By Hill                                               H.B. No. 1270
         77R3807 JSA-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to tuition and fee exemptions for the children of certain
 1-3     classroom teachers enrolled at a public institution of higher
 1-4     education.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
 1-7     amended by adding Section 54.215 to read as follows:
 1-8           Sec. 54.215.  CHILDREN OF CLASSROOM TEACHERS.  (a)  The
 1-9     governing board of each institution of higher education shall
1-10     exempt from the payment of tuition and required fees a person
1-11     enrolled as an undergraduate student at the institution who is the
1-12     child of a person who at the beginning of the semester or summer
1-13     session for  which the exemption is sought has 10 or more years of
1-14     experience as a classroom teacher in this state, not including
1-15     experience as a teaching aide or administrator, and:
1-16                 (1)  is employed as a classroom teacher in this state;
1-17     or
1-18                 (2)  has contracted to work as a classroom teacher in
1-19     this state during all or part of that semester or session or, if
1-20     the child is enrolled for a summer session, has contracted to work
1-21     as a classroom teacher in this state during the next school year.
1-22           (b)  A person is not eligible for an exemption under this
1-23     section if the person:
1-24                 (1)  has previously received an exemption under this
 2-1     section for 10 semesters or summer sessions at any institution or
 2-2     institutions of higher education; or
 2-3                 (2)  has received a baccalaureate degree.
 2-4           (c)  For purposes of Subsection (b), a summer term or other
 2-5     academic session that is less than nine weeks in duration is
 2-6     considered one-half of a regular semester or summer session.
 2-7           (d)  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
 2-8     adopt:
 2-9                 (1)  rules governing the granting or denial of an
2-10     exemption under this section, including rules relating to the
2-11     determination of eligibility for an exemption; and
2-12                 (2)  an application form for an exemption under this
2-13     section.
2-14           (e)  To receive an exemption under this section, the person
2-15     must apply to the institution from which the refund is sought in
2-16     the time and manner required by coordinating board rule.
2-17           (f)  In this section:
2-18                 (1)  "Child" means a child of any age, including an
2-19     adult child.  The term includes an adopted child.
2-20                 (2)  "Classroom teacher" has the meaning assigned by
2-21     Section 5.001(2).
2-22           SECTION 2.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
2-23     section, Section 54.215, Education Code, as added by this Act,
2-24     applies beginning with the 2001 fall semester.
2-25           (b)  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
2-26     adopt rules and forms for the administration of Section 54.215,
2-27     Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after
 3-1     this Act takes effect.
 3-2           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
 3-3     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 3-4     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
 3-5     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
 3-6     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.