By:  Lucio, et al.                                    S.B. No. 1902
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to the provision of tuition and fee exemptions, stipends,
 1-2     and scholarships for certain former prisoners of war from Texas
 1-3     attending a public college or university.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  This Act may be cited as the Steven
 1-6     Gonzales-Prisoner of War Higher Education Act.
 1-7           SECTION 2.  Subchapter D, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
 1-8     amended by adding Section 54.219 to read as follows:
 1-9           Sec. 54.219.  PRISONERS OF WAR.  (a)  In this section,
1-10     "tuition and required fees" includes tuition, service fees, lab
1-11     fees, building use fees, and all other required fees except room,
1-12     board, or clothing fees or deposits in the nature of security for
1-13     the return or proper care of property.
1-14           (b)  For each semester or summer session and for a total
1-15     number of semester credit hours not to exceed 120, the governing
1-16     body of each institution of higher education shall exempt from the
1-17     payment of tuition and required fees any person who:
1-18                 (1)  is a resident of Texas;
1-19                 (2)  was first classified as a prisoner of war by the
1-20     United States Department of Defense on or after January 1, 1999;
1-21     and
1-22                 (3)  is enrolled for at least 12 semester credit hours.
1-23           (c)  For each semester or session in which a person receives
1-24     an exemption from tuition and required fees under Subsection (b),
 2-1     the governing body of the institution the person attends shall
 2-2     exempt the person from the payment of fees and charges for lodging
 2-3     and board if the person resides on the campus of the institution.
 2-4     If the person does not reside on the campus of the institution, the
 2-5     institution shall provide to the person a reasonable stipend to
 2-6     cover the costs of the person's lodging and board.
 2-7           (d)  For each semester or session in which a person receives
 2-8     an exemption from tuition and required fees under Subsection (b),
 2-9     the governing body of the institution the person attends shall
2-10     award to the person a scholarship to cover the costs of books and
2-11     similar educational materials required for course work at the
2-12     institution.
2-13           (e)  An institution may use any available revenue, including
2-14     legislative appropriations, and shall solicit and accept gifts,
2-15     grants, and donations for the purposes of this section.  The
2-16     institution shall use gifts, grants, and donations received for the
2-17     purposes of this section before using any other revenue.
2-18           SECTION 3.  This Act applies beginning with the 1999 fall
2-19     semester.
2-20           SECTION 4.  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.