BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 517
80R3473 KSD-F By: Janek
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, police officers and criminal justice officers are not exempted from tuition and fees when taking higher education courses related to criminal justice or law enforcement management, while firefighters enjoy this exemption.
As proposed, S.B. 517 exempts police officers and criminal justice officers of a political subdivision from paying tuition costs for higher education courses that are offered as part of a criminal justice or law enforcement management-related curriculum designed for police officers.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to any state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 54.208, Education Code, as follows:
Sec. 54.208. New heading: FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS ENROLLED IN CERTAIN COURSES. (a) Creates this subsection from existing text. Requires the governing board of an institution of higher education, rather than the boards of the state institutions of collegiate rank supported in whole or in part by public funds, to exempt from the payment of tuition and laboratory fees a student, rather than any person, who is employed as a firefighter, rather than fireman, by a political subdivision of this state and who enrolls in certain courses or who is employed as a police officer by a political subdivision of this state and who enrolls in a course or courses offered as part of a criminal justice or law enforcement management-related curriculum designed for police officers. Makes conforming and nonsubstantive changes.
(b) Creates this subsection from existing text. Makes conforming and nonsubstantive changes.
SECTION 2. Makes application of this Act prospective to the 2007 fall semester.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2007.