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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to allowing certain military personnel to receive certain |
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federal and state higher education benefits concurrently. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 54.203, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (e) and adding Subsection (e-1) to read as |
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follows: |
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(e) The exemption from fees provided for in Subsection (a) |
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[of this section] does not apply to a person who [if] at the time of |
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[his] registration [he] is entitled to receive [eligible for] |
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educational benefits under federal legislation [in effect at the
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time of his registration] if the value of those benefits received in |
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a semester or other term is equal to or exceeds the value of the |
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exemption for the same semester or other term. If the value of |
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federal benefits received in a semester or other term does not equal |
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or exceed the value of the exemption for the same semester or other |
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term, [except that] the person [must first utilize the federal
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benefit for which he] is entitled to receive both the federal |
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benefit and the exemption in the same semester or other term. The |
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[eligible and the] combined amount of the federal benefit plus the |
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amount of the exemption received in a semester or other term may |
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[this waiver shall] not exceed the cost of tuition and fees for that |
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semester or other term [maximum value of the waiver]. A person is |
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covered by the exemption [exemptions] if the person's [his] right |
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to benefits under federal legislation is extinguished at the time |
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of the person's [his] registration, except that a person may [is] |
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not receive [eligible for] an exemption from fees under this |
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section if the person's right to benefits under federal legislation |
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is extinguished because the person is in default of repayment of a |
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loan made to the person under a federal program to provide or |
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guarantee loans for educational purposes. |
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(e-1) A person may [is] not receive an [eligible for the] |
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exemption under this section if the person is in default on a loan |
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made or guaranteed for educational purposes by the State of Texas. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies |
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beginning with tuition and fees for the 2007 fall semester. Tuition |
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and fees for a term or semester before the 2007 fall semester are |
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covered by the law in effect immediately before the effective date |
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of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
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purpose. |
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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. |