AN ACT
 1-1     relating to providing tuition payment assistance to certain members
 1-2     of the state military forces attending public or private
 1-3     institutions of higher education.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 431, Government Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Section 431.090 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 431.090.  TUITION ASSISTANCE.  (a)  Because the state
 1-8     military forces are the state's only organized, trained, and
 1-9     equipped military force under the direction of the governor
1-10     available to respond to natural and man-made disasters, tuition
1-11     assistance is provided under this section to eligible members of
1-12     the state military forces to encourage voluntary membership, to
1-13     improve the education level of its members, to diversify the
1-14     composition of the forces, and to enhance the state's workforce.
1-15           (b)  In this section, "institution of higher education" and
1-16     "private or independent institution of higher education" have the
1-17     meanings assigned by Section 61.003, Education Code.
1-18           (c)  To be eligible for tuition assistance under this
1-19     section, a person must:
1-20                 (1)  be a member in good standing, as certified by the
1-21     adjutant general, of the Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air
1-22     National Guard, or Texas State Guard who is:
1-23                       (A)  an enlisted member;
1-24                       (B)  a warrant officer of a grade from Warrant
 2-1     Officer One through Chief Warrant Officer Three; or
 2-2                       (C)  a commissioned officer of a grade from
 2-3     Second Lieutenant through Captain; and
 2-4                 (2)  meet any additional qualifications established by
 2-5     the adjutant general to carry out the purposes of this section or
 2-6     to further the institutional needs of the state military forces.
 2-7           (d)  The adjutant general shall grant tuition assistance
 2-8     under this section to a number of eligible persons established by
 2-9     the adjutant general, considering funds available for that
2-10     assistance and the needs of the state military forces.  The
2-11     adjutant general may apportion the number of tuition assistance
2-12     awards among the components of the state military forces as the
2-13     adjutant general considers necessary to meet the recruitment and
2-14     retention needs of those components.  The number of tuition
2-15     assistance awards made to members of the Texas State Guard may not
2-16     exceed 30 for any semester, unless the adjutant general finds a
2-17     compelling need for additional awards to members of the Texas State
2-18     Guard.
2-19           (e)  Tuition assistance may be awarded under this section for
2-20     tuition charged for any undergraduate or graduate course at an
2-21     institution of higher education or private or independent
2-22     institution of higher education, including a vocational or
2-23     technical course.
2-24           (f)  A person may not receive tuition assistance under this
2-25     section for:
2-26                 (1)  more than 12 semester credit hours in any
 3-1     semester; or
 3-2                 (2)  more than five academic years or 10 semesters,
 3-3     whichever occurs first for the person.
 3-4           (g)  Before each semester at a time determined by the Texas
 3-5     Higher Education Coordinating Board, the adjutant general shall
 3-6     certify to the coordinating board a list of the persons to whom the
 3-7     adjutant general has awarded tuition assistance under this section
 3-8     for that semester.  After receipt of the list, the coordinating
 3-9     board shall determine whether sufficient money is available to fund
3-10     the tuition assistance awards under Section 54.2155, Education
3-11     Code.  If the coordinating board determines that sufficient money
3-12     is not available, the board shall notify the adjutant general, who
3-13     shall reduce the number of awards according to the amount of money
3-14     available and certify to the coordinating board a revised list of
3-15     the persons to whom the adjutant general has awarded tuition
3-16     assistance.
3-17           SECTION 2.  Subchapter D, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
3-18     amended by adding Section 54.2155 to read as follows:
3-19           Sec. 54.2155.  PAYMENT OF TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR MEMBERS OF
3-20     STATE MILITARY FORCES.  (a)  In the manner established by the Texas
3-21     Higher Education Coordinating Board, for each semester the
3-22     coordinating board shall certify to institutions of higher
3-23     education information identifying the persons to whom the adjutant
3-24     general of the state military forces has awarded tuition assistance
3-25     under Section 431.090, Government Code, if the coordinating board
3-26     has determined that sufficient money is available to reimburse
 4-1     institutions for tuition exemptions granted under this section and
 4-2     to make tuition assistance grants under Subsection (c).  An
 4-3     institution of higher education shall exempt a person certified by
 4-4     the coordinating board under this section from the payment of
 4-5     tuition for the semester credit hours for which the person enrolls,
 4-6     not to exceed 12 semester credit hours.  If the person is not
 4-7     charged tuition at the rate provided for other Texas residents, the
 4-8     amount of the exemption may not exceed the amount of tuition the
 4-9     person would be charged as a Texas resident for the number of
4-10     semester credit hours for which the person enrolls, not to exceed
4-11     12 semester credit hours.
4-12           (b)  From money appropriated for purposes of this section,
4-13     the coordinating board shall reimburse an institution of higher
4-14     education in an amount equal to the amount of the tuition exemption
4-15     the institution grants to a person under Subsection (a).
4-16           (c)  From money appropriated for purposes of this section,
4-17     the coordinating board shall make a grant to a person attending a
4-18     private or independent institution of higher education, as defined
4-19     by Section 61.003, to whom the adjutant general has awarded tuition
4-20     assistance for the semester under Section 431.090, Government Code.
4-21     The amount of a grant under this section is an amount equal to the
4-22     average amount of reimbursement the coordinating board estimates
4-23     will be paid per student for the same semester under Subsection
4-24     (b).
4-25           SECTION 3.  Except as provided by Section 4 of this Act, this
4-26     Act takes effect January 1, 2000.
 5-1           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect only if a specific
 5-2     appropriation for the implementation of this Act is provided in
 5-3     H.B. No. 1 (General Appropriations Act), Acts of the 76th
 5-4     Legislature, Regular Session, 1999.  If no specific appropriation
 5-5     is provided in H.B. No. 1, the General Appropriations Act, this Act
 5-6     has no effect.
 5-7           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
 5-8     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 5-9     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
5-10     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
5-11     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
         ______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 526 passed the Senate on
         April 28, 1999, by a viva-voce vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 526 passed the House on
         May 25, 1999, by a non-record vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
         Approved:
         _______________________________
                     Date
         _______________________________
                   Governor