By Dukes H.B. No. 2980
77R5760 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 firefighters and peace officers enrolled at public institutions of
1-4 higher 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 54.2042 to read as follows:
1-8 Sec. 54.2042. CHILDREN OF FIREFIGHTERS AND PEACE OFFICERS.
1-9 (a) In this section:
1-10 (1) "Child" means a child of any age, including an
1-11 adult child. The term includes an adopted child.
1-12 (2) "Qualified firefighter" means a full-time employee
1-13 of a fire department or other fire-fighting unit of an agency or
1-14 political subdivision of this state who performs a function listed
1-15 in Section 143.003(4), Local Government Code, without regard to
1-16 whether the person is subject to a civil service system or program.
1-17 (3) "Qualified peace officer" means a person elected,
1-18 appointed, or employed to serve as a peace officer listed in
1-19 Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, for an agency or
1-20 political subdivision of this state.
1-21 (b) The governing board of each institution of higher
1-22 education shall exempt from the payment of tuition and required
1-23 fees a person enrolled as an undergraduate student at the
1-24 institution who is the child of a person who at the beginning of
2-1 the semester or summer session for which the exemption is sought:
2-2 (1) is a qualified firefighter or qualified peace
2-3 officer; and
2-4 (2) has 10 or more years of experience as a qualified
2-5 firefighter or qualified peace officer.
2-6 (c) A person is not eligible for an exemption under this
2-7 section if the person:
2-8 (1) has previously received an exemption under this
2-9 section for 10 semesters or summer sessions at any institution or
2-10 institutions of higher education; or
2-11 (2) has received a baccalaureate degree.
2-12 (d) For purposes of Subsection (b), a summer term or other
2-13 academic session that is less than nine weeks in duration is
2-14 considered one-half of a regular semester or summer session.
2-15 (e) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall:
2-16 (1) adopt rules governing the granting or denial of an
2-17 exemption under this section, including rules relating to the
2-18 determination of eligibility for an exemption and procedures for
2-19 the verification of a person's status as a qualified firefighter or
2-20 peace officer; and
2-21 (2) prescribe application forms for exemptions under
2-22 this section.
2-23 (f) To receive an exemption under this section, the person
2-24 must apply to the institution from which the exemption is sought in
2-25 the time and manner required by coordinating board rule.
2-26 SECTION 2. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies
2-27 to tuition and fees at an institution of higher education beginning
3-1 with the 2001 fall semester.
3-2 (b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
3-3 adopt rules and forms for the administration of Section 54.2042,
3-4 Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after
3-5 this Act takes effect.
3-6 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
3-7 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
3-8 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
3-9 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
3-10 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.