79R3617 KSD-D

By:  McReynolds                                                   H.B. No. 1407



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to an exemption from tuition and fees at public 
institutions of higher education for children of certain employees 
of the Texas Forest Service with fire-fighting, rescue, or other 
special duties who are killed or disabled in the line of duty.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 54.204(a)(1), Education Code, is amended 
to read as follows:
		(1)  "Eligible employee" means:                                        
			(A)  a full-paid or volunteer firefighter;                     
			(B)  [, or] a full-paid municipal, county, or 
state peace officer;
			(C)  [, or] a custodial employee of the Texas 
Department of Corrections;
			(D)  [, or] a game warden; or                 
			(E)  an employee of the Texas Forest Service who:                     
				(i)  is assigned fire-fighting, 
fire-prevention, rescue, or incident management duties; and
				(ii)  meets or is scheduled to meet the 
applicable qualifications and training guidelines established by 
the National Wildfire Coordinating Group for the performance of the 
employee's assigned duties.
	SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies 
beginning with dues, fees, and charges imposed by a public 
institution of higher education for the 2005 fall semester.  Dues, 
fees, and charges imposed in a semester or session before the 2005 
fall semester are governed by the applicable law in effect before 
the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect 
for that purpose.
	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.