indicated<,> and have resided in Texas for at least the period of
   1-24  12 months before the date of registration:
   1-25              (1)  all nurses and honorably discharged members of the
   1-26  armed forces of the United States who served during the
   1-27  Spanish-American War or during World War I;
   1-28              (2)  all nurses, members of the Women's Army Auxiliary
   1-29  Corps, members of the Women's Auxiliary Volunteer Emergency
   1-30  Service, and all honorably discharged members of the armed forces
   1-31  of the United States who served during World War II except those
   1-32  who were discharged from service because they were over the age of
   1-33  38 or because of a personal request on the part of the person that
   1-34  he be discharged from service;
   1-35              (3)  all honorably discharged men and women of the
   1-36  armed forces of the United States who served during the national
   1-37  emergency which began on June 27, 1950, and which is referred to as
   1-38  the Korean War; and
   1-39              (4)  all persons who were honorably discharged from the
   1-40  armed forces of the United States after serving on active military
   1-41  duty, excluding training, for more than 180 days during the Cold
   1-42  War which began on the date of the termination of the national
   1-43  emergency cited in Subdivision (3) of this subsection.
   1-44        (b)  The exemptions provided for in Subsection (a) of this
   1-45  section also apply and inure to the benefit of the children of
   1-46  members of the armed forces of the United States who are or were
   1-47  killed in action, who die or died while in service, who are missing
   1-48  in action, or whose death is documented to be directly caused by
   1-49  illness or injury connected with service in the armed forces of the
   1-50  United States, and to the benefit of orphans of members of the
   1-51  Texas National Guard and the Texas Air National Guard killed since
   1-52  January 1, 1946, while on active duty either in the service of
   1-53  their state or the United States.  However, to qualify for this
   1-54  exemption a person must be a citizen of Texas<, must demonstrate
   1-55  financial need as defined by the Texas Higher Education
   1-56  Coordinating Board,> and must have resided in the state for at
   1-57  least 12 months immediately preceding the date of the person's
   1-58  <his> registration.
   1-59        SECTION 2.  This Act applies to tuition, fees, and charges
   1-60  imposed beginning with the fall semester 1995.
   1-61        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-62  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-63  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-64  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-65  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   1-66  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   1-67  passage, and it is so enacted.
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