HBA-MPM H.B. 1788 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1788
By: Noriega
Higher Education
3/23/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, firefighters employed by a political subdivision of the state
who are enrolled in a course or courses as part of a fire science
curriculum are exempt from paying tuition and laboratory fees at collegiate
institutions which are wholly or partly funded by the state.  Volunteer
firefighters, however, are not granted this exemption.  H.B. 1788 exempts
volunteer firefighters from payment of tuition and laboratory fees with
regard to a fire science curriculum. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 54.208, Education Code, to exempt from the
payment of tuition and laboratory fees any person who serves as a volunteer
member of a volunteer fire department and who is certified by either the
Texas Commission on Fire Protection or the State Fireman's and Fire
Marshal's Association of Texas who enrolls in a course or courses offered
as part of a fire science curriculum, in addition to any person employed as
a fireman by any political subdivision of the state. 

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.