By Counts H.B. No. 269 75R2297 CAG-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to exempting members of the Texas National Guard from 1-3 tuition charged by an institution of higher education. 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 Section 54.2125 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 54.2125. NATIONAL GUARD EXEMPTION. (a) The governing 1-8 board of each institution of higher education shall exempt an 1-9 eligible member of the Texas National Guard from the payment of all 1-10 tuition. 1-11 (b) To be eligible for an exemption under this section, a 1-12 person must: 1-13 (1) have resided in this state for the 12 months 1-14 immediately preceding the beginning of the semester or other 1-15 academic session for which an exemption is sought; 1-16 (2) maintain satisfactory performance as prescribed by 1-17 the adjutant general's department as a member in good standing of 1-18 the Texas National Guard for the entire semester or other academic 1-19 session for which an exemption is sought; and 1-20 (3) have enlisted or agreed to enlist for a period of 1-21 additional duty in the Texas National Guard as required by rule 1-22 adopted under Subsection (e). 1-23 (c) A person is not eligible for an exemption under this 1-24 section if the person has: 2-1 (1) previously received an exemption under this 2-2 section for 12 semesters or other equivalent academic sessions; or 2-3 (2) received a postgraduate or professional degree. 2-4 (d) A semester or other academic session in which the person 2-5 withdrew from or failed to complete the courses in which the person 2-6 was enrolled because the person was mobilized or called to active 2-7 duty in connection with the person's service as a member of the 2-8 Texas National Guard is not considered in determining the 2-9 eligibility of the person under Subsection (c)(1) for an exemption. 2-10 (e) The adjutant general by rule shall establish a 2-11 reasonable period of additional duty for which a member of the 2-12 Texas National Guard must enlist or agree to enlist for each 2-13 semester or other academic session for which the member receives an 2-14 exemption under this section. 2-15 (f) In this section, "Texas National Guard" means the Texas 2-16 National Guard as defined and constituted under Chapter 431, 2-17 Government Code. 2-18 SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act takes effect 2-19 beginning with the fall semester in 1997. 2-20 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-21 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-22 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-23 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-24 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-25 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-26 passage, and it is so enacted.