79R10022 MCK-D

By:  Shapleigh                                                    S.B. No. 1734



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the readmission of a student to an institution of higher 
education who leaves the institution to enter military service.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  (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 armed forces of 
the United States or 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 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.