H.B. No. 1170




AN ACT

relating to the award of higher education course credit for the 
completion of certain military training and to readmission to a 
public institution of higher education of students who withdraw to 
perform active military service.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 51, Education Code, is 
amended by adding Section 51.3041 to read as follows:
	Sec. 51.3041.  AWARD OF COURSE CREDIT FOR MILITARY TRAINING.  
(a)  In this section, "institution of higher education" has the 
meaning assigned by Section 61.003.
	(b)  An institution of higher education shall consider, in 
determining whether to award to a student course credit toward a 
degree offered by the institution for the student's completion of 
certain military training:
		(1)  any official military record presented to the 
institution by the student that:
			(A)  describes the substance of the training 
completed by the student; and
			(B)  verifies the student's successful completion 
of that training; and
		(2)  whether the substance of that training satisfies 
the purpose of the course for which the student seeks credit as 
described in the institution's course catalog.
	(c)  This section applies to a student who has completed 
certain military training and is admitted to the institution, 
including a student who is readmitted under Section 51.9242.
	SECTION 2.  (a)  Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, 
is amended by adding Section 51.9242 to read as follows:
	Sec. 51.9242.  READMISSION OF STUDENT WHO WITHDRAWS TO 
PERFORM ACTIVE MILITARY SERVICE.  (a)  This section applies only to 
a student who withdraws from an institution of higher education to 
perform active military service as a member of the United States 
armed forces or the Texas National Guard, except that this section 
does not apply to a student who withdraws from an institution solely 
to perform one or more training exercises as a member of the Texas 
National Guard.
	(b)  For any academic term that begins after the date a 
student described by Subsection (a) is released from active 
military service but not later than the first anniversary of that 
date, the institution of higher education from which the student 
withdrew shall readmit the student, without requiring 
reapplication or charging a fee for readmission, if the student is 
otherwise eligible to register for classes at the institution.  On 
readmission of the student under this subsection, the institution 
shall:
		(1)  provide to the student any financial assistance 
previously provided by the institution to the student before the 
student's withdrawal if the student meets current eligibility 
requirements for the assistance, other than any requirement 
directly affected by the student's service, such as continuous 
enrollment or another similar timing requirement; and
		(2)  allow the student the same academic status that 
the student had before the student's withdrawal, including any 
course credit awarded to the student by the institution.
	(c)  An institution of higher education may adopt rules 
requiring reasonable proof from a student of the fact and duration 
of the student's active military service.
	(b)  Section 51.9242, Education Code, as added by this Act, 
applies beginning with readmissions to a public institution of 
higher education for the first semester or other academic term that 
begins after this Act takes effect.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this 
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 
Act takes effect September 1, 2005.




______________________________              ______________________________
 
   President of the Senate                               Speaker of the House      

	I certify that H.B. No. 1170 was passed by the House on April 
6, 2005, by the following vote:  Yeas 142, Nays 0, 1 present, not 
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. 
No. 1170 on May 23, 2005, by a non-record vote.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House   

	
I certify that H.B. No. 1170 was passed by the Senate, with 
amendments, on May 20, 2005, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 
0.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                      Secretary of the Senate   



APPROVED: __________________                                                
 
                Date                                                         




 
         __________________                                              
 
              Governor