1-1 By: Carter, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Moncrief) H.B. No. 459
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House March 14, 2001;
1-3 March 15, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on
1-4 Education; May 7, 2001, reported adversely, with favorable
1-5 Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0;
1-6 May 7, 2001, sent to printer.)
1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 459 By: Bivins
1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-9 AN ACT
1-10 relating to higher education tuition and fee exemptions for
1-11 children of dead or disabled firefighters or peace officers.
1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-13 SECTION 1. Section 54.204(a)(1), Education Code, is amended
1-14 to read as follows:
1-15 (1) "Eligible employee" means a full-paid or volunteer
1-16 firefighter [fireman], or a full-paid municipal, county, or state
1-17 peace officer, or a custodial employee of the Texas Department of
1-18 Corrections, or a game warden[, who has a child under 21 years of
1-19 age].
1-20 SECTION 2. Section 54.204, Education Code, is amended by
1-21 amending Subsections (c) and (d) and adding Subsection (e) to read
1-22 as follows:
1-23 (c) A person is not entitled to the exemption if the person
1-24 [he]:
1-25 (1) does not apply initially for the exemption before
1-26 the date the person:
1-27 (A) [he] becomes 21 years of age, if the person
1-28 is not covered by Paragraph (B); or
1-29 (B) becomes 22 years of age, if the person is
1-30 eligible to participate in a school district's special education
1-31 program under Section 29.003;
1-32 (2) does not meet all entrance requirements of the
1-33 institution; or
1-34 (3) does not maintain a scholastic average sufficient
1-35 to remain in good standing.
1-36 (d) Subject to Subsection (e), a [A] person may receive
1-37 [loses his right to] an exemption only for the first 120
1-38 undergraduate semester credit hours [after eight consecutive
1-39 semesters, not including summer semesters, beginning with the first
1-40 semester] for which the person [he] registers.
1-41 (e) A person is not entitled to an exemption for any term or
1-42 semester the person begins after the date the person becomes 26
1-43 years of age.
1-44 SECTION 3. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies
1-45 only to a person who applies for an exemption from dues, fees, and
1-46 charges under Section 54.204, Education Code, on or after the
1-47 effective date.
1-48 (b) This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote
1-49 of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided
1-50 by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does
1-51 not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes
1-52 effect September 1, 2001.
1-53 * * * * *