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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the eligibility for education benefits of surviving  | 
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minor children of certain public employees killed in the line of  | 
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duty. | 
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       BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
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       SECTION 1.  Subsection (a), Section 615.0225, Government  | 
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Code, is amended to read as follows: | 
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       (a)  A person is eligible to receive education benefits under  | 
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this section if the person is: | 
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             (1)  a surviving spouse; or | 
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             (2)  a surviving minor child as defined by Section  | 
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615.001[, if the child was claimed as a dependent on the income tax 
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return filed with the Internal Revenue Service by the listed 
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individual in the year preceding the year in which the listed 
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individual died]. | 
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       SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act to Subsection  | 
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(a), Section 615.0225, Government Code, regarding the eligibility  | 
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of a surviving child for educational benefits applies in relation  | 
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to a death that occurs on or after September 1, 2001.  However, that  | 
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change applies only with respect to education benefits awarded by  | 
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an institution of higher education beginning with the 2007 fall  | 
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semester. | 
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       SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives  | 
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as  | 
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this  | 
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this  | 
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |