By Turner of Coleman H.B. No. 1120 Line and page numbers may not match official copy. Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E. A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the higher education of peace officers. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Chapter 54, Education Code, is amended by adding 1-5 Section 54.2081 to read as follows: 1-6 Sec. 54.2081. Peace Officers. (a) The governing board of an 1-7 institution of higher education may exempt a student from the 1-8 payment of tuition and required fees authorized by this chapter for 1-9 a course for which space is available if the student: 1-10 (1) is a resident of this state and has resided in 1-11 this state for the 12 months immediately preceding the beginning of 1-12 the semester or session for which an exemption is sought; and 1-13 (2) is a peace officer as defined by Article 2.12 of 1-14 the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure; 1-15 (b) A person may not receive an exemption under this section 1-16 for more than 12 semesters or sessions while the person is enrolled 1-17 in an undergraduate program or while the person is attending only 1-18 undergraduate courses. 1-19 (c) A person may not receive an exemption under this section 1-20 if the person is enrolled in a master's degree program or is 1-21 attending postgraduate courses to meet the requirements of a 1-22 master's degree program and the person has previously received a 2-1 master's degree and received an exemption under this section for a 2-2 semester or session while attending a postgraduate course to meet 2-3 the requirements of the master's degree program. 2-4 (d) A person may not receive an exemption under this section 2-5 if the person is enrolled in a doctoral degree program or is 2-6 attending postgraduate courses to meet the requirements of a 2-7 doctoral degree program and the person has previously received a 2-8 doctoral degree and received an exemption under this section for a 2-9 semester or session while attending a postgraduate course to meet 2-10 the requirements of the doctoral degree program. 2-11 (e) A person must apply for an exemption in the manner 2-12 provided by the governing board of the institution. The governing 2-13 board shall require an applicant for an exemption to submit 2-14 satisfactory evidence that the applicant is eligible for the 2-15 exemption. 2-16 (f) The legislature, in an appropriations act, shall account 2-17 for the rates of tuition and fees authorized by Subsection (a) in a 2-18 way that does not increase the general revenue appropriations to 2-19 that institution.